For him, this was a misunderstanding of Christianity. This ties back into what I said about Kierkegaard not being interested in justifying his belief in Christianity like some theologians often do. His problem with many Christian institutions was that they were essentially guilty of going against the most foundational principles of Christianity by in a sense, over-intellectualizing it. That being said however if one studies Kierkegaard and his life, it becomes clear after a while that he absolutely loathed the established order of Christianity in Denmark of his day. In fact, he once stated that becoming a Christian for him was so effortless as to liken it to putting on a pair of socks in the morning. Kierkegaard was born in Denmark where Christianity was incredibly common. Kierkegaard did, however, have issues with the way in which he thought the Christianity of his day was going, however. Kierkegaard never set out to try and prove the existence of God or the validity of Christian doctrine by rational means like other theologians might, this was of little interest to him. The reality of the situation however is that this is not what the term means. When people see the term, they might think that what Kierkegaard is talking about is leaping forward and forgoing rationality and evidence such that we may be greeted by God as a reward for our faith. I actually find this to be in a way sort of funny because it’s arguably the concept that is most attributed to him, other than him being the father of existentialism. Perhaps interestingly, Kierkegaard never actually used the term “leap of faith” in any of his works, and it's only something that has been used retroactively in reference to them. I’m sure a lot of people are familiar with the pseudo-intellectual sophistry that we typically hear from new atheists regarding faith and religion more broadly. The idea of a leap of faith in the context of religion is something that I’m sure immediately gives off a number of different ideas. Kierkegaard's philosophy ion is something I’ve always find the most enjoyment out of. The phrase a leap of faith means a risk with no guarantee of success or trust in God that isn’t based on empirical evidence.If people read about Kierkegaard and his philosophy, one recurring theme is his leap of faith. “The thought of arriving at the airport with no idea where you are heading until you check in is so exciting.” – Houston Chronicle
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