The Cornerstone Forum | fostering a whole-hearted faith in a half-hearted world

Fostering a whole-hearted faith in a half-hearted world

  • Our Work
  • The Library
  • Newsletter Archive
  • Podcasts
    • Keeping Faith and Breaking Ground
    • Violence & the Sacred
  • Blog
  • About Us
The Cornerstone Forum | fostering a whole-hearted faith in a half-hearted world

The Difference between an Admirer and a Disciple

By Gil Bailie inBlog

Posted on: Jun 02, 2015

SK I find the words of Søren Kierkegaard below apropos of the overall state of Christianity today in our part of the world. Some wag has said of one of the “progressive” Protestant communions that its initials stand for “Unitarians Considering Christ.” Of other Christians it has been said that their theology amounts to a Christ-flavored spirituality.

Kierkegaard would have none of it of course. Taken out of context, but nonetheless apropos of the watered down forms of Christianity we see about us today, here is Kierkegaard’s assessment:
“It is impossible a priori to prevent the misunderstanding that goes by the name of admiration, for in a certain sense this is necessary, in order to attract people. But then, if the truth … unfolds itself ever more clearly as the truth, the moment comes when no admirer can keep up with it: for the truth shakes off its admirers as the storm shakes off the worm-eaten fruit from the tree.”

The Bread of Life discourse in John’s Gospel is an account of one of those storms which shake off the mere admirers. It concludes this way:

“After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'”

admirationdiscipleKierkegaardscandal
29
Like this post
  • Previous PostJihad in Sheep’s Clothing
  • Next PostThe state we're in...
cornerstone forum

Contact Us

fo***@**************um.org
Tel: 707 996-4704
Mail: 19201 Hwy 12, #221
Sonoma, CA 95476

Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Recent Posts

  • Moving the Blog to Substack
  • What If the Self Were Shaped by Love, Not Lack?
  • The True Model Revealed: Christ as the Anti-Rivalrous Model
  • What If the Culture Is the Model?
  • Hooked on the “Ifs” — Henri Nouwen and the Mimetic False Self

Copyright © 2023 The Cornerstone Forum

Copy