What true context does Schleiermacher's On Religion assume has always been a research focus in the academic circle. Taking a different stance from the traditional view, this paper studies the key influence of Johann Joachim Spalding-who was the spiritual leader and key exponent of Neology in On Religion-on Friedrich Schleiermacher. When Schleiermacher came to Berlin in 1797, he formed close bonds with Spalding and regarded the latter as his spiritual mentor. Comparing Spalding's Religion, a Human Affair of 1797 with Schleiermacher's On Religion of 1799, we find that they share many similarities. What is more important, however, is that they share two important themes. The first is their understanding of reality as a system of interdependence, and the second is the goal of community which is the inevitable result. Only in the context of Spalding can scholars gain a true understanding of On Religion.