The Spirit of Religious Reform in the Philosophy of Kierkegaard

Abstract

Recently, religion has re-emerged as a dominant force in public debate. It has come back as a matter of public interest after a long period of marginalization and restriction to specialists following the age of enlightenment. Today it is necessary to study the religious behavior of the citizen and understand its effect in the public space, and to document its contribution to the behavioral patterns of religious people. Faith is no longer a matter of personal belief, but rather a behavior and a social act. Hence, the research looked at faith from its internal spiritual roots before it became a behavior. This paper borrows from the existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), who was concerned with a psychological and existential approach to religion through the religious person rather than through religious discourse, as with the hermeneutic or phenomenological approach. The article is divided into an introduction, five points of discussion, and a conclusion. The paper observes the transition of the Church from a spiritual message to an institution of ritual, and then looks at the foundations of religion rooted in fear and horror. The paper further examines the determinants of religion: infinite death and ultimate life, and the relationship between repetitive action and despair. Finally, the paper ends by examining dialogue between Hegel and Kierkegaard.