existentiell

Existentiell is an adjective used in philosophy and theology to describe matters tied to concrete, individual existence rather than to abstract or universal structures. The term derives from the German existentiell (from Existenz) and is employed to distinguish the lived dimension of being from more general or systemic analyses of existence.

In existential and phenomenological discourse, exisentiell refers to how a person actually exists in the world—their life situation, choices, commitments, and search for meaning. It emphasizes personal responsibility, authenticity, and contingency, focusing on existential issues as they arise in concrete life rather than as purely theoretical problems.

In theology, existentiell analysis investigates how religious claims and theological concepts are encountered by individuals in their particular life contexts—how faith, doubt, grace, and decision unfold in lived experience. This approach contrasts with ontological or doctrinal inquiry, which studies the general being or formal structure of a concept independent of any single person’s experience.

Existentiell discussions are most common in 20th-century continental philosophy and existential theology, where scholars stress understanding existence from the standpoint of a concrete person. Because the term is specialized, it is less widely used outside those traditions, and some writers prefer related expressions such as existential or concrete existence to avoid ambiguity.

See also: existentialism, ontology, phenomenology, Barthian existential theology.