ABSTRACT
The sociologists belonging to the Institut fur Sozialforschung maintained an aversion toward metaphysics and consequently toward any religious ideology. They were convinced that the churches made instrumental use of reason in order to enslave and tame the social subject in the name of supposedly higher motivations that have little to do with the actual individual's desires. T. W. Adorno arid especially M. Horkheimer provide us with stimulating and original readings on religion. Their reflections began with the Marxist perspective of the Frankfurt school, and reached a position charged either with theological implications or, at least, dialogically open toward the most attentive intellectuals of our century. Horkheimer, in particular, was convinced about the impenetrability of some sectors pertaining to human behavior. He examines the various aspects of religious phenomena and freely expresses his opinion about them also employing, as is common for him, irony and sarcasm. He is convinced, however, of the relevant social role of various movements and religious beliefs.
