Existence in the thought and theology of Hans Lassen Martensen

This paper brings to light the overlooked existential commitments of the Danish speculative theologian Hans Lassen Martensen. Primarily known and studied today for being the arch-rival of Søren Kierkegaard, Martensen continues to suffer under his Kierkegaardian caricature as a courtesan to Hegelian...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Li, Elizabeth ca. 20./21. Jh. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Taylor & Francis 2022
In: Studia theologica
Year: 2022, Volume: 76, Issue: 2, Pages: 150-171
IxTheo Classification:KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history
NBA Dogmatics
NCA Ethics
VA Philosophy
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:This paper brings to light the overlooked existential commitments of the Danish speculative theologian Hans Lassen Martensen. Primarily known and studied today for being the arch-rival of Søren Kierkegaard, Martensen continues to suffer under his Kierkegaardian caricature as a courtesan to Hegelian speculative thought and to Christendom’s cultural religiosity. In contrast to this portrayal, this paper argues that Martensen’s thought can be viewed as part of a wider existentialist movement developing in nineteenth-century Danish philosophy in response to the dry abstractions of rationalism. It is shown that Martensen’s theological and ethical positions spring from a deep-seated concern with questions of existence, which find expression in three distinct but related moments of Martensen’s theological authorship: Firstly, in his definition of religion as an existential relation, secondly in his view that dogmatic theology should be understood as existential knowledge, and finally by understanding his theological ethics as existential striving.
ISSN:1502-7791
Contains:Enthalten in: Studia theologica
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/0039338X.2021.1954998