ABSTRACT
Catastrophic moments in world history have always proved an incitement to speculation. The result of the schism and disruption is that the knowing subject no longer feels himself directly and wholly a part of the historical object; and this gives birth to the speculations of historical science. Historical science became possible only in the nineteenth century. This chapter presents an example to illustrate the fact that historical criticism had become absolutely powerless to explain the mystery of the religious phenomenon. Historical science and the philosophy of history, like every sphere of human knowledge, ought to possess their own gnosiology and their own theory of knowledge. The process to which historical materialism submits history leads inevitably to the crumbling away of historical reality. The historical tradition is precisely this inner historical memory which is transposed into historical destiny. The goal of historical knowledge and philosophy is not natural but supernatural.
