Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Nietzsche in chapter "What is Religious?" from "Beyond Good and Evil" clarifies the sociological and psychological context of belief and non-belief by providing reasons why Christianity is inadequate. The author points out that Nietzsche criticizes Christianity and Christian deism as being outdated and outmoded approaches to understanding the complexity of the human soul. This paper discusses that, according to Nietzsche, Christianity is a paradoxical religion because it offers spiritual liberation through enslavement.

From the Paper:

"The pagan religions of ancient Greece, which were replaced by Christianity, were life affirming, not life denying as Christianity is. In Section 49, Nietzsche notes that a growing sense of fear within the human spirit prepared the way for Christianity all over Europe. Nietzsche finds that the "new power" conferred upon the ascetic elevated pessimism to a religious ideal. Modern philosophy, on the other hand, can break the Christian cycle of negativity, or the "vicious circle made God," (section 56, fn.). Because of its "epistemological skepticism," "modern philosophy is anti-Christian," but it is "by no means anti-religious," (section 54). Nietzsche counts himself among the inquisitive modern philosophers who search for the soul outside the confines of organized religion."

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