10 Letter to Engelbert Krebs on His Philosophical Conversion (On dhe day before Chrinmas Ese in 1918, the ery pregnant Frau Fide Heidegger made an unexpected vist to Father Engelbert Krebs the CGathote rie who In 117 had presided oer the weading ceremony of {he Heeggers. She informed him that she and her husband cul no longer full the promise made at thelr Catholic wedding to have thelr chien bapized and raised in the Cathoi faith. Father Krebs caretly ‘cords the words of Fra Heeger in his dary °Mybusband has lost bis ih inthe church and T hav alld to find mine.» Asa re we ‘both now think a Protestant way but with no fixed dogmatic tes be Tieving na personal God, praying to him in dhe sprit of Crs, but out side any Protestant or Caibieortodory. Under the eteursianec, we ‘ould consider itdshonest to have ou child baptized 4 Catal. But Feit duty totellyu thivin advance” (O11986/1998p 108/108). Ac cordingly, Heidegger's leer to Kreba some two wees trys ie not Unexpected, Speaking as one colleague to another, Heidegac jstfes his personal conversion to a "ree Chriianty” on purely pilosphical {the end. An epicmology of history (hermeneutics, metaphysics “ina new sense? and pethapsmostcenal his "profesional thoughtand extensive readings nthe direction of« phenomenology af the religious Ite andi satin storia ieworls all serve to shape a personal “ite ‘ner ello philonophy” The personal conversion snd the pilosophica ‘is poopy ating leer among the papers of Eger ete a te ‘eta ras puedo fshrd Cpr, Mra Hes {Ao Thcoghce fate ergo "Pug 10 CN ‘top ft Aight eer een, and an Eagan nan, ere pled by {nd Net Came Utnery Pe Met ye ter ony Als ‘Miners pbs nO 88/1958 pp. 15-1/ 1067 rf mc ao che ‘cl ut tan oh nsLetter to Engelbert Krebs on His Philosophical Conversion Freiburg January 9, 1919 Deas Professor, (Over the ls vo years Ihave setae ll sent work ofa specialized ture and have Suggested fora bane elrifestion of my plo ‘Sphical postion, This has led me to ress tha could not be fee 1 fold and teach were bound to posdons that come from outside of phe Tosph. pisemological insights that extend tothe theory of historical Anowietge have mace the stm of Catholicism problematic and unac- Cfptale tome but ot Chstinnty ned metaphysics, which howeve ‘ow understand] in anew sense Tice that pertape more than thore who work on the subject oficalyhave perceived the values that the Catholic Mile Ages holds Sithin te aes dat we ze sl frfrom rly explting. My esearch Jno the phenomenology of religion, which wil draw heavily on the Mileage should prone beyond dispute that eve though have wan formed my baie andpoin {have refed tobe dragged into abandon ing my cbjectne high opinion and regard for the CatobeHewortd or "Therefore ics copecalymportanttorme—andIwantto thankyou forthismos cordial shat not forteitthe enjoyment of yur invaluable friendship. Land my wife (who first od yo about his) wot ke wo heep thever special confidence we sare wit yon Itisharao iveasa pho. pher=inner truthfulness toward oneself and toward those ne i ap- posed to teach demands sacrifice, renunciation, and sroggles that re Iain forever foreign tothe academic rasan” alice Ihave an inner cl to plop and, by failing in research and teaching aca tothe eternal oration ofthe inner ma— td fr that load Le called to achieve what sin ry powers and ths {os before God, my very existence [Das] an work. Yours with deep gratitude Martin Heidegger PS. My fe sends her warmest greetings.