David J. Gouwens, Kierkegaard as Religious Thinker,

Abstract

The post-liberals scorned attempts to reduce Christian language to descriptions of religious subjectivity, and preferred to focus on the objective doctrinal "grammar" of the faith. The post-liberals were generally ambivalent about Kierkegaard. David J. Gouwens' exposition of Kierkegaard, inspired by the work of Paul Holmer, argued that his authorship attempted to do justice to the "how" of the subjective appropriation without jeopardizing the "what" of the objective teachings. Christian concepts are intended to be actualized in existence; doctrines outline the contours of an existential task. Meaning and truth are not properties of the doctrines treated in abstraction from their role in shaping lives. Gouwens shows that the passions come into play in different ways in Kierkegaard's writings. Gouwens concludes that Kierkegaard refused to separate a concern for orthodox doctrines and a concern for passionate subjectivity.