DOCSLIB.ORG

A 'Knight of Faith' Looking Into the Face of the Other: Existential Transformation of Dean Jocelin from William Golding's

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A 'Knight of Faith' Looking Into the Face of the Other: Existential Transformation of Dean Jocelin from William Golding's FOLIA 175 Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis Studia Anglica IV (2014) Małgorzata Kowalcze Pedagogical University of Cracow, Poland A ‘KNIGHT OF FAITH’ LOOKING INTO THE FACE OF THE OTHER: EXISTENTIAL TRANSFORMATION OF DEAN JOCELIN FROM WILLIAM GOLDING’S THE SPIRE Abstract The Spire presents to the reader a surprisingly true to life story ‘knight’ through William ‘being’Golding in his novel ‘self’ by means of intricate relationships with other people of a man who undergoes an existential transformation from Kierkegaard’s whoSartre’s follows the arriving path of at an Levinas’s existentialist, undergoing the process of a profound alteration of and a process of painful himself-discovery. Jocelin, the main character of the novel, is a man personality. He begins as a Kierkegaard’s ‘knight of faith,’ perceiving himself as a God’s Tool, and ends up as a Sartre’s ‘existence’ aware of his abandonment and consequent responsibility. In different moments of his makeover Jocelin embodies the contrasting concepts within existential philosophy, the theistic and atheistic ones, which are woven around the themes of self-examination, free will versus determinism, humility and pride, as well as the enigmatic Keystruggle words: of good existentialism, and evil within the Other, a human transformation being. William Golding is the author whose gloomy account of human nature, permeating spirit of doom and what seems to be a programmed lack of happy endings in his novels gained him the name of a downright pessimist, and it seemsWilliam that the Golding. writer, Thewho Man in his Who private Wrote journal Lord callsof the himself Flies, claims ‘a monster,’ that such would a self-assessmentnot deny that. John might Carey, be the author of his most recent biography edited in 2009, entitled a result of the war atrocities he took part in or his destructive behavior towards his son David, but it might also be a result of the fact that Golding was a profoundly monstrous,introspective in andhis imagination.”‘self-blaming’1 man who, as he kept repeating, “saw the seeds of all evilThe in confidencehis own heart, with and which who Williamfound monstrous Golding struggledthings, or thingsfor literary he accounted success obscures the uneasiness which accompanied him while waiting for critics’ reviewsJ. Carey,after publishingWilliam Golding. his novels. The Man Whether Who Wrote it was Lord the of traumathe Flies he experienced 1 (London, 2009), Chapter 19. [30] Małgorzata Kowalcze with Lord of the Flies being rejected by numerous publishers before finally Charles Monteith, a former lawyer who had been employed in Faber and Faber as an editor The Spire, was written at the time when for just a month, noticed the potential of a provincial schoolmaster, is extremely difficultindependent, to know could for abandon sure. His his fifth position novel, of a teacher and focus on writing. That Golding, having gained readers’ recognition as a writer and becoming financially critical reception of his works, and although the first draft of The Spire was written amount of free time made him even more self-examining and apprehensive about the 2 in just a fortnight, the following fine-tuning of the novel was lengthy and laborious so that it had a much more “tormented birth than any of his previous novels.” claimMark Kinkead-Weekesthat The Spire and Ian Gregor, the critics whose study of Golding’s novels3 is still regarded as the most comprehensive introduction to the author’s fiction, was a novel which revealed Golding’s unparalleled artistry. Golding did not provide any help for his interpreters, as his comments on his work are rather reticent and superficial. What the author used to say in the interviews is referred to by Carey as ‘a gramophone record put on for an interviewer’ the aim of which was to ‘keep the world at bay.’ This does not, however, discourage critics from4 facing Golding’s monsters as his novels ‘constitute a major achievement in contemporary English literature and deserve to be better known than they yet sameare.’ Hopefully,time feared a itcloser more look than at anything one of his else. novels presented in the following paper will bring the reader closer to the writer who craved human contact, but at the can recognizeA haggard him beggar to be is the wandering former dean along of the a local streets Cathedral of a quaint Church medieval of Our Lady,town trying to discover the whereabouts of a man named Roger Mason. Hardly anyone Jocelin,which recently the clergyman has been could in the not centre expect of kindnessthe whole and community’s respect on attention the part dueof his to congregationa massive spire for being it was built the Dean on the who top. initiated And if anybodythe building was of able the toimmense identify edifice Dean despite the lack of proper foundations. Now the shaky construction poses a threat to the whole cathedral. What is more, there are rumors of some pagan rituals being performed by the workers hired to build the spire; the cathedral’s sacristan, who child.had been Although constantly the Dean persecuted has not by left the the workers premises for of his the impotence, cathedral finally for months, vanished his into the blue and his wife died at childbirth while giving birth to the master builder’s him from his function. The old man, whose tuberculosis-affected spine makes him bentmadness double, has beenis now reported literally to thrown the church into authorities the gutter whoby the have angry decided mob. to Begging remove other people’s mercy, Jocelin is in stark contrast to the proud clergyman who used to perceive others from the height of his elevated position. Ibid. 2 P. Redpath, William Golding. A Structural Reading of His Fiction 3 H. Babb, The Novels of William Golding 4 (London, 1986), p. 205. (Columbus, 1970), p. 2. A 'KNIGHT OF FAITH' LOOKING INTO THE FACE OF THE OTHER: EXISTENTIAL... [31] The Spire, is a cathedral dean who The main hero of William Golding’s novel, believes that God has assigned him a mission to build a spire at the top of the cathedral’s roof. The spire would supplement the temple so that it would represent ‘the pattern of worship’ recognizable to all believers:5 “The building is a diagram of prayer; and our spire will be a diagram of the highest prayer of all. God revealed it toprofoundly me in a vision, transforms his unprofitable the Dean servant.”in three aspects:The risky his venture, self-perception, however, nothis relationshiponly changes with the appearancepeople and hisof the notion cathedral of God. as such, but even more importantly, philosophical theories, but existential philosophy deals with the issue in These three spheres of man’s life are subjects of multiple, often contrasting, a particularly personal way by putting an individual in the centre of their discourse. atheisticDuring the theory process of Jeanof his Paul makeover, Sartre. Jocelin The clergyman embodies the two reader extreme is introduced concepts within to on the existential philosophy, namely the theistic model of Søren Kierkegaard and the “knight of faith,”6 the initial pages of the novel appears to be a perfect exemplification of Kierkegaard’s a relentless servant of God, determined to fulfill his master’s will. awareAs the ofplot his progresses, weakness and however, ontological the main abandonment, character asalters well so as dramatically responsibility that he towards the end of the book Jocelin resembles more Jean Paul Sartre’s ‘existence,’ cannot disavow. For Kierkegaard each human being is ontologically dependent theon andexistence directed of atowards higher power:God, thus “[…] he anyone must bewho perceived stands alone only infor the any context length of God’s existence. Similarly, every individual7 has a natural inclination to recognize astime an soon unconditioned discovers that existence. there is The a God.” two concepts,Sartre presents extreme the as opposite they are, view; focus since on there is no God, a human being is alone in the universe and must be thus regarded the struggle between free will and psychological determinism. These concepts at thecertain same common time constitute themes concerning major themes human of The life, Spire such. as self-discovery of man and A Kierkegaardian Man of Faith The existential approach of Søren Kierkegaard emerged as a reaction to the holistic philosophy of Georg Hegel’s. The Danish thinker wanted to underline the meaning of an individual man, who in the universal system of Hegel’s occupied a minor position of a mere element of the pervasive Zeitgeist, ‘The Spirit of the Times.’ What Kierkegaard wants to stress is that an abstract system encompassing Kierkegaardthe totality of wanted reality to:is not “find applicable a truth which to dealing is true with for the me dilemma that individuals encounter throughout their existence and leaves them with no moral guidance. – the idea for which I can W. Golding, The Spire 5 S. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (London, 1980), p. 121. 6 Ch. Moore, Provocations. Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard 7 (Cambridge, 2006), pp. 63–70. (Farmington, 2007), p. 5. [32] Małgorzata Kowalcze what I am to do, not action.live and The die thing […] What is to understand I really lack myself, is to be to clear see what in my God mind really wishes me to do.”8 what I am to know, except in so far as a certain understanding must precede every Kierkegaard’s philosophy would, therefore, focus on specific actions undertaken by a human being, which aim at discovering his own meaning. The word ‘discover’ is not accidental here because the philosopher’s Christian theism entails the presumption that man, as God’s creature, has a pre-established sense and purpose.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Søren Kierkegaard's View of Faith Found in Fear And
    SØREN KIERKEGAARD’S VIEW OF FAITH FOUND IN FEAR AND TREMBLING AND PRACTICE IN CHRISTIANITY David Pulliam Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in the Department of Philosophy Indiana University September 2016 ii Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. Master’s Thesis Committee __________________________________ Dr. Samuel J.M. Khan, PhD __________________________________ Dr. Cornelis de Waal, PhD __________________________________ Dr. David Pfeifer, PhD iii David Pulliam Søren Kierkegaard’s view of Faith found in Fear and Trembling and Practice in Christianity In this paper I discuss two key works written by Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling and Practice in Christianity, under the pseudonyms Johannes de Silentio and Anti-Climacus respectively. I focus on three questions: what is Johannes view of faith, what is Anti-Climacus’ view of faith and how are these Kierkegaard’s conclusions? I argue that stemming from Johannes’ and Anti-Climacus’ points of view, Kierkegaard’s view of faith is the aligning of the self in a trusting relationship with the God-man. One outside of faith can perceive faith to be a paradox or find faith offensive; one must have faith to avoid offense and overcome the paradox. Chapter 1 focuses on the connection between Kierkegaard and his pseudonyms using his work The Point of View. In this chapter I map out Kierkegaard’s method of communication and the purpose for his use of pseudonyms. Chapter 2 focuses on Johannes’ view of faith in Fear and Trembling.
    [Show full text]
  • The Authenticity of Faith in Kierkegaard's Philosophy
    The Authenticity of Faith in Kierkegaard’s Philosophy The Authenticity of Faith in Kierkegaard’s Philosophy Edited by Tamar Aylat-Yaguri and Jon Stewart The Authenticity of Faith in Kierkegaard’s Philosophy, Edited by Tamar Aylat-Yaguri and Jon Stewart This book first published 2013 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Layout and cover design by K.Nun Design, Denmark 12 Back Chapman Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2XX, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2013 by Tamar Aylat-Yaguri, Jon Stewart and contributors All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-4438-4990-1, ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-4990-6 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Contributors vi Introduction vii Acknowledgements xvi List of Abbreviations xvii Chapter One Jacob Golomb: Was Kierkegaard an Authentic Believer? 1 Chapter Two Shai Frogel: Acoustical Illusion as Self-Deception 12 Chapter Three Roi Benbassat: Faith as a Struggle against Ethical Self-Deception 18 Chapter Four Edward F. Mooney: A Faith that Defies Self-Deception 27 Chapter Five Darío González: Faith and the Uncertainty of Historical Experience 38 Chapter Six Jerome (Yehuda) Gellman: Constancy of Faith? Symmetry and Asymmetry in Kierkegaard’s Leap of Faith 49 Chapter Seven Peter Šajda: Does Anti-Climacus’ Ethical-Religious Theory of Selfhood Imply a Discontinuity of the Self? 60 Chapter Eight Tamar Aylat-Yaguri: Being in Truth and Being a Jew: Kierkegaard’s View of Judaism 68 Chapter Nine Jon Stewart, Kierkegaard and Hegel on Faith and Knowledge 77 Notes 93 CONTRIBUTORS Tamar Aylat-Yaguri, Department of Philosophy, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, P.O.B 39040, Tel-Aviv 61390, Israel.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham E-Theses
    Durham E-Theses Existentialist themes in the interpretation of faith: by Bultmann and Tillich Rees, Anthony John How to cite: Rees, Anthony John (1976) Existentialist themes in the interpretation of faith: by Bultmann and Tillich, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9886/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk EXISTENTIALIST THEMES IN THE INTERPRETATION OF "FAITH" BY BULTMANN AND TILLICH ABSTRACT The aim of this thesis is to assess the influence of existentialism on the interpretation of faith presented by Bultmann and Tillich and evaluate their use of this existentialist thought. First, we show that the general character of existentialism may be classified into two broad themes: the Place of the Individual, which shows his concern for his understanding of himself and his relation to others; and Existentialia, which describe the various modes of existence of the individual, his feelings and experiences.
    [Show full text]
  • The Knight of Faith
    Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers Volume 7 Issue 4 Article 1 10-1-1990 The Knight of Faith Robert Merrihew Adams Follow this and additional works at: https://place.asburyseminary.edu/faithandphilosophy Recommended Citation Adams, Robert Merrihew (1990) "The Knight of Faith," Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers: Vol. 7 : Iss. 4 , Article 1. DOI: 10.5840/faithphil19907433 Available at: https://place.asburyseminary.edu/faithandphilosophy/vol7/iss4/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at ePLACE: preserving, learning, and creative exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers by an authorized editor of ePLACE: preserving, learning, and creative exchange. THE KNIGHT OF FAITH Robert Merrihew Adams The essay is about the "Preliminary Expectoration" of Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling. It argues that "the absurd" there refers primarily to the prac­ tical paradox that in faith (so it is claimed) one must simultaneously renounce and gladly accept a loved object. In other words it is about a problem of detachment as a feature of religious life. The paper goes on to interpret, and discuss critically, the views expressed in the book about both renunciation (infinite resignation) and the nature of faith. One of the many attractions of Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling is its tan­ talizing talk of "the absurd." "The movement of faith," we are told, "must continually be made by virtue of the absurd" (p. 37).1 The knight of faith "does not do even the slightest thing except by virtue of the absurd" (p.
    [Show full text]
  • How Marion Helps Us to Understand Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling
    Digital Collections @ Dordt Faculty Work Comprehensive List 3-28-2015 How Marion Helps Us to Understand Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling Mark Tazelaar Dordt College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/faculty_work Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, Continental Philosophy Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Tazelaar, M. (2015). How Marion Helps Us to Understand Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/faculty_work/225 This Conference Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Collections @ Dordt. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Work Comprehensive List by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Dordt. For more information, please contact [email protected]. How Marion Helps Us to Understand Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling Abstract In the past decade, many interpretations of Fear and Trembling highlight the significance of the “eschatological”—the marvel of Abraham’s expectation that he will get Isaac back. For these interpretations, the central issue is the contrast between the knight of faith and the knight of resignation. Merold Westphal, however, contends that these interpretations lead us away from the main contrast between the hero of faith and the tragic hero. Kierkegaard scholarship is at an impasse. I argue that Marion’s phenomenology of sacrifice, ogethert with the important idea of veritas redarguens that he appropriates from Augustine, offer insights that can resolve the impasse facing Kierkegaard scholars. Primary is the insight that the ordeal of Abraham shares central features with the ordeal of truth (veritas redarguens), both of which are ultimately ordeals of love.
    [Show full text]
  • Hegel and Kierkegaard's Soterio-Pneumatology
    HEGEL AND KIERKEGAARD’S SOTERIO-PNEUMATOLOGY: A CONTRASTIVE-ANALYSIS EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION IN FULFILMENT OF RLGN 4191 DESMOND COLEMAN FALL 2013 INTRODUCTION 1 One METAPHYSICAL TENSIONS 5 Hegel: Unity . 5 Kierkegaard: Disunity . 14 Two CHRISTOLOGICAL TENSIONS 21 Hegel: Mediator . 21 Kierkegaard: Paradox. 25 Three PNEUMATOLOGICAL TENSION 35 Hegel: The Ethical . 35 Kierkegaard: The Faithful . 45 CONCLUSION . 82 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 90 INTRODUCTION “Man, know thyself” Ancient Greek Aphorism This ancient Greek maxim has commanded the attention of many philosophers since its first utterance. The attempt to know what it means to be human did not end in Greece, however; it continues to be an important quest in Western philosophy. In this essay I focus on two philosopher-theologians who pursued the knowledge that the maxim commands and examine how these two thinkers viewed Christianity as fundamental knowing, being, and becoming “Man.”1 In other words, man‟s τέλος, for both of these thinkers, is made known and possible in Christianity. These philosopher-theologians are Søren Kierkegaard whom Ludwig Wittgenstein called “the most profound thinker of the nineteenth century” 2 and the German Idealist philosopher, G.W.F Hegel. Traditionally, these two thinkers are set in opposition to one another. Kierkegaard, considered a proto-existentialist, is typically interpreted as advocating a radical individualism leading to a kind of immoral and misanthropic sectarianism while Hegel, as the philosopher who first articulated the philosophical underpinnings of what would become Marxism, 3 is interpreted as advocating a radical communitarianism leading to an 1 The issues of gender inclusiveness were not taken into consideration at this point in written communication.
    [Show full text]
  • The Knight of Faith As Feminine, Revolutionary Subject
    ISSN 1751-8229 Volume Twelve, Number Three A Love Beyond Belief: The Knight of Faith as Feminine, Revolutionary Subject Christopher Martien Boerdam, University of Queensland, Australia Abstract In the appendix of his latest book, Incontinence of the Void (2017), Žižek presents an account of how, according to his dialectical materialism, love can overcome death. This article situates Žižek’s argument in the context of his ontology and his theory of the subject to explicate how Žižek arrives at this position: one that appears, on the surface, to be inconsistent with a staunch materialist and atheistic stance. Building on Žižek’s references to Kierkegaard in this appendix, I will furthermore argue that the figure of the Knight of Faith from Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling can be as another instantiation of the revolutionary subject of the act. This figure can be said to participate in a type of love that overcomes death insofar as its attachment to objects of desire embodies the acephalous, undead drive that is not reducible to ontic or symbolic structures of reality. Keywords Philosophy; Žižek; Psychoanalysis; Critical Theory; Hegel; Kierkegaard; Love; Knight of Faith; Revolutionary Subject Introduction On the surface at least, psychoanalysis is underpinned by a pessimistic view regarding the possibility of human flourishing. One of the most obvious ways in which it contrasts with mainstream psychology or psychiatry is that it sees human beings – and more particularly the human mental apparatus – as fundamentally pathological. From a psychoanalytical perspective, all human animals, forever traumatized by the castrating effects of language and culture, are maladaptive. Henri Joker Bjerre and Brian Benjamin Hansen have described this perspective as ‘the common philosophical novelty of Freudio-Lacanian psychoanalysis’, that ‘there is no such thing as a the “normal” or “unpathological” way of living’ (Bjerre & Hansen 2015: 147).
    [Show full text]
  • Faith and Loneliness: Kierkegaard and Fackenheim on Abrahamic Faith in Genesis 22
    Faith and Loneliness: Kierkegaard and Fackenheim on Abrahamic Faith in Genesis 22 by Joshua Martin A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Wycliffe College and the Theological Department of the Toronto School of Theology In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Theology awarded by the University of St. Michael’s College. Copyright © Joshua Martin 2014 Faith and Loneliness: Kierkegaard and Fackenheim on Abrahamic Faith in Genesis 22 Joshua Martin Master of Arts in Theology University of St. Michael’s College 2014 Abstract The strength of Kierkegaard’s pseudonymous Fear & Trembling lay in its portrayal of faith, specifically Abraham’s faithful obedience in Genesis 22, the binding of Isaac. However, Jewish philosopher and theologian Emil Fackenheim raises a problem with this portrayal of faith, namely the radical solitude it entails. Using the midrashic interpretation of Genesis 22 Fackenheim shows that faith is not and cannot be isolated, but must involve a three-term relation between God, one human, and all fellow humanity. Yet within Kierkegaard’s acknowledged (i.e., not pseudonymous) authorship, specifically Works of Love, the same three-term relation is also evident in Kierkegaard’s own writing. Engaging Works of Love, and in conversation with Genesis 22, this thesis argues that Kierkegaard’s own conception of faith, while sharing the virtues of Fear & Trembling, is more fully understood as akin to love, as both are necessarily manifest in obedience and in a three-term relation of human—God—human. ii Acknowledgements Without the generous funding of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Scholarship, awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, this project may never have been undertaken.
    [Show full text]
  • An Act of Faith Odessa K
    Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC Research Papers Graduate School Spring 5-3-2011 An Act of Faith Odessa K. Colombo SIUC, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp Recommended Citation Colombo, Odessa K., "An Act of Faith" (2011). Research Papers. Paper 132. http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp/132 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Research Papers by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN ACT OF FAITH By Odessa Katrine Colombo B.A., Southern Illinois University, 2008 B.S., Southern Illinois University, 1998 A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Masters of Arts Department of Philosophy in the Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale August 2011 RESEARCH PAPER APPROVAL AN ACT OF FAITH By Odessa Katrine Colombo A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Masters of Arts in the field of Philosophy Approved by: Dr. Douglas L. Berger, Advisor Dr. Thomas M. Alexander Dr. Douglas R. Anderson Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale May, 3, 2011 AN ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH PAPER OF Odessa Katrine Colombo, for the Masters of Arts degree in PHILOSOPHY, presented on May 3, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: AN ACT OF FAITH MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Douglas L. Berger The purpose of this work is to examine the act of faith in three different texts: The Bhagavad Gita, Fear and Trembling, and Shobogenzo.
    [Show full text]
  • Fear and Trembling
    Fear and Trembling by Johannes DE SILENTIO, 1843 (alias Søren Kierkegaard) tr. Walter Lowrie, 1941 Table of Contents Was Tarquinius Superbus in seinem Garten mit den Mohnkopfen sprach, verstand der Sohn, aber nicht der Bote. (What Tarquinius Superbus spoke in his garden with the poppies was understood by his son, but not by the messenger.) 1 - Hamann. Chapters Preface Prelude A Panegyric upon Abraham Problemata: Problem I Problem II Problem III Epilogue An HTML Presentation by Siegfried PREFACE 2 Not merely in the realm of commerce but in the world of ideas as well our age is organizing a regular clearance sale. Everything is to be had at such a bargain that it is questionable whether in the end there is anybody who will want to bid. Every speculative price-fixer who conscientiously directs attention to the significant march of modern philosophy, every Privatdocent , tutor, and student, every crofter and cottar in philosophy, is not content with doubting everything but goes further. Perhaps it would be untimely and ill-timed to ask them where they are going, but surely it is courteous and unobtrusive to regard it as certain that they have doubted everything, since otherwise it would be a queer thing for them to be going further. This preliminary movement they have therefore all of them made, and presumably with such ease that they do not find it necessary to let drop a word about the how; for not even he who anxiously and with deep concern sought a little enlightenment was able to find any such thing, any guiding sign, any little dietetic prescription, as to how one was to comport oneself in supporting this prodigious task.
    [Show full text]
  • Overcoming the Demonic: Faith, Sin, and Redemption in Kierkegaard‘S Fear and Trembling
    OVERCOMING THE DEMONIC: FAITH, SIN, AND REDEMPTION IN KIERKEGAARD‘S FEAR AND TREMBLING A thesis submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Matthew Sandwisch May 2011 Thesis written by Matthew Sandwisch B.A., Capital University, 2006 M.A., St. John‘s College, 2008 M.A., Kent State University 2011 Approved by Gene Pendleton , Advisor David Odell-Scott , Chair, Department of Philosophy Timothy Moerland , Dean, College of Arts and Sciences ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE…………………………………………………………………….…………iv INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………......…......1 Chapter I. JOHANNES DE SILENTIO AND HIS CONCEPTION OF FAITH……......6 Images of Abraham……………………………………………….………….8 The Dialectics of Faith……………………………………….………………14 Summary………………………………………………………….………….21 II. SILENCE, SIN, AND THE DEMONIC…………………………...………..23 Silence……………………………………………..……………….…….....24 The Demonic, Sin, and Redemption………………..…………….………...32 Summary……………………………………………………………………39 III. SIN AND THE DEMONIC IN KIERKEGAARD‘S OTHER WRITINGS .41 Sin and Ethics……………………………………………………….……...42 The Demonic as Category of Sin……………………………………….…..49 The Teleological Suspension of the Ethical………………………………..56 Summary……………………………………………………………………58 IV. ABRAHAM AND THE ZEALOT……………………….…………………60 The Priest and His Parishioner……………………………………….……..61 The Call to Honesty………………………………………………………...64 Kierkegaard and the Hermeneutics of Suspicion……………………….…..68 Another Look at the Merman………………………………………….……71 What Distinguishes Abraham from the Zealot…………………….……….74
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology: Its Relative Importance and Absolute Irrelevance for a Christian: a Kierkegaardian Transversal Space for the Controversy on Eco-Theology
    Page 1 of 8 Original Research Ecology: Its relative importance and absolute irrelevance for a Christian: A Kierkegaardian transversal space for the controversy on eco-theology Author: The controversy about the importance of eco-theology or creation spirituality seems to be Hermen Kroesbergen1,2 in a deadlock. Those who support it and those who oppose it do not even seem to be able to communicate with one another. On the one hand, Celia Deane-Drummond, for example, Affiliations: 1Justo Mwale Theological writes in her Eco-theology (2008:x): ‘I find it astonishing that courses on eco-theology do not University College, Lusaka, exist in many university departments of theology and religious studies.’ Matthew Fox desper- Zambia ately asks in his Creation spirituality (1991:xii): ‘Need I list the [environmental] issues of our day 2Department of Dogmatics that go virtually unattended to in our culture?’ On the other hand, evangelical Christians are and Christian Ethics, Faculty known for their ecological ‘blind spot’ (Davis 2000), until recently at least. Pentecostal propo- of Theology, University of nents of the prosperity gospel preach a consumer-lifestyle for all Christians, which is not very Pretoria, South Africa eco-friendly (cf. Kroesbergen 2013). Even in more mainline Christianity we find, for exam- Note: ple, the well-known theologian Robert Jenson who writes in his Systematic theology: Volume 2 Dr Hermen Kroesbergen is a (1999:113, n. 2): ‘Recent waves of “creation spirituality” are simply apostasy to paganism. And postdoctoral fellow of Prof. it is such unguarded, even unargued judgement that is required of the church.’ We find eco- Dr Johan Buitendag in the Department of Dogmatics theologians, who do not understand that not everyone agrees with them on the one hand, and and Christian Ethics, Faculty opposing theologians, who do not even feel the need to argue against them on the other hand.
    [Show full text]