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

Free Dissertations - Religion Dissertations

Unauthentic Faith That Objectifies Itself For Preservation, For Kierkegaard, ...

Unauthentic faith that objectifies itself for preservation, for Kierkegaard, falls on its proverbial sword. It merely perpetuates Christendom as opposed to a Christianity lead by faith. He demonstrates what he believes to be true. We can affirm certain doctrinal and canonical statements, but they are mere scaffolding to a greater reality. That reality is authentic engagement and acceptance of Christ himself. This life brings not despair but hope and eternal happiness.
Kierkegaard's resolution of his question of the difference between Christianity and philosophy is not as specific to one section of the Bible as to that of justification. This resolution comes from a broader view of, particularly, the New Testament account.Kierkegaard resolves this conflict by referring to the doctrine of sin. This is not a bowing down to the established doctrines of the church catholic. Instead, Kierkegaard employs a vision directly informed by the Scripture. Kierkegaard, as it has been mentioned, employs an imaginative identification mode of reading Scripture. In reading the Scripture he sees himself and is overwhelmed with his sinfulness. It is a unique aspect of the Christian message that it requires a moral reckoning in regards to God. A life otherwise characterized by despair (themes in Sickness unto Death) is transformed into one that is redemptive and full of vibrant life.
An additional example of Kierkegaard's relation of the Bible to his life and work is his interesting identification with Biblical characters. It is a constant theme in this essay that Kierkegaard reads Scripture in a self-reflecting imaginative way. Here we find his self-reflection in Scripture to be very powerful. Some of the characters that Kierkegaard personally identifies with are Isaac, Abraham, the Virgin Mary, Christ, Paul, John the Baptist, and others.
[we must not] doubt our likeness, however remote to these men of God. The deep sorrow, the errible battles with our attitudes, must not allow us to doubt completely our strength to beqar what is our lot to bear. Inasmuch as such instances remind us of the dark and bright hours in our own experience, we shall not lose equilibrium, we shall not imagine that everything is accomplished in one stroke, and we shall not despair when we see that this cannot be done.
There is much debate over the content of Fear and Trembling in which main character Kierkegaard most identifies with. Some scholars view the work as an apologetic to his estranged fiancé Regine over Kierkegaard's choice of a life devoted to philosophy over marriage. Yet is Kierkegaard portraying himself as Isaac on the altar, or is it Regine that is Isaac and Søren Abraham? Whichever way, the theme of sacrifice in lieu of Kierkegaard's real life choices is poignant.
This sense of sacrifice leads Kierkegaard to identify with Jesus and, especially, Paul.

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.