[November 1998 journal entry]
The ‘non-religious’ approach to spirituality and ethics I am taking is a departure from Kierkegaard’s ‘religious’ sphere (as presented in Fear and Trembling, for instance) in that I contend Abraham should either protest or refuse the conclusion he adopts in the Genesis story. The approach I am taking would not view Abraham’s sacrificing his son as ‘faith’ or as ‘ethical’ or as theologically acceptable. Yes, this position extends to whether I can view the death of ‘Jesus’ as an intended/planned sacrifice. Where the Abraham story includes no protest, the Job story/play builds around protest and the implicit expectation that ‘God’ is accountable.
The ‘non-religious’ approach to spirituality and ethics I am taking is a departure from Kierkegaard’s ‘religious’ sphere (as presented in Fear and Trembling, for instance) in that I contend Abraham should either protest or refuse the conclusion he adopts in the Genesis story. The approach I am taking would not view Abraham’s sacrificing his son as ‘faith’ or as ‘ethical’ or as theologically acceptable. Yes, this position extends to whether I can view the death of ‘Jesus’ as an intended/planned sacrifice. Where the Abraham story includes no protest, the Job story/play builds around protest and the implicit expectation that ‘God’ is accountable.