The notion of “cultural Christianity” as a social good has seen a resurgence in contemporary discussions of religious and national identity, with a growing number of voices actively promoting Christian culture or society as a driving aspect of social progress. This notion of a culturally normative Christianity, together with the idea of Christian society as advancing or shepherding historical progress, also plays a prominent role in the work of Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Schleiermacher, who each sought to clearly distinguish Christian faith from modern nationalism. This joint session considers the themes of Christian society and historical progress in the writings of Kierkegaard, Schleiermacher, and their interlocutors. Its three papers consider the philosophy of history in Hegel and Kierkegaard, the doctrine of providence as it relates to divine sovereignty and human freedom, and the relation of divine revelation to modern concepts of history and progress.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Søren Kierkegaard firmly rejected the idea of progress. According to Kierkegaard's pseudonym Anti-Climacus, we humans are the same as we have always been. After reviewing Kierkegaard's explicit comments about history, this paper sets Kierkegaard's denial of progress in its historical context, arguing that he develops a counter-philosophy of history which combats the prevailing Hegelianism of his age. The paper also draws connections between Kierkegaard's philosophy of history and the themes of imitation and contemporaneity, showing how a denial of history’s progress enables contemporary humans to interact with the same world Christ faced. Kierkegaard's understanding of contemporaneity--which is crucial to his Christology, his ethics, and his critique of Christendom--is built upon his philosophy of history.
The doctrine of Providence, addressing both divine sovereignty and human freedom, is politically charged and often co-opted for imperialist and totalitarian purposes. In an era when many hesitate to affirm that every event is willed by God, how can theologians engage with Providence without dismissing skepticism as a lack of faith? This essay examines the work of Friedrich Schleiermacher and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, focusing on Schleiermacher’s Christian Faith and Bonhoeffer’s Ethics. It argues that both offer a vision of divine preservation that resists biological reductionism and ideological distortion. Schleiermacher emphasizes internal experience, while Bonhoeffer focuses on external reality, yet their perspectives complement each other. The study explores three key aspects: the relationship between preservation and redemption, Bonhoeffer’s engagement with Schleiermacher’s understanding of original sin, and human freedom in divine preservation. The essay concludes by proposing a vision of divine preservation that promotes solidarity and ethical responsibility for both believers and non-believers.
In modern European theology, the tension between historical revelation and universal reason fueled debates over how to bridge the gap between historical evidence and truth. G. E. Lessing famously articulated this as the "ugly broad ditch,” proposing that revelation is progressively assimilated through historical development. This paper examines Lessing’s strategy, particularly his multi-layers of ditch, especially the temporal gap as foundational to his theological framework, and how Kierkegaard, through Johannes Climacus, challenges it. While Lessing reconciles history, faith and reason through historical progress, Kierkegaard dismantles the very premise of history as a medium for faith. Through an analysis of Philosophical Fragments, I argue that Climacus refutes Lessing by dismantling the temporal gap of Lessing through the concept of contemporaneity, shifting faith’s foundation from teachings to the teacher. By engaging with Lessing’s theology, this study reveals how Kierkegaard’s critique can be considered a reconfiguration of faith that invalidates modern historical consciousness.
| Matthew D. Kirkpatrick | matthew.kirkpatrick… | View |