Beyond existentialism: Kierkegaard on the human relationship with the God who is wholly other
Abstract
Recent scholarship argues that, for Kierkegaard, God's absolute alterity is a consequence of sin that is overcome by the redemptive activity of Jesus Christ. On such a reading, the work of Christ delivers individuals to lives of faith that are not infinitely qualitatively different from God. This fails to recognize that the absolute otherness of God is overcome not simply by the redemptive work of Christ but in and through the person of Christ. The failure to grasp this has tied Kierkegaard to an anthropocentric theology that prioritizes Christ's contribution to existential human development. This article challenges this perception by establishing Kierkegaard's emphasis that God would remain infinitely removed from humanity were it not for the continuing mediation of Jesus Christ.
Citation
Torrance , A B 2014 , ' Beyond existentialism: Kierkegaard on the human relationship with the God who is wholly other ' , International Journal of Systematic Theology , vol. 16 , no. 3 , 3 , pp. 295-312 . https://doi.org/10.1111/ijst.12067
Publication
International Journal of Systematic Theology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1463-1652Type
Journal article
Collections
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