Soren Kierkegaard, is one of the biggest influential existential philosophers. He set the tone for many 20th century philosophers. He lived a very short and prolific life. He considered himself a religious writer, however he had a very peculiar form and understanding of faith. What is interesting about Kierkegaard’s philosophy is his idea of linking faith to religious existentialism, which is far from being a traditional Christian approach. He believed that religious existentialism implicates a leap of faith, marked by the search of the truth through an intimate relation to God. From a traditional religious point of view, faith resides in a trust in the divine word through the holy text, which gives it an objective and historic dimension.
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Faith involves angst, German for anguish. But what anguish is Kierkegaard truly talking about? He hints later on that the true source of our anguish is our love and trust in God, and for God to love us as well. He goes on in explaining that God’s love is incommensurable, it cannot be …show more content…
Saying that Abraham is higher than the universal, may be observed as saying that Abraham is higher than the law, and in a sense he is. He is almost sacrificing his son in good will, making faith “ an absolute relation to the absolute”. Abraham has an absolute relation to God through faith, a relation that makes him utterly alone, a relation which he cannot speak to anyone about, one that no other would understand, for it is inexplicable. Real faith is terrifying, it cannot be mediated, it is not at all comforting. Kierkegaard emphasizes true faith’s reality by comparing the Knight of faith to the tragic hero. He describes a tragic hero as someone who has unauthentic faith, faith for comfort, who would do the unethical for the community, for the universal, maintaining him within the ethical. Unlike Abraham, who is the knight of faith, who does not need a reason or a threat in order to suspend his judgement, he is persuaded by his faith in
Faith involves angst, German for anguish. But what anguish is Kierkegaard truly talking about? He hints later on that the true source of our anguish is our love and trust in God, and for God to love us as well. He goes on in explaining that God’s love is incommensurable, it cannot be …show more content…
Saying that Abraham is higher than the universal, may be observed as saying that Abraham is higher than the law, and in a sense he is. He is almost sacrificing his son in good will, making faith “ an absolute relation to the absolute”. Abraham has an absolute relation to God through faith, a relation that makes him utterly alone, a relation which he cannot speak to anyone about, one that no other would understand, for it is inexplicable. Real faith is terrifying, it cannot be mediated, it is not at all comforting. Kierkegaard emphasizes true faith’s reality by comparing the Knight of faith to the tragic hero. He describes a tragic hero as someone who has unauthentic faith, faith for comfort, who would do the unethical for the community, for the universal, maintaining him within the ethical. Unlike Abraham, who is the knight of faith, who does not need a reason or a threat in order to suspend his judgement, he is persuaded by his faith in