Friedrich Heiler’s phenomenology of religion

The article presents the analysis of the phenomenological theory of religion of famous German scholar of religion F. Heiler. His phenomenological theory is presented in his latest work “Erscheinungsformen und Wesen der Religion” (‘Forms of Manifesting and Essence of Religion”), where religion was presented in the form of a diagram of concentric circles. The basis of the scheme was the theological theory presented in the works of Pseudo- Dionysius the Areopagite, with its help Heiler not only describes the center of the system (Deus absconditus as he called it), but also determines the main features of its manifestation in world of religions in the form of Deus revelatus. The article for the first time in the Russian literature presents complete graphical diagram of concentric circles and the detailed analysis of its parts and structure. In addition, it discusses theoretical origins of Heiler’s theory and basic critical evaluation presented by J. Waardenburg and M. Pylaev.