The Freedom to Become a Christian: A Kierkegaardian Account of Human Transformation in Relationship with God

The Kierkegaardian account of becoming a Christian has come to be perceived in radically egocentric terms. Torrance challenges this perception by demonstrating that Kierkegaard was devoted to the idea of Christian conversion as a transformative process of becoming. This process is grounded in an active relationship initiated by the eternal God who has established kinship with us in time.

Torrance focuses on ‘becoming a Christian’ as a particular theological theme that deserves further attention - how ‘becoming a Christian’ or Christian transformation should be construed in relation to God’s initiating and active relationship to the person. Torrance’s account of Kierkegaard on human transformation demonstrates in striking ways Kierkegaard’s relevance to current issues in systematic theology and philosophical theology around the nature of Christian conversion, particularly how conversion might be re-conceptualized in strong divinely-relational and transformative rather than in progressive self-developmental terms.

This study also considers how Kierkegaard was able to negotiate his emphasis on the God-relationship with his emphasis on the importance of individual reflection, decision and action in the Christian life.