By reading Heidegger in the context of Hegel's phenomenology of religion, this book demonstrates an overlap between the two thinkers in their mutual opposition to subjectivism.

Heidegger's scholarly corpus exhibits a complicated and evolving disposition toward Hegelian philosophy, one that deserves to be studied in concreto. To this end, Jason Barton examines Heidegger's critique of Hegel's metaphysics in relation to their shared treatment of subjectivism, and responds to this critique with the assistance of Hegel's phenomenology of religion.

Many projects dedicated to expositing and comparing these prominent figures in Western philosophy neglect the longitudinal character of Heidegger's engagement with Hegelian philosophy. Scholars will speak of a monolithic and singular critique of Hegel's metaphysics proceeding from Heidegger's diverse writings, as if Heidegger never altered his comportment toward Hegel. This book fills this gap by providing both a longitudinal and latitudinal approach to a comparative study of Hegel and Heidegger's phenomenology