Kierkegaard as Religious Thinker

Using Kierkegaard’s later religious writings as well as his earlier philosophical works, David Gouwens explores this philosopher’s religious and theological thought, focusing on human nature, Christ, and Christian discipleship. He helps the reader approach Kierkegaard as someone who both analysed religion and sought to evoke religious dispositions in his readers. Gouwens discusses Kierkegaard’s main concerns as a religious and, specifically, Christian thinker, and his treatment of religion using the dialectic of ‘becoming Christian’, and counters the interpretation of his religious thought as privatistic and asocial. Gouwens appraises both the edifying discourses and the pseudonymous writings, including the particular problems posed by the latter. Between foundationalism and irrationalism, Kierkegaard’s ideas are seen to anticipate the end of ‘modernity’, while standing at the centre of the Christian tradition.

• Treats all of Kierkegaard’s writing: edifying and pseudonymous, later religious and earlier philosophical • Relates Kierkegaard’s thought to contemporary issues in philosophy of religion, theology, and ethics

Introduction; 1. Diseases of reflection; 2. Anthropological reflection; 3. Becoming religious: upbuilding before God; 4. Becoming Christian I: responding to Christ in faith; 5. Becoming Christian II: suffering and following Christ in hope; 6. Becoming Christian III: love and imitating Christ in works; 7. Witness in faith, hope, and love; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.