Bierkergaard: The Writings of Soren Kierkegaard

Kierkegaard finishes "Training In Christianity" with the reminder of Peter's words of "Where else can we go?" God's plan and provision is Christ or nothing. That's it. I am very happy to finish this book. Soren hammered home the message and it took him over two hundred pages to do so. I am likely going to take a few weeks off before taking on another book. There is...

Kierkegaard writes that Christendom creates admirers of Jesus much like a piece of art would and not followers. A related topic is whether art is a legitimate expression of the faith.

Kierkegaard uses the interaction at night between Jesus and Nicodemus to illustrate how a person of power, wealth, and position, fears man because of following Jesus. Nicodemus makes two more appearances in the Gospel of John. Once at the trial of Jesus where Nicodemus appealed to the Council to follow its own rules and also in asking for the body of Jesus to prepare it for burial. The last two st...

Our guest today is Timothy Andrew McIntosh who has written a play "My Name is Soren Kierkegaard." https://kierkegaardplay.com/about We had a fun and interesting talk! Well worth a listen.

We have a guest on Friday so we are skipping today! Just a brief description of the guest and a pointer to not believe everything you read. Update: Guest needed to be switched to Monday.

Jesus doesn't want admirers. He wants followers. For He is the "Pattern" for us. Admiration in Soren's eyes can too easily turn to envy actively or just plain old apathy where we give lip service. The goal is to admire at a distance and at no cost. Parlor Warfare. I had to do the podcast episode a few times because of various issues/problems, the schedule was getting tight, and m...

Kierkegaard writes that Jesus had to be the "Lowly One" in order to save the world. He had to take on disadvantage, humiliation, slander, and even death on the Cross in order to redeem us. He did not use the advantages of being God to dodge suffering. Instead, He took it all on and overcame it. We are being redeemed from and redeemed to.

My dad passed away last Thursday. In this episode, I reflect on his life. Kierkegaard had a very complex relationship with his father also. No matter what our fathers did or did not say and do in this life, we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and made provision for us in Christ. My dad was reading the "Four Loves" by C.S. Lewis which I did not know until my brother and I cleaned out h...

Kierkergaard saw Christendom, where all are Christians, to be in direct contradiction to the Scriptures where the faith is presented as both kindness and severity. God doesn't water down the Gospel to make it agreeable to those who are perishing.

We are not to love the things of the world but love the people in the world. The love of things of the world is idolatry. The love of people is a commandment. Christendom loves the things that the world provides. While its heart is far from God.

One of my best friends passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, 4/18. I talk about him, what he taught me and what we experienced as good friends of 4 decades. I weave in some Kierkegaard and also share an essay that I am working on about stillness. I will miss Todd so very much yet so happy that our paths met all those years ago when we were in our 20's!

Kierkegaard writes of the "Poor Simpleton" who believes in the Church Militant based on his reading of what the Bible and Jesus says.

Kierkegaard writes that one does not become a Christian by being born in Christendom. Instead, it is being born-again by Faith in God. Put personal updates mostly at the end besides talking about Sam the dog.

Kierkegaard continues to develop the idea that the Triumphant Church is just another term for a Worldly Church. As a side note, based on the stats for the podcast, it seems like the listeners of Bierkergaard enjoy the foray into my personal life stories. I know that is not everyone's cup of tea but many more seem to like it versus not.

Kierkegaard demonstrates the errors of the Triumphant Church vs. the Militant Church. In a culture where almost everyone is a Christian is likely a culture where few are. I get into a riff on bitterness at the front of the episode.

"I only know Truth when it becomes a life in me." Kierkegaard. Knowing truth intellectually is only part of knowing Truth in our whole Being.

When Pilate asked this infamous question, he was staring right at the Truth. Today's episode explores this exchange as well as who Pilate was.

Kierkegaard reminds us that Jesus being crucified casts the human race in quite an unflattering light.

"Now existence has racked him as hard as it can rack a person." (Kierkegaard). Sometimes all we can say, like Martin Luther, "I can do no other. God help me."

Kierkegaard writes in his book "Works of Love" that if you hold humanity up to the light, you will see the watermark of eternity. Regardless of what is written on the paper. We are made in the image of God. The Incarnation is the eternal God coming into the temporal world. What Soren calls "Perfect Ideality" in "Training in Christianity." We must treat others as glori...

Life for most of us is long enough to weigh what we believe and why. Yet, life is short in light of eternity. Too many people exchange what is passing for what is eternal. Kierkegaard reminds us it is a period of trial and examination. It comes to an end.

Kierkegaard writes, "The world in which they crucify love and beg acquittal for a robber." The Resurrection of Jesus is both a physical reality and a spiritual necessity. For love is stronger than death.

This is Soren at his best. Creating a story about a child, who for the first time, sees a picture of Jesus crucified. And then hears that Jesus loved all people, Saviour of the World, and is both the Humiliated and Exalted One. We cannot allow the familiarity of the story cause us to not be jarred by its incongruity.

Every day was a preparation for His Burial. Listen to the podcast episode to find out why!

Christ is both the Humiliated One and the Exalted One. The word is translated as contradiction. I think a better word is paradox. He is both without being divided. In human terms, might often makes right in the politics of power in the world. God is both might and right.