Title: Kierkegaard's Attack upon "Christendom" and the Episcopal Church
Abstract: Kierkegaard's Attack upon was aimed established church in Denmark. Since Episcopal Church often has fantasy of establishment, this essay explores implications of Kierkegaard's book for American church. Kierkegaard first criticizes preaching and public worship of Danish Church. In response to this situation Kierkegaard emphasizes difficulty of becoming Christian and living Christian life. He argues that leniency has led to abolition of Christianity in Denmark and calls for rigor in these matters. The author describes his own experience of leniency in several dioceses of Episcopal Church. Then works of Ruth A. Meyers and Standing Liturgical Commission on Christian initiation which treat these issues are examined. Finally, Kierkegaard's later works are seen as predicting horrors of twentieth century and Kierkegaard scholar Howard A. Johnson's interpretation of this for President Roosevelt are recounted. Kierkegaard's Attack upon was aimed established Lutheran church in Denmark in 1854. The Episcopal Church in United States has always trailed clouds of glory from its origin in established Church of England; witness Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul of Episcopal Diocese of Washington, known as Washington National Cathedral and site of major national memorial services. The current mission statement of Cathedral states that it barkens to Cathedral founders' intent that it be spiritual home for United States. It also states that one of goals of Cathedral is to be a national treasure symbolizing role of faith in America. Also there is St. John's Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square across Pennsylvania Avenue from White House, known as the Church of Presidents. Then there is Cathedral of Saint John Divine of Episcopal Diocese of New York with the longest aisle in Christendom, thus firing shot across bow of St. Peters Basilica in Rome in which lengths of other large cathedrals, such as St. Paul's in London, are marked by brass plates in floor, but not, of course, St. John Divines whose plate would be several yards out in front. There are also original and long-term Episcopal chaplaincies national Army and Navy training institutions West Point and Annapolis. Finally there is Episcopal Saint Grotlesex (St. Paul's, Croton, Middlesex) and Andover-Exeter, Harvard- Yale route to high posts in U. S. government exemplified in careers of Henry Cabot Lodge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, McGeorge Bundy, Dean Acheson, Cyrus Vanee, and many others. This also applies to iiigh posts in business, law, arts, and media. A modest and reverse version of this sense of establishment is found in account of novelist Curtis Sittenfeld that age of five she had watched marriage of Diana and Prince Charles on TV. Then she told her parents that she would like to marry prince some day and asked what steps she might take to achieve this. Her father responded, That would not be possible, since we are not Episcopalians.1 These factors point to tendency toward fantasy of establishment among some Episcopalians. Furthermore, this fantasy refers to idea that Episcopal Church is for people who are most intelligent, cultured, and wealthy, and at ease in Zion, rather than to its being church for all people in nation, which is what establishment really means.2 Of course Danish church was in fact established, with clergy paid by government, while Episcopal Church is established only in fantasies of its clergy and members. The established churches of Europe are in decline, and this is also true of Episcopal Church. In 1963 John A. Gates published book entitled Christendom Revisited: A Kierkegaardian View of Church Today, in which he argues that Kierkegaard's criticisms of Danish church of his day were just and . …
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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