Kierkegaard and Radical Discipleship: A New Perspective

xii, 445 pp. 8 5/8 x 5 7/8. 8vo. A reissue of Eller's first book, originally published in 1964 as A Protestant's Protestant: Kierkegaard from a New Perspective. Until recently, most scholarship has insisted on seeing Kierkegaard as a philosopher, or a theologian, or a psychologist, or a social critic. In this book, Professor Eller argues that Kierkegaard was first and foremost a religious thinker, and that Kierkegaard himself felt his works could be best understood if they were read with this in mind. In order to show that Kierkegaard's religious thought is essentially that of classic Protestant sectarianism, Mr. Eller has selected a typical sect - the Brethren - against which to measure Kierkegaard. After a brief discussion of the role of sects in the history of religion, Mr. Eller establishes parallels between Kierkegaard's thought and Protestant sectarianism in general. He then moves on to more detailed analysis of specific points by comparing Kierkegaard's works with the writings of the eighteenth-century Brethren. He finds that although the Dunkers, as the Brethren were often called, were by no means as sophisticated or learned as Kierkegaard, there were meaningful parallels in their writings on such topics as the importance of the individual and his relation to God, the role of reason in religion, and the problem of freedom of the will. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Vernard Marion Eller (July 11, 1927 – June 18, 2007) was an American author, Christian pacifist and minister in the Church of the Brethren. Born in Everett, Washington and raised in Wenatchee, Eller graduated from the University of La Verne and Bethany Theological Seminary, then went on to earn a master's degree from Northwestern University and a doctorate from Pacific School of Religion. He wrote over 20 books including The Mad Morality and Christian Anarchy: Jesus' Primacy Over the Powers.