Reformed Evangelical Catholic Press

The Life and Beliefs of Søren Kierkegaard

Chase Reed

By Chase Reed

The intersection of faith and philosophy has been an oft debated topic throughout the history of the Christian Church. Though some – such as notable theologian Martin Lloyd-Jones – were opposed to the intersection of philosophy and theology, others see a great overlap between the two fields. Author William Wood explains: 

  • …when we survey the history of Christian thought, we do see considerable overlap between philosophy and theology. With respect to their topics of inquiry, philosophers and theologians alike ask questions about epistemology, axiology, and political theory, as well as about metaphysics and fundamental ontology.

When looking at the historical record, one does see a great interest in and application of philosophy in the different eras of Church history. Examples such as Justin Martyr, Anicius Boethius, Augustine of Hippo, Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, C. S. Lewis, Alvin Plantinga and many others have contributed to the idea that philosophy can be a helpful tool used to understand and apply the teachings of the apostolic Christian faith. One such individual who sought to do this was Søren Kierkegaard. He was a Danish theologian who lived in the early 19th century. Known by many as the “father of existentialism,” he stands besides other existentialist philosophers that would build off his ideas, such as Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) and Albert Camus (1913-1960). Unlike these individuals, most of whom were atheist or agnostic, Kierkegaard was a devoted Christian who allowed his faith to influence his philosophical beliefs and writings. Though his works are not often read by modern believers, his influence can still be seen in both spiritual and secular circles today. This research paper will examine the life of Kierkegaard, his relation to the churches of his day, and his contributions to Christian thought and philosophy.

A Brief Life

Born on May 5, 1813 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was the son of Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard (1756–1838) and his wife, Ane Sørensdatter Lund (1768–1834). He was baptized on June 3 of the same year in Holy Spirit Church by “the family pastor, resident curate J.E.G. Bull.” From this day forward, Kierkegaard was raised “in an enormously strict Christianity” in which he describes as having “notions placed upon me by the melancholy old man [his father], himself already crushed by them—a child quite insanely disguised as a melancholy old man.” This complex relationship with his father and the Christian faith would go on to influence much of Kierkegaard’s philosophical and theological musings, particularly in regard to melancholy and anxiety. Despite his emotionally and mentally taxing upbringing, he writes at an older age that, “…there were times when Christianity seemed to me the most inhuman sort of cruelty, although I never abandoned my veneration for it…”. For the young man, his faith remained present even when outside factors made it difficult to trust God.

Kierkegaard received his education within a classical school and, upon turning 18, was enrolled at the University of Copenhagen. The following 10 years, he spent his time “in somewhat discursive studies, ranging over the fields of [a]esthetics, philosophy, and theology.” Though his worldview and philosophy was shaped by many influences, the most notable include Plato, Georg W. F. Hegel, his professors F.C. Sibbern, Poul Martin Møller, and H.L. Martensen, and the theological teachings of Martin Luther. Following his time in the academic world, he “entered into an engagement of marriage [with a woman named Regine Olson (1822-1904)], broken after a year upon his own initiative. He remained unmarried…”. This separation would add to the myriad of influences upon Kierkegaard’s literary work, which he would devote himself to more greatly until his death on November 11, 1855.

Kierkegaard, though not living past the age of 42, would end up writing numerous essays and books on topics such as existentialism, aesthetics, ethics, and Christian theology. His most notable works include Either/Or (1843), Fear and Trembling (1843), Stages on Life’s Way (1845) and The Sickness Unto Death (1849). Scholars have noted the difficulty for certain readers to grasp Kierkgaard’s true meaning in his works “due in part to [his use of] the multiplicity of pseudonymous writers who present their own views in a complex dialogue. Avoiding a conclusive system, Kierkegaard lets each pseudonymous writer have his voice.” The pseudonyms he used included Victor Eremita, Johannes de Silentio, Johannes Climacus, and Anti-Climacus. Through each of these writings and pseudonymous works, Kierkegaard would ultimately explore “‘what it means to exist; . . . what it means to be a human being,’”.

Views of the Danish State Church in His Day

Though he was a devoted Christian, Kierkegaard’s faith did not prevent him from critiquing the current practices of the state church of his day in his homeland of Denmark. It was not so much the theology or a specific doctrine being taught that he found issue with. Rather, his concern was primarily with the way the church allowed its congregants to simply (to put it in modern terms) “go through the motions” of the Christian life. He writes very pointedly in one of his works:

  • …when I became an adult, when I opened my eyes and saw actuality, then I started to laugh…I saw that the meaning of life was to make a living…that courage was to risk being fined ten dollars, that cordiality was to say ‘May it do you good’ after a meal, that piety was to go to communion once a year. This I saw, and I laughed.

Nestled in this commentary on the day-to-day-life he observed, Kierkegaard displays that holiness had become reduced to one mere action that was done in an uncaring manner. This sort of meaningless piety drove Kierkegaard to write one of his more intense works entitled Attack Upon Christendom (1854-1855). He continues his diagnoses of the church’s ills within the work, primarily blaming the clergy as the root cause of the spiritual decay he witnessed. He describes the congregation as “dying flies,” stating that their spiritual death “…comes from the building, the whole building is full of poison. That the patients are registered as dead, one of this disease, and that one of another, is not true; for they are all dead from the poison that is in the building.” To be clear, these fiery words from the philosopher are not intended to downplay the role of the Church or the sacraments as some scholars have thought. Instead, Kierkegaard is bringing to light how the clergy in the local churches have stripped all meaning from the Church and her sacraments, leading the congregants to have an empty faith devoid of any love for God.

Kierkegaard’s attitudes toward the church would greatly influence the Scandinavian Lutheran churches over time. These congregations would unfortunately go on to overcorrect their passion for piety by downplaying the importance of confessional doctrine in later centuries, however, as many of them have given up their original Lutheran roots for modern evangelical practices, such as believing that the Lord’s Supper is a mere symbol. Nevertheless, Kierkegaard’s message regarding piety was indeed a necessary message to the clergy and congregations who had lost all meaning as to why they worshipped, went to church, and partook of the sacraments.

Major Contributions to Theology and Philosophy

Rather than simply complain about the ills of the state church in his day, Kierkegaard also put forth his own theological and philosophical musings as he analyzed the Scriptures and pondered concepts such as mankind’s relation to God. The first subject which he wrote extensively on was the topic of faith. In his novel Fear and Trembling, the Danish theologian writes:

  • When a person walks what is in one sense the hard road of the tragic hero, there are many who can give him advice, but he who walks the narrow road of faith has no one to advise him—no one understands him. Faith is a marvel, and yet no human being is excluded from it; for that which unites all human life is passion, and faith is a passion.

Here one sees absurdism combined with religious belief. For Kierkegaard, faith being an absurd “marvel” is not a reason to reject it. Rather, he posits that all people must wrestle with it, and the one who truly does is a “knight of faith.” The example of this archetype that Kierkegaard is most famous for putting forward is that of Abraham as God calls him to sacrifice Isaac. Author Sylvia Crocker summarizes Kierkegaard’s analysis of Genesis 22, writing, “The knight of faith [Abraham] passes the test because he places his trust, his personality and its powers, and his future in the hands of the Infinite and Absolute Person.” To Kierkegaard, the actions of Abraham are justified (i.e. not telling Isaac ahead of time, keeping Sarah in the dark) as the patriarch chooses to understand ethics through God, rather than God through ethics.

A second subject that Kierkegaard often addressed was that of den uendelige kvalitative forskel, better known as “the infinite qualitative distinction.” This concept emphasizes the vast chasm that separates the infinite and holy God from finite and fallible Man. Certain modern theologians will use a similar phrase: “the Creator and Creation distinction.” Nevertheless, Kierkegaard drew attention to this concept while pondering the Incarnation of Christ, which he calls the absolute paradox. Summarizing Kierkegaard’s comments on the Incarnation and the infinite qualitative distinction, author George Pattison writes:

  • The “absolute paradox”, however, is…the claim that one individual human being “is also” God; that the Absolute Other is, in other words, also identical with one “like unto us”. This is not merely paradoxical, it is “offensive” and “absurd,” yet it is this that lies at the heart of Christian faith.

For Kierkegaard, the radical claim that God – who is infinitely different from Man – took on flesh is not a topic of contention or a topic meant to create doubt, but is rather the core of one’s faith. That God could cross the chasm between Himself and Man is not something that can be empirically proven according to Kierkegaard, but must be grasped by faith. His support for this is his belief that “human identity itself…as inherently dependent upon the God-relationship, as are human ideas concerning the good, the meaning of existence and even, by implication, certain issues in logic.” In other words, faith may grasp the absolute paradox of the Incarnation because God Himself is the One who is sovereign over Man and His very Being. Thus, it follows that God would enable Mankind a way to know Him, communicate with Him, and dwell with Him for eternity. Though he wrote extensively, Kierkegaard’s concepts of the knight of faith and the infinite qualitative distinction stand out as his most crucial to the rest of his philosophy.

Summary and Legacy

Søren Kierkegaard, though only living to the age of 42, contributed greatly to the idea that philosophy and theology can intersect to better understand the Christian faith and to understand how to properly live it out. His fiery opinions directed to the Church were rooted not in a hate for the institution itself, but a deep love for it, as he wished to see the traditions and rituals being done in authentic and subjective faith by the congregants and clergy alike. His thoughts and writings on topics such as the knight of faith, infinite qualitative discussion, and many other concepts encourage modern believers to pause and consider what it means to “be” in a world created by the Absolute Person we know as the Triune God. Though many of the individuals influenced by his work turned to the secular in pursuing answers to the existential, much of Kierkegaard’s work can be translated to the modern Christian church as she seeks to return to the core concept of faith: that Christ became Man in order that Man may know God.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  • Crocker, Sylvia Fleming. “Sacrifice in Kierkegaard’s ‘Fear and Trembling.’” The Harvard Theological Review 68, no. 2 (1975): 125–39. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1509089.
  • Kierkegaard, Soren. Attack Upon Christendom, 1854–1855. Translated by Walter Lowrie. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1944.
  • ———. The Essential Kierkegaard. Edited by Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000.
  • Lloyd-Jones, Martyn. What is an Evangelical? Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 1992.
  • Pattison, George. The Philosophy of Kierkegaard, Taylor & Francis Group, 2005.

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