Best known if not equally understood for having a madman proclaim the demise of God, Friedrich Nietzsche’s thought has served as a fecund resource for disparate groups advancing diverse agendas. This paper critically examines the phenomenon of invoking Nietzsche as the final word. This paper argues that, far from being a conversation-stopper, Nietzsche can be understood as enhancing dialogue, across disciplines and between groups such as philosophers and theologians more prone to militant rhetoric than fruitful dialogue. In order to validate this claim it will be necessary to examine in detail the two aspects of Nietzsche’s thought most often invoked as conversation stoppers: the madman’s proclamation of the death of God; and Nietzsche’s devastating critique of Christian morality. Ultimately, this thesis will conclude that when properly understood Nietzsche serves as a unique interpreter locating himself between modernity and postmodernity, as well as between philosophy and religious thought.

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-149).

Thesis (DD(Dogmat.))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 201-249).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-149).

Nietzsche frequently mentions gratitude throughout The Gay Science, but there is a lack of critical attention to this theme. The present essay seeks to situate this important theme in relation to other major themes of the work in order to show why gratitude is Nietzsche’s response to the death of god. Ultimately, I show that there are at least three elements to Nietzsche’s gratitude in this work: gratitude for perspectival flexibility, gratefulness to the chaos of existence, and gratefulness that “God is dead!” The essay concludes by highlighting three aphorisms which could extend this analysis further.

Le 19ème siècle connaît un renouveau des façons de penser proches du matérialisme. Celles-ci deviennent triomphantes avec Marx, Nietzsche .... Il s'agit d'analyser les causes de ce renouveau et ses conséquences sur les idéologies du 20ème siècle. Ces idéologies misent en œuvre sont prises dans une dualité matérialiste/idéaliste au sein de leurs différentes composantes. A la sortie du second conflit mondial et surtout après la chute des pays socialistes de l'Europe de l'est, cette dualité se recompose en s'adaptant à un champ politique unique et hégémonique. Le capitalisme entretient un rapport très paradoxal au matérialisme dans le même temps il l'appelle de ses vœux car il lui permet de détruire un obstacle : le christianisme social, mais il le dénature également en lui donnant une forme vulgaire d'un matérialisme de possession. Il ne peut pas lui redonner ses lettres de noblesse puisqu'il générerait un retour du politique (le marxisme,...). Or il se présente comme post politique et non idéologique. Dans le discours réemployant la rhétorique marxiste de fin de l'histoire prononcé par Francis Fukuyama, le capitalisme se présente de fait comme un Léviathan face à ce qui a réduit l'homme à l'état de nature : les idéologies « totalitaires ». Il permet également une remontée forte de l'idéalisme dans une dissonance perpétuelle entre morale et pratique. Le matérialisme étant vulgarisé et réduit, il ne porte plus en lui d'éthique et il devient limité à une pulsion d'achat. Le capitalisme, dans son appareil idéologique et sa culture de masse, apparaît comme double perpétuel au réel. / A journey inside history, ideology and psychology with a key, the antagonism between materialism and idealism. A new point of view arise and create a new kind of analysis on our modern times. From Martin Luther to today, we explore differents systems : Nazism, Socialism and Capitalism. We will find, in each system and so in human mind, this heuristic antagonism.

I trace the concept of nothingness in twentieth century philosophical theology from the work Paull Tillich through that of Martin Heidegger and Keiji Nishitani toward Robert Neville and Ray L. Hart all of whom have taken up the challenge of nothingness. As a specific metaphysical concept or category, these philosophers and theologians would undoubtedly disagree on a specific definition of nothingness; however, I argue they would agree on the vague function of nothingness, which is a relief or contrast to being. Tied up with existence contra nothingness are the possibilities of existence or meontic nothingness. At stake in the encounter with or exposure to nothingness is the ability to refund or redeem one’s ownmost potential and possibilities. How one responds to the specter of nothingness makes nothing matter (or not) in the way one turns from nothingness back to existence. In other words, the stakes are not merely the metaphysical (non)status of nothingness, but the desire to find meaning and value in human, finite existence in the face of radical contingency and the specter of nihilism.

This dissertation deals with Dostoevsky's influence on Death of God theology. This is a comparative study that clarifies this influence against the background of how Dostoevsky's work was read and interpreted by some representatives of Dialectical theology. This study follows those themes of Dostoevsky's work which both theologies focus on and analyzes how they are interpreted within each theology. Both receptions of Dostoevsky are then compared not only against one another, but also against the original context of Dostoevsky's work. KEY WORDS: Dostoevsky, death of God, Death of God theology, Radical theology, Dialectical theology, Neo-orthodoxy, Altizer, Barth, Thurneysen, Hromádka

Submitted by Viviane Lima da Cunha (viviane@biblioteca.ufpb.br) on 2016-08-19T11:53:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 495282 bytes, checksum: b35197ec65eb2d01aa66ff5e90b80df2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-19T11:53:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 495282 bytes, checksum: b35197ec65eb2d01aa66ff5e90b80df2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-07-06 / In the presented dissertation is approached the Niilism theme on Nietzsche’s thought, including its overcoming matter. Firstly, to deal how to know what could be the historical influences that could Nietzsche had suffered in order to understand his own speech about the theme. To deal then the main concepts related to the Niilism theme, which highlights “The Death of God” and its relation to modernity, the meaning of the event in direction to the Niilism overcoming. Facing the polemic related to the fact of considering or not the Nietzscheism overcoming of Niilism opted to investigate what Nietzsche described as world’s adjustment attempts without need of god. These attempts would be always useless and sabotaged, including to all modernity, period that would however, the moment of the most effective rupture relating to old ideals. To give an account the investigation of possibilities and effectuation of superman, the one who would be the bearer of the new way of living and thinking. / A presente dissertação pretende abordar o tema do niilismo no pensamento de Nietzsche e mais precisamente a questão da superação frente ao problema. O nosso intuito também foi o de saber se o próprio filósofo conseguiu tal proeza. Primeiramente nos interessamos em saber quais teriam sido as influências históricas que o filósofo teria sofrido para então a partir delas empreender o seu próprio discurso. Posteriormente tratamos dos conceitos importantes referentes ao tema, como por exemplo, a morte de Deus. A morte de Deus é considerada pelo filósofo, na modernidade, o acontecimento primeiro em direção a superação,mas entende que tal acontecimento embora seja condição necessária, não é condição suficiente. Por não ser condição suficiente investigamos também o que ele caracterizou como sendo tentativas de adaptação ao mundo sem Deus. Essas tentativas teriam sido sempre fracassadas e sabotadas, inclusive por toda a modernidade, período que deveria no entanto, ser o momento de uma ruptura mais efetiva em relação aos antigos ideais. Por fim, investigamos a questão da superação ou não do próprio filósofo assim como da efetivação do Super-homem, aquele que seria o porta bandeira de uma nova forma de viver e de pensar.

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