Egzistencinio Tikėjimo Slėpinys Kierkegaard’o Filosofijoje
Mystery of Existential Faith in Kierkegaard’s Philosophy

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this article is to analyze the religious aspects of the philosophy of the pioneer existentialist, Soren Kierkegaard. Different aspects of authentic existential faith are raised and investigated in this article. The concept of faith, its ethical value and the impact on human lives are given the primary focus in the first part of this paper. Rejecting the classic and rationalistic ideas of Western philosophy, Kierkegaard declares that the highest spiritual development of the human personality is religious. This existence cannot be defined by the wording of an abstract and conceptual formulation but it is experienced and reflected individually. It is a life in faith in the presence of God. The second part of the paper is dedicated to the discussion about the inner faith mystery in order to highlight the mystery of faith as the unity of hope and love. The key emphasis is to show a close relationship between the mystery of faith and individual’s authentic existence and his choice. From here stems the essential conclusion of the article that faith is the ultimate goal of a human’s life and vocation. The authentic faith is a communion with God which enables an individual to discover himself and gives him an everlasting hope, helps him to love himself and others in a correct way. In Kierkegaard’s philosophy existential faith does not reveal itself as a final concept, but remains as a mystery, which is lived out by an internal experience and a personal decision.

• Details
• Contents