Views On Christianity In Kierkegaard's Philosophy

Views on religion differ greatly in this world, especially in the realm of philosophy. Despite the differences that come with religion, each of them begins in a similar place. This place is the nothingness that once existed, before any person or thing was created. Soren Kierkegaard was an author who altered his writings from philosophical to a more religious viewpoint in his later years. Contrary to that, Dr. Ali Shariati dedicated a majority of his life and his publications to ensure that his religion was never swept under the rug. But, both of these authors were not out to create a new religion that best fit themselves, as some other philosophers were. Instead, they wanted people to understand their own in the best way possible for total enlightenment. Kierkegaard believed that Christianity was a life to be lived, not something to simply be learned about. Shariati was focused on the sociology of religion and what religion had to offer to people’s lives. Although they have many clear differences within their teachings, both of these authors believed in freedom. Kierkegaard chose not to be a church leader or educational leader, as he wanted to have the ability to write on his own, under no one. Shariati wrote about only being a true human by breaking out of different “prisons” and finding that freedom.

Soren Kierkegaard was raised Lutheran Protestant in Denmark. As he grew older, he began to resent the Danish Church and Christendom for tricking Christian people into thinking they were achieving religious prosperity without giving any effort to the cause. He believed that many Christian followers had no actual idea what Christianity really was. Kierkegaard’s idea of true Christianity was focused on the individual and their relationship with God themselves. God should reside in each and every one of us, in Kierkegaard’s eyes. He also made it very clear that he was not attempting to act as a higher power by writing about Christianity, as God himself is the “ultimate authority.” Kierkegaard’s main problem with religion was that he felt the meaning of his faith was being replaced by the need for concrete verification that God existed. This meant that although someone may have called themselves a Christian, that meant nothing if they did not contain faith and belief in God without having to see him themselves. Many Christians read Kierkegaard’s work as a way to discover a better understanding of their own religion. He believed that the most effective way to teach others through his writing was by being indirect about the subject. He also commonly used pseudonyms to ensure that the only focus of his readers was on the actual text. Faith was a central idea to Kierkegaard. Faith meant that no one had to rely on the rational but rather had to rely on God’s power. The “leap to faith” and the “knight of faith” are two of Kierkegaard’s more influential ideas that went against the rational. In his philosophical retelling of the story of Abraham and Isaac, called Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard presented Abraham as a man of faith. Abraham was told by God to kill his son in order to prove his loyalty. Abraham chose to obey God, without any rational proof that God truly spoke to him, and had to act in a leap of faith.