Dissertation Creation - The UK's original provider of custom dissertations and dissertation help...

Free Dissertations - Religion Dissertations

In The Section He Discusses Themes In The Epistles And The Gospels Of The New ...

In the section he discusses themes in the Epistles and the Gospels of the New Testament, yet he doesn't directly reference Scripture at every reference. Obviously, he relies on a working knowledge of Scripture in the reader. Yet, he goes about discussing the difficult concept of sacrifice and gain in Christian discipleship. He turns the concept in and out until the reader and, indeed, the author find some insight into its mystery. This is common throughout Kierkegaard's work. His discussions are haunted by a backdrop of Scripture; focusing on central themes of the Gospel message. There is a notable exception to this at the end (part four) of the Christian Discourses where he analyses several texts. These are by far exceptions to the general rule of thumb in his work.
Examples
To be a Christian, for Kierkegaard, means no less than to enter into a form of life that is regulated in all its aspects by the biblical stories depicting Christ's life, teaching, death, and resurrection. The narratives of the New Testament form the basis for a comprehensive doctrinal scheme, which not only structures all the dimensions of religious existence, but also serves as an objective standard for determining what constitutes faithful adherence to the Christian community.

Kierkegaard's look at the Beatitudes in Matthew five is a good example of the way that he goes about reading and extracting meaning from the text. In the Concluding Unscientific Postscript we see Kierkegaard's method in detail. Climacus asserts the importance of eternal happiness, but seems to take cues from terms in the text such as kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God, everlasting life, etc. as they are espoused by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.He looks at the text in Matthew five, yet he does not attempt to overanalyze it. He stresses how the Scripture lifts up those who admit their need for Grace (i.e. the poor in spirit). How Christ promises, indeed gives hope, to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.The themes of loneliness and doubt that plagued Kierkegaard's adult life come out in his reading of the text. He reads the text through himself; we likely get no better vision of his character and person than through his reading of Scripture. One can observe the resonance that Jesus' words have with Kierkegaard as one who views himself as poor in spirit (albeit talented in ability) and desiring truth (and more so) meaning in his pursuits. These words comfort him as a self-acknowledged weak person who desires meaning above all else. He is affirmed that he will indeed receive the kingdom's eternal happiness as well as be filled in his desire for meaning.
He takes the text for what it is, and does not attempt to bring in alternative sources or authorities to the subject. However, he does interpret the text. Kierkegaard is not a literalist by any means.

Please note: The above dissertation snippet was written by a student and then submitted to us to display and help others. Thanks to all the students who have submitted their work to us.