Comments on: Kierkegaard and Anxiety http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/ Thu, 10 May 2012 14:59:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Rhett Smith http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/comment-page-1/#comment-7633 Rhett Smith Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:47:46 +0000 http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/10/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/#comment-7633 Kristie: Agree...it does take a lot of courage. John: Super well said. I can't add to that. I agree that faith and doubt are two sides of the same coin, unfortunately we tend to not allow for the role of doubt in our Christian journey, especially in a very competitive evangelical culture. Jonathan: I hear what you are saying. I think as Christians we can still have anxiety, even though we have given it over to God. And I think what Kierkegaard is distinguishing between is a neurotic anxiety that is not healthy, and a healthy anxiety that pushes us to new avenues and path for growth. For example, think in terms of public speaking or trying a new hobby. That anxiety will keep many people from ever doing it, but if they could push through that anxiety it could lead to huge opportunities of growth for them. Thanks for commenting everyone.... Rhett Kristie:

Agree…it does take a lot of courage.

John:

Super well said. I can’t add to that. I agree that faith and doubt are two sides of the same coin, unfortunately we tend to not allow for the role of doubt in our Christian journey, especially in a very competitive evangelical culture.

Jonathan:

I hear what you are saying. I think as Christians we can still have anxiety, even though we have given it over to God. And I think what Kierkegaard is distinguishing between is a neurotic anxiety that is not healthy, and a healthy anxiety that pushes us to new avenues and path for growth. For example, think in terms of public speaking or trying a new hobby. That anxiety will keep many people from ever doing it, but if they could push through that anxiety it could lead to huge opportunities of growth for them.

Thanks for commenting everyone….

Rhett

]]> By: Jonathan Louie http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/comment-page-1/#comment-7604 Jonathan Louie Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:32:06 +0000 http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/10/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/#comment-7604 I look at it differently. I find passages telling me not to worry or to cast my cares upon God. Therefore, I personally can't accept anxiety though I have personally experienced much over the last year. Even now I think my soul sits in anxiety. It may be just choice of word or maybe the definition we carry, but I look at it a little differently. Instead of anxiety I'd call it a gnawing disatisfaction. I think in following God we should have faith in things getting better (according to God's wisdom), while I see anxiety as worrying that things will not get better or even becoming worse. I look at it differently. I find passages telling me not to worry or to cast my cares upon God. Therefore, I personally can’t accept anxiety though I have personally experienced much over the last year. Even now I think my soul sits in anxiety.

It may be just choice of word or maybe the definition we carry, but I look at it a little differently. Instead of anxiety I’d call it a gnawing disatisfaction.

I think in following God we should have faith in things getting better (according to God’s wisdom), while I see anxiety as worrying that things will not get better or even becoming worse.

]]> By: kristie vosper http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/comment-page-1/#comment-7603 kristie vosper Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:28:00 +0000 http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/10/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/#comment-7603 I completely agree. It takes an immense amount of courage to sit in the anxiety and ask it the questions that it's begging we wrestle with. I completely agree. It takes an immense amount of courage to sit in the anxiety and ask it the questions that it’s begging we wrestle with.

]]> By: John http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/comment-page-1/#comment-7600 John Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:42:32 +0000 http://rhettsmith.com/2009/08/10/kierkegaard-and-anxiety/#comment-7600 Kierkegaard had no time for sentimentality or romanticism of the Spiritual life. He reminds us that faith and doubt are really two sides of the same coin, and that only by active engagement (with paradox, subjectivity, moral ambiguity, etc.) is freedom understood. If we really took this stuff seriously, we would recognize ourselves in a great battle for the heart. Good post. Kierkegaard had no time for sentimentality or romanticism of the Spiritual life. He reminds us that faith and doubt are really two sides of the same coin, and that only by active engagement (with paradox, subjectivity, moral ambiguity, etc.) is freedom understood. If we really took this stuff seriously, we would recognize ourselves in a great battle for the heart. Good post.

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