華特．班雅明的歷史觀一直是令許多研究者既著迷又困惑的課題。本文採取歷時（chronological）的研究進路，將班雅明的生涯分成「始於猶太教基底的神學史觀」、「繼以朝宇宙論深化的神學史觀」和「終至援引唯物辯證、與之並置的神學史觀」三個階段，主張（1）班雅明歷史觀的核心在於歷史之拯救；（2）於其生涯中後期他雖愈發援引唯物辯證史觀，但僅將其保持在手段、方法的層面；（3）歷史之拯救此一目的一直是神學性的，故可說神學史觀貫穿班雅明的整個生涯。

Walter Benjamin’s view of history has long been fascinating if not confusing to many of his researchers. Adopting a chronological approach, I divide Benjamin’s career into three phases: “theological view of history based on Judaism,” “theological view of history deepened by cosmology,” and “theological view of history juxtaposed with and aided by a materialist-dialectical view of history,” thereby arguing that (1) the salvation of history constitutes the focus of Benjamin’s view of history; (2) although, starting from the middle part of his career, he increasingly appealed to a materialist-dialectical view of history, yet he kept it simply as a means or approach; and (3) given that the salvation of history as a goal was always theological, it can be posited that Benjamin’s view of history was always theological in nature throughout his career.