Q0656
“Religion cannot be fully understood either within the parameters of utility or…” — Nishitani Keiji (Religion and Nothingness (Van Bragt, opening…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Religion and Nothingness (Van Bragt, opening discussion of religion). Theme: god.
English
Religion cannot be fully understood either within the parameters of utility or from a sociological viewpoint alone.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Religion and Nothingness (Van Bragt, opening discussion of religion) and files it under Kyoto School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Nishitani Keiji
Nishitani Keiji (1900–1990) was Nishida’s student and a central second-generation Kyoto School figure. Educated in Japan and briefly in Germany under Heidegger’s orbit, he taught at Kyoto University and wrote Religion and Nothingness (Japanese Shūkyō to wa nanika), which confronts modern nihilism through Zen and Mahāyāna emptiness.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Maimonides and Saadia Gaon), god is framed through Jewish Rationalism and Islamic Philosophy. Some passages define god; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through god, understanding, meaning.
Concepts in this quote
- God
- God appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat god as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Understanding
- Understanding appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat understanding as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Meaning
- Meaning appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat meaning as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Nishitani Keiji. (n.d.). Religion cannot be fully understood either within the parameters of utility or from a sociological viewpoint alone. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0656
MLA: Nishitani Keiji. “Religion cannot be fully understood either within the….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0656.
Chicago: Nishitani Keiji. “Religion cannot be fully understood either within the….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0656.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Religion cannot be fully understood either within the…”?
The passage is attributed to Nishitani Keiji, Religion and Nothingness (Van Bragt, opening discussion of religion). The archive attributes this English wording to Religion and Nothingness (Van Bragt, opening discussion of religion) and files it under Kyoto School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Nishitani Keiji mean by god?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Maimonides and Saadia Gaon), god is framed through Jewish Rationalism and Islamic Philosophy. Some passages define god; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through god, understanding, meaning.