Works of Love in a World of Violence: Feminism, Kierkegaard, and the Limits of Self-Sacrifice

Drawing on the thought of Kant, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche in order to illuminate and interrogate feminist critiques of self-sacrifice, Deidre Nicole Green relies on Kierkegaard’s view of Christian love to offer a constructive theological framework for limiting self-sacrifice that resists an overly simplistic identification of self-sacrifice with love. Although Kierkegaard’s Works of Love deems Christian love essentially sacrificial, his view of love also circumscribes the role of self-sacrifice within human life. Particularly, it offers the potential for a rigorous and empowering model of forgiveness that challenges traditional ideals of the submissive, permissive woman while keeping love central to the dialogue. Rather than passively accept unjust relationships, works of love must seek to ameliorate a world of violence.