Soren Kierkegaard's Theology of Encounter: An Edifying and Polemical Life (Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs)

"Soren Kierkegaard's Theology of Encounter provides a theoretical framework that brings the unity of Kierkegaard's 'middle period' into relief. David Lappano analyses Kierkegaard's writings between 1846 and 1852 when the socially constructive dimension of his thought comes to prominence, involving two dialectical aspects of religiousness identified by Kierkegaard: they are the edifying and the polemical. How these come together and get worked out in the lives of individuals form the basis of what can be called a Kierkegaardian 'social praxis.' Lappano argues that the tension between the edifying and the polemical can be coherently maintained in a communicative life that is also characteristic of a militant faith. This militant faith and life is presented as a critical guard against absolutisms, fundamentalisms, and intellectual aloofness; but the 'militant' individual is also utterly dependent, in need of edification and critique, and therefore chooses the risk of encountering others, seeking relationships out of a commitment to the development of people and communities in co-operation. Therefore, not only does this dialectic provide readers with an important theoretical framework for understanding Kierkegaard's 'middle period', it is also a valuable resource for a constructive analysis of active social living suitable for theology in the twenty-first century." --From publisher's description Cover 1 Kierkegaard ́s Theology of Encounter: An Edifying and Polemical Life 4 Copyright 5 Acknowledgements 6 Contents 8 List of Abbreviations 10 Introduction 12 The Dialectic of Religious Life in Kierkegaard’s Authorship After 1846 14 The Theological Basis for this Study 15 Refined Statement of the Project 16 The Periodization of Kierkegaard’s authorship and the Parameters of this Study: 1846 to 1852 17 Situating the Study 20 A Kierkegaardian theology of Encounter: The Method and Structure of the Project 22 Part I: Kierkegaard ́s Social and Intellectual Context 24 1: The Historical and Intellectual Context of Kierkegaard ́s Authorship 26 Danish Lutheranism and Pietism 26 Romanticism-Homesickness, Irony, and the Creative Production of Life 32 Hegel 38 Kierkegaard ́s Modern Copenhagen 41 Little Copenhagen: The `Market Town ́ 43 Big Copenhagen: A Spectacular City 43 Conclusion 45 Part II: Encountering the Self before God in Confession and Communion 48 2: In Church, On the Occasion of Confession 50 Genre, Occasion, Place, and Practice 50 The Shape of the Argument 51 The Edifying Discourse is A Polemic against The Individual 52 In Church, before God 55 Sin 58 Confession 62 From Consciousness of Sin to Consciousness of Forgiveness 66 3: In Church, On the Occasion of Communion 70 The Gift of Choice 72 Independence in Dependence 74 Communion, Life, and Love 77 Conclusion (Leaving The Sanctuary and Returning to The City) 79 Part III: Encountering the Public and Encountering the Neighbour 80 4: A Polemical Encounter with `The Public ́: The Present Age and Kierkegaard ́s Critique of a Society without Persons 82 Introduction 82 The Situation 86 Levelling 87 The World-Historical Aspect of Levelling 87 Levelling as Abstraction and a Movement Away from the Individual 88 `The crowd ́ and `the public ́ 90 Phantom Agents of One-Dimensional Society 90 The Public as Subject 90 The Press, Anonymity, and Publicity-Communication of the Crowd 93 The conformity, cruelty, and tyranny of `the public ́ 96 The Public as (Bourgeois) Political Instrument 99 The Public as Idol 101 Opposition 104 Sociality must Pass Through Levelling 106 Turning to the Present and the Future 107 Levelling Revisited-An Education 108 Conclusion 110 5: An Edifying Corrective to the `Spiritlessness ́ of the Age: The Eternal 112 Introduction 112 The Changing Seas Below and the Starry Heavens Above 114 Eternity ́s Temporal Situation 121 The `Moment ́ and History 123 Eternity ́s `Double Direction ́-The Eternal Task Today 127 Eternity ́s `Double Direction ́-The Eternal Task of the Future 132 Eternity ́s `double mode ́ 136 Conclusion 136 6: Edifying Practice I: Encountering Neighbours and the Works of Love 138 Introduction 138 The Ground of Love 142 Encountering Neighbours 151 Who is the Neighbour? 152 Who is the Neighbour? 154 Neighbourly Love is Blind 156 With Open Eyes to Love the Neighbour We See 158 7: Edifying Practice II: Building Up a Diverse Society of Persons 163 Introduction 163 Platitudes or Politics 163 Love is Action 166 From Distinctions to Distinctiveness 171 Opposing Small-Mindedness and Domineering Ideologies 174 The Work of Love is a Communicative Practice 177 Towards an Open Communicative Community of Individuals 186 Conclusion 189 Part IV: Encountering Christendom and Encountering Disciples 192 8: The Church and Christendom: Kierkegaard ́s Polemical Stance Prior to the 1855 Attack Campaign 194 The Church and the Problem of Extensity: Christendom 196 Kierkegaard ́s Polemic Against Religious Agents of Levelling 206 The Professor 210 The Priests and Pastors 214 Against Mercantile Christianity 216 Proclamation and Witness 219 Conclusion 221 9: Where the Polemical Meets the Edifying: Becoming a Church Militant 223 From Extensity to Intensity: The Church Militant and the Category of the Individual 224 From Truth as Results to Truth as the Way: Becoming Militant 227 Contemporaneity and the Imitation of Christ 229 Pastors, Disciples, and Martyrs 238 Christianity Without Authority: Incognito and Unrecognizable 240 Conclusion 246 10: The Church Militant: Extramural and Intramural Christianity 248 Introduction 248 Kierkegaard and Christianity Beyond Church 249 The Congregation Revisited 252 Confession and Communion Revisited 255 Some Concluding Remarks 259 Bibliography 262 Texts by Kierkegaard 262 Texts about Kierkegaard 263 Other texts consulted 268 Index 272 Part I. Kierkegaard's Social And Intellectual Context. The Historical And Intellectual Context Of Kierkegaard's Authorship -- Part Ii. Encountering The Self Before God In Confession And Communion: The Edifying And The Polemical In The Individual. In Church, On The Occasion Of Confession -- In Church, On The Occasion Of Communion -- Part Iii. Encountering The Public And Encountering The Neighbour: The Edifying And The Polemical In The World. A Polemical Encounter With 'the Public': The Present Age And Kierkegaard's Critique Of A Society Without Persons -- An Edifying Corrective To The 'spiritlessness' Of The Age: The Eternal -- Edifying Practice I: Encountering Neighbours And The Works Of Love -- Edifying Practice Ii: Building Up A Diverse Society Of Persons -- Part Iv. Encountering Christendom And Encountering Disciples: The Edifying And The Polemical In The Church. The Church And Christendom: Kierkegaard's Polemical Stance Prior To The 1855 Attack Campaign -- Where The Polemical Meets The Edifying: Becoming A Church Militant -- The Church Militant: Extramural And Intramural Christianity. David Lappano. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This study considers the social and political aspects of Kierkegaard's authorship, building upon work over the last couple of decades. Dr Lappano focuses on Kierkegaard's writing between 1846 and 1852, the period of Kierkegaard's more explicitly politicized writing