Kierkegaard and Theology: Philosophy and Theology

Links to modules studied by Theology undergraduates.

Part I 1. Introduction and Disclaimer 2. A Life Directed by Governance Part II 3. What it Means to Become a Christian 4. Jesus Christ 5. The Human Predicament 6. Practice in Christianity 7. Works of Love and the Assistance of Grace Part III 8. Reckoning with Kierkegaard

This work is a clear, powerful, and provocative account of some of the major themes in Kierkegaard's writings that deal with theological issues. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Kierkegaard's understanding of Christianity and Christian existence.
With impressive erudition Murray Rae offers the reader a stimulating and thought-provoking account of the theological dimension of Kierkegaard's thought. Rae skilfully draws out Kierkegaard's theological presuppositions and shows how Kierkegaard shifts the emphasis from the contents of the Christian faith to the challenge of how human beings should relate themselves to these contents. This highly readable book will be an important resource for those coming to Kierkegaard for the first time and for those who wish to engage with the theological Kierkegaard.
This book is not only an excellent introductory treatment of Kierkegaard's theological views but also deftly invites the reader to investigate and enjoy other facets of Kierkegaard's voluminous authorship such as his literary inventiveness and his ironic, but nonetheless powerful, philosophic polemics. Dr Rae tells us just enough about Kierkegaard's relation to the emerging forms of bourgeois life, politics, and his social and intellectual environment to present a broad depiction of the contemporary situation and to whet the thoughtful reader's appetite to read further.
Anyone then, trying to introduce the reader to a figure as complex as Kierkegaard, faces a daunting task. But Murray Rae brings this Danish thinker to life in a way that is not only comprehensible and clear, but exciting and insightful. An obvious familiarity with primary and secondary literature, coupled with a broad knowledge of the context in which Kierkegaard lived, makes Rae a competent guide through his writings.
In this work, Rae ... 'repeats' Kierkegaard, making uncomfortable any reader who would sweep under the rug or dismiss the theological basis of Kierkegaard's thoughts.