Christian existentialism

Christian existentialism as a school of thought founded by the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. It relied on three major assumptions drawn from Kierkegaard's unique understanding of Christianity. The first was that the universe was fundamentally paradoxical, and that the greatest paradox of all was the transcendent union of God and man in the person of Christ. The second was that having a personal relationship with God superceded all set moralities, social structures and communal norms. The third was that following social conventions was essentially a personal aesthetic choice made by individuals.

Because of this, Kierkegaard believed that each person had to individually make the choices that made up his or her existence. No imposed structures - even Biblical commandments - could alter the responsibility of individuals to seek to please God in whatever personal and paradoxical way God chose to be pleased.

Christian existentialists include several contemporary American theologian Paul Tillich, and European theologians C. S. Lewis (also author of the Narnia children's series), Karl Jasper and Gabriel Marcel.

After Kierkegaard, his individualism later developed into the more familiar existentialism of Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, etc., who retained the idea of personal choice and responsibility, but discarded the personal connection with God.

External links

• Christian Existential Humanist Web