Between Religion and Religiosity: Between the Death and Resurrection of God

The main thesis presented in this article rejects the identification of the “death of God” idea with atheism. Atheism is a metaphysical claim stating that the signifier God has no signified. By contrast, the “death of God” notion conveys a moment of crisis in believers’ lives where the God that had...

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Main Author: Avi Sagi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1297
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author Avi Sagi
author_facet Avi Sagi
author_sort Avi Sagi
collection DOAJ
description The main thesis presented in this article rejects the identification of the “death of God” idea with atheism. Atheism is a metaphysical claim stating that the signifier God has no signified. By contrast, the “death of God” notion conveys a moment of crisis in believers’ lives where the God that had been present in their lives is dead. The “death of God” idea led, on the one hand, to the negation of God’s relevance in human life, as presented by Nietzsche, and, on the other, to its perception as a constitutive moment for religion itself due to God’s presence in the believer’s inner life, as outlined by Kierkegaard, Simone Weil, and others. Both approaches agree on the crucial role of religiosity, whether or not it has a transcendent object. This analysis challenges the dichotomy claiming that, on the one hand, believers cannot accept the idea of the death of God and, on the other hand, those who endorse the death of God negate the idea of religiosity.
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spelling doaj-art-3d6b59c8027f4f1da66ca077e9e43f632025-08-20T01:54:08ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442024-10-011511129710.3390/rel15111297Between Religion and Religiosity: Between the Death and Resurrection of GodAvi Sagi0Shalom Hartman Institute, Philosophy Department, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, IsraelThe main thesis presented in this article rejects the identification of the “death of God” idea with atheism. Atheism is a metaphysical claim stating that the signifier God has no signified. By contrast, the “death of God” notion conveys a moment of crisis in believers’ lives where the God that had been present in their lives is dead. The “death of God” idea led, on the one hand, to the negation of God’s relevance in human life, as presented by Nietzsche, and, on the other, to its perception as a constitutive moment for religion itself due to God’s presence in the believer’s inner life, as outlined by Kierkegaard, Simone Weil, and others. Both approaches agree on the crucial role of religiosity, whether or not it has a transcendent object. This analysis challenges the dichotomy claiming that, on the one hand, believers cannot accept the idea of the death of God and, on the other hand, those who endorse the death of God negate the idea of religiosity.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1297religiositydeath of GodNietzscheKierkegaardatheismsecularism
spellingShingle Avi Sagi
Between Religion and Religiosity: Between the Death and Resurrection of God
Religions
religiosity
death of God
Nietzsche
Kierkegaard
atheism
secularism
title Between Religion and Religiosity: Between the Death and Resurrection of God
title_full Between Religion and Religiosity: Between the Death and Resurrection of God
title_fullStr Between Religion and Religiosity: Between the Death and Resurrection of God
title_full_unstemmed Between Religion and Religiosity: Between the Death and Resurrection of God
title_short Between Religion and Religiosity: Between the Death and Resurrection of God
title_sort between religion and religiosity between the death and resurrection of god
topic religiosity
death of God
Nietzsche
Kierkegaard
atheism
secularism
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/11/1297
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