Comparing Kierkegaard's Absolute Duty To God
Kierkegaard and Tillich write in a very similar way about the faith as that one thing which can transcend the individual and the collective. Having faith transcends the human experience from the finite universe and into perceiving the world through the aesthetic. No longer concerned with the ethical boundaries because the faith in God will bring only what is in good sake.
Kierkegaard presents to the reader the idea of the “absolute duty to God” and he describes that Abraham’s duty to his son is less than that of his own relation with God. Kierkegaard makes the point that “the ethical relation” between Abraham and Isaac “is reduced to the relative as against the absolute relation to God” (p. 98.) To back up this claim Kierkegaard refers to Luke …show more content…
On p. 113 Kierkegaard writes that “you can’t argue with ethics because ethics uses pure categories” Ethics are plainly too simple and not capable of adapting to the complexity of faith in God. On p. 114 he also writes that “The aesthetic idea contradicts itself as soon as it is applied in reality.” Kierkegaard is stressing that absolute faith, felt and practiced is not of this world and therefore to try to comprehended using terms and conditions from this universe would contradict and dismantle that which is …show more content…
After arriving to the conclusion that God is the source of courage and that faith in him transcends oneself and one’s world, then Tillich goes onto criticize what faith has become. On p. 172 he writes that “The concept of faith has lost its genuine meaning and has received the connotation of “belief in something unbelievable.” That criticism is important because once again it highlights how men is continuously striving to understand faith on the terms and conditions of this universe, which has led to error. Tillich also writes that “Faith is not a theoretical affirmation of something uncertain, it is the existential acceptance of something transcending the ordinary experience” (p. 173.) Accepting that which is outside of this world is a vital component of faith and without that, one sown idea of faith could be incorrect.
Following the theme of the “courage to be” Tillich also writes that “The courage to be is an expression of faith and what “faith” means must be understood through the courage to be” (p. 172) however, one must remember that the courage stems from God and therefore again fully grasping what “faith” means falls outside of men’s finite existence. Out of faith comes the power of being and through that we can step closer and closer in our relationship to
Kierkegaard presents to the reader the idea of the “absolute duty to God” and he describes that Abraham’s duty to his son is less than that of his own relation with God. Kierkegaard makes the point that “the ethical relation” between Abraham and Isaac “is reduced to the relative as against the absolute relation to God” (p. 98.) To back up this claim Kierkegaard refers to Luke …show more content…
On p. 113 Kierkegaard writes that “you can’t argue with ethics because ethics uses pure categories” Ethics are plainly too simple and not capable of adapting to the complexity of faith in God. On p. 114 he also writes that “The aesthetic idea contradicts itself as soon as it is applied in reality.” Kierkegaard is stressing that absolute faith, felt and practiced is not of this world and therefore to try to comprehended using terms and conditions from this universe would contradict and dismantle that which is …show more content…
After arriving to the conclusion that God is the source of courage and that faith in him transcends oneself and one’s world, then Tillich goes onto criticize what faith has become. On p. 172 he writes that “The concept of faith has lost its genuine meaning and has received the connotation of “belief in something unbelievable.” That criticism is important because once again it highlights how men is continuously striving to understand faith on the terms and conditions of this universe, which has led to error. Tillich also writes that “Faith is not a theoretical affirmation of something uncertain, it is the existential acceptance of something transcending the ordinary experience” (p. 173.) Accepting that which is outside of this world is a vital component of faith and without that, one sown idea of faith could be incorrect.
Following the theme of the “courage to be” Tillich also writes that “The courage to be is an expression of faith and what “faith” means must be understood through the courage to be” (p. 172) however, one must remember that the courage stems from God and therefore again fully grasping what “faith” means falls outside of men’s finite existence. Out of faith comes the power of being and through that we can step closer and closer in our relationship to