Kierkegaard and the New Nationalism: A Contemporary Reinterpretation of the Attack upon Christendom

Nationalism is on the rise, with countries asserting their sovereignty, ethnic composition, and superiority. Thomas J. Millay's Kierkegaard and the New Nationalism: A Contemporary Reinterpretation of the Attack upon Christendom examines Kierkegaard's late writings in light of this new relevance, arguing that attacking nationalism is a matter of renunciation and ascetic discipline, replacing selfish motives with self-giving love.

Format: Hardback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 07 December 2021
Publisher: Lexington Books

Nationalism is a globally resurgent phenomenon. From Britain to India and the United States of America, we find nations vociferously reasserting their own sovereignty, ethnic composition, and intrinsic superiority. Thomas J. Millay demonstrates how Kierkegaard’s ascetic voice speaks directly to our present crisis.Kierkegaard and the New Nationalism: A Contemporary Reinterpretation of the Attack upon Christendom analyzes the late writings of Kierkegaard in light of this new relevance, for Kierkegaard’s attack upon Christendom is also an attack upon nationalism. For Kierkegaard, taking on nationalism is not simply a matter of undermining false identity constructions. Attacking nationalism is a matter of renunciation: it requires ascetic discipline, such that the selfish motives at the core of one’s identity construction are uprooted and replaced by a self-giving love marked by the willingness to suffer.

Weight: 472g
Dimension: 226 x 161 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793640338