Kierkegaard on Faith and the Self

Evans examines Kierkegaard's understanding of faith and selfhood, demonstrating how the Danish philosopher's psychological insights illuminate the nature of authentic religious belief. The monograph argues that Kierkegaard presents faith not as intellectual assent to propositions but as a transformative relationship requiring the whole person's engagement. Evans contends that this account offers resources for contemporary philosophy of religion, particularly in addressing the relationship between reason and faith.

The work analyzes Kierkegaard's three stages of existence—aesthetic, ethical, and religious—showing how each represents a distinct mode of selfhood. Evans emphasizes that for Kierkegaard, genuine selfhood emerges only through faith, as the self relates itself to God who establishes it. This theological anthropology grounds Kierkegaard's critique of purely rational approaches to religious belief. The study explores how Kierkegaard's pseudonymous works develop a phenomenology of faith that respects both its cognitive and volitional dimensions.

Evans engages the faith-and-reason debate by explicating Kierkegaard's notion of the "leap." Against interpretations portraying Kierkegaard as an irrationalist, Evans argues that the leap represents not abandonment of reason but recognition of reason's limits when confronting existential questions. The analysis shows how Kierkegaard distinguishes between objective uncertainty and subjective certainty, maintaining that faith involves passionate commitment precisely where demonstrative proof remains impossible. This position challenges both evidentialism and fideism by proposing a middle path acknowledging faith's reasonable character without reducing it to rational demonstration.

The monograph's treatment of prophecy arguments appears through discussion of Kierkegaard's understanding of Christ as the absolute paradox. Evans explores how Kierkegaard views the incarnation as transcending human categories while remaining accessible through faith. This christological focus illuminates Kierkegaard's broader epistemology, wherein divine revelation creates possibilities for knowledge unavailable through purely human resources.

Evans's textual analysis methodology carefully tracks Kierkegaard's developing thought across his corpus, distinguishing between views expressed by pseudonyms and those attributable to Kierkegaard himself. The study situates Kierkegaard within nineteenth-century debates while demonstrating his continued relevance for contemporary Christian philosophy. By presenting Kierkegaard's thought as a sophisticated alternative to both rationalist natural theology and anti-intellectual fundamentalism, Evans contributes to ongoing discussions about faith's cognitive status and its relationship to human flourishing.