Diagnosing a contemporary societal lack in regards to the foundational virtue of patience, this comparative study of Søren Kierkegaard’s three upbuilding discourses To Gain One’s Soul in Patience, To Preserve One’s Soul in Patience and Patience in Expectancy (1844) is studied in relation to the work of St Peter of Damascus in the eastern orthodox writings of the Philokalia (12th century A.D.). The author seeks to trace differences and similarities in between the two authors, in order to explore the possible occurrence of a shared virtue ethic on the subject of patience, bridging east end west across history and church tradition. The thesis makes a brief historical presentation of the Philokalia, wherein it treats the practise of virtuous patience in the eastern orthodox tradition and lays out an outline of the thematic treatment of patience in the writings of St Peter of Damascus. It further presents a basic overview of Kierkegaardian theology in relation to patience before it explores the three discourses through a comparative analysis, followed by a discussion where similarities and differences are traced. Similarities are treated in a schematic manner under general themes of hesychia, man and God, patience and the virtues, discrimination, kenosis, the fragmentation of impatience, impatience and society and the ontological status of patience. Differences are traced to general historical and traditional contexts. The Philokalia, being as it is, intertwined within the orthodox ecclesiastical and traditional understanding, and Kierkegaard as a critical protestant searching for Christian roots. The thesis finishes with the conclusion that the main themes emerging in Kierkegaard’s three discourses on patience are broadly congruent with the writings of St Peter of Damascus in The Philokalia. The main differences found in between the two being those of historical, ecclesiastical and traditional nature.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-226267 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Sterner, Fredrik |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för idé- och samhällsstudier |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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