Differences between the Knight of Faith and the Knight of Resignation - Book Report/Review Example

Differences between the Knight of Faith and the Knight of Resignation In his article entitled Fear and Trembling, Søren Kierkegaard defines the Knight of Faith as an individual with absolute faith in both God and himself. Such individuals believe in the concept of achieving things in this world and in this life. Knights of faith have immense faith in the fact that all things are possible through God who ensures that they happen if the things please Him. Such is a complex psychological phenomenal that encompasses to both the infinite resignation and the leap of faith (Kierkegaard, Evans, and Sylvia 43).

As such, Knights of faith are individuals who have perfected the art of appreciation through loss. The two are vital in explaining some of the religious wars and acts of terrorism in the modern world as portrayed in the discussion below. The rise and the rapid growth of the ISIS movement in the Middle East is a continuing portrayal of a propaganda war coupled with acts of terrorism that thrive on deep religious beliefs and indoctrination. The ISIS soldiers who engage on their “Holly War” believe in achieving number things, which include eliminating their western enemy and converting the entire region to Islam.

They believe that doing this would make God happy since it constitutes their main reason for living. As such, they are ready to die in order to achieve their goal. They kill and are killed for their belief. A knight of Resignation on the other hand does not believe in the concept of in this life and world. The Knight believes in things that may not exist in this life and may not exist even in the next. Such is a faith that boarders on dissolution. Søren Kierkegaard would describe the ISIS soldiers as Knights of faith.

The soldiers fight both for their own interests and for the interests of God, at least according to their belief. This shows their faith. Additionally, they believe in achieving their goals in this life and in this world. By killing their perceived enemies, they secure more resources for themselves thus achieving some of their goals in this world. The ISIS exhibit a feature of practicality with which Søren Kierkegaard describes the Knight of faith. As explained earlier, Kierkegaard postulates that a Knight of faith is an individual who has experienced both infinite resignation and the leap of faith.

As such, the knight believes that he will regain all the things he loses in faith (Kierkegaard, Walter and Søren 33). The same applies to ISIS soldiers who believe in living without anything since they hope God will reward them all the things they forfeited as they fight His course. In retrospect, the terrorist acts by ISIS group in the Middle East among other parts of the world is a religious war, one that uses faith to enlist soldiers by indoctrinating them to the radical teachings of Islam.

Through such teachings, the soldiers systematically become Knights of faith who resign their fate to their God thus involve themselves in a fight that does not benefit them in any way. However, they engage in the war with the hopes of achieving their goals in this life, in this life. Those who die in the course of the fight die believing in the course and await for God’s rewards.Works citedKierkegaard, Søren, C S. Evans, and Sylvia Walsh. Fear and Trembling. Radford, VA: A & D Publishing, 2008. Print.Kierkegaard, Søren, Walter Lowrie, and Søren Kierkegaard.

 Fear and Trembling: And, the Sickness Unto Death. , 2013. Internet resource.