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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : existentialism

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joeSOC
Member



Joined: 2006/9/5
Posts: 94
Melbourne Australia

 existentialism

How does the bible answer the question of existentialism today ?

 2006/9/19 2:14Profile
MSeaman
Member



Joined: 2005/4/19
Posts: 772
Michigan

 Re: existentialism

what does existentialism mean? I have heard it before, but I don't really know what it is.

Guess I could have tried a dictionary... :-P


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Melissa

 2006/9/19 8:37Profile









 Re: existentialism

Quote:
How does the bible answer the question of existentialism today ?

When you've offered you're working definition, some answers will emerge. The Bible has answers for everything.... only sometimes, you have to reframe your original concept to connect the question to the answer which is in there.

 2006/9/19 12:22
mamaluk
Member



Joined: 2006/6/12
Posts: 524


 Re: existentialism

Tillich, Karl Barth, kierkegaard, were some of the leading scholars of this philosophy who 'infiltrated' the Christian academic and philosophic arena with quite a bit of impact in the late 19th and throughout the 20th centuries. Emphasis such as individualism, freewillism, liberalism.. come to mind .

This philosophy influenced Christian thinking quite extensively throughout pulpits and liberal seminaries.

If I were to sum up this philosophy in one word, it'd be SELF, (the man on the throne).

"how does the Bible answer to this today"?

Philippians 1:21
For to me to live is [b]Christ[/b], and to die is gain

 2006/9/19 13:02Profile
InTheLight
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Joined: 2003/7/31
Posts: 2850
Phoenix, Arizona USA

 Re:

Quote:
If I were to sum up this philosophy in one word, it'd be SELF, (the man on the throne).



Are you sure about this? It is my understanding of existentialism (Karl's Barth's brand anyway) that it something like a type of neo-Calvanism where there is this imaginary line of death between man and God and all attempts on man's part to cross that line are doomed to failure. Therefore only God, through faith, can cause the line to disappear. Barth's philosophy speaks of the absolute dominion of God (predestination), this doesn't seem to me to be a philosophy of self.

In Christ,

Ron


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Ron Halverson

 2006/9/19 17:28Profile
mamaluk
Member



Joined: 2006/6/12
Posts: 524


 Re:

I encountered his teachings a long long long time ago. The late F.Schaeffer, expounded on this philosophy and warned against it way better than I could ever start here.

I have long since abandoned ALL human/'christian' philosophies and religious traditions. Anything written short of 100% soundness around biblical doctrine in my mind, is heresy.

Nevertheless, I wish only to adhere to :
"..Colossians 2:8
[b]Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [/b]

Hyper, Infra, Supra, Neo-Calvinism, Barthism, Existentialism...all these isms have no place on my heart, and will they ever stay out. To me, they really all boil down to SELF ! I apologize to the effect that I tend to over-simplify what I read, except for the Bible.

Please feel free to consider me wrong about Barth,
that will be quite alright. :)

Thanks for pointing it out, you might just be right about Barthism.

 2006/9/19 17:50Profile
PaulWest
Member



Joined: 2006/6/28
Posts: 3405
Dallas, Texas

 Re:

The poster-boy for existentialism was probably Ernest Hemingway, who, in the height of unprecedented worldly success and riches, placed a shotgun barrel against his forehead and pulled the trigger. Let the philosophers muse, let the physchoanalysts write their discourses; Satan holds all unregenerate men fast in slavish chains.


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Paul Frederick West

 2006/9/19 18:03Profile
joeSOC
Member



Joined: 2006/9/5
Posts: 94
Melbourne Australia

 Re: definition from the American Heritage

A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts.

SO How does Christianity contrasts itself in Doctrine from the above.

Thank you all for your posts

 2006/9/19 19:16Profile
OverSeer
Member



Joined: 2006/7/15
Posts: 153
Geneva, Alabama

 Re:

Quote:
A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts.



"Existentialism argues that the key to all existence is essence. In practice, this means that [i]personal experience[/i], [i]feeling[/i], and [i][b]satisfaction[/b][/i] is what life is all about. Existentialism gives freedom to our heart's desires to express themselves fully and without constraint" ([i]Fool's Gold?[/i]: John MacArthur, General Editor. 166, emphasis mine).

Existentialism builds off the foundation of humanism (looking admiringly upon the human race and the individual in order to appreciate human capacity and worth - in other words, love of self) and reduces truth to the realm of subjectivity. Its natural outcome is hedonism (love of pleasure). And since according to existentialism the individual is free to pursue his heart's desires and to express himself fully and without constraint, it leads to sensuality. The next logical conclusion in this downhill philosophy is materialism (love of money and possessions).
Quote:
SO How does Christianity contrasts itself in Doctrine from the above.



"These are grumblers, finding fault, [i][b]following after their own lusts [/b][/i]" (Jude 16).

The Bible addresses all three philosphical leavens in 2 Timothy 3:1-5: (V.2) "Men will be lovers of self" (humanism). (V.2) "Lovers of money" (materialism). (V.4) "Lovers of pleasure (existentialism) rather than lovers of God."

All of this is sin and the Bible says that sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4).


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Olan Strickland

 2006/9/19 20:51Profile
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: existentialism - how close are we to it

Quote:
Hyper, Infra, Supra, Neo-Calvinism, Barthism, Existentialism...all these isms have no place on my heart, and will they ever stay out.

The problem with labels is that they don’t get attached to a trend till afterwards. I think any of these thought systems can creep in under the umbrella of sound Biblical words and doctrinal systems –even quite unintentionally. Paris Riedhead has a stirring sermon on this. I wish I could remember which one it was. He explains how heresies creep in: The listener assumes that because a preacher is using all the “right” words, he must be okay. So the listener accepts the whole package. Reidhead also points out the Christians tend to be naïve, and that’s why they so easily buy into heresies. It “looks so right”, so it must be Biblical.

How immune are we really? I suspect most of us are influenced by existentialism, even if only a tiny bit. The following points sure raise red flags:
Quote:
In practice, this means that personal experience, feeling, and satisfaction is what life is all about.

reduces truth to the realm of subjectivity.

Existentialism builds off the foundation of humanism (looking admiringly upon the human race and the individual in order to appreciate human capacity and worth

The next logical conclusion in this downhill philosophy is materialism


My goodness! This sounds normal (ie, the norm). It is standard for the church culture too.

What about subjective interpretation of Scripture, that is – going overboard with personal application - making the bible fit ME rather than the reverse.

What about subjective experience of music – attributing God-like quality to it.

…………and on and on and on………..

Diane



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Diane

 2006/9/19 22:01Profile





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