DCE and Nietzsche

Draw upon Deus Caritas Est to formulate a view of Christianity that provides an alternative to Nietzsche.  This paper is to focus on DCE. Presuppose that your reader

is familiar with Nietzsche but not with DCE. You can mention Nietzsche where you feel you need to, but the bulk of the paper is to provide an alternative vision based

on DCE.

Put on the mind of Benedict XVI whether or not you agree with him. With Nietzsche in the background, try to communicate Benedict’s vision of Christianity as clearly

and deeply as possible in this medium-length assignment.

The following table is to help situate you.  Your paper will mainly be about explaining items in the second column. You do not by any means need to address all of

these points. These items are listed in order to give you something of the big picture.

Nietzsche (in selections assigned for class)    Benedict XVI in DCE
Jesus as a man of principle: don’t return evil for evil; love your enemies; forgive    What is notable about the life and teaching of Jesus?
Jesus’ death as his commitment to his principles    What is the meaning of Christ’s death on the cross?
Christianity as the opposite of what Jesus was about:  resentment; power    How is early Christianity the continuation of what Jesus was about?
Christianity inventing afterlife as a reward; focus on judgment    What is most central to the meaning of Christian life?
Christianity teaching lowliness and weakness    Why is humility an important dimension of Christian service?
Christianity as wanting to kill eros and all natural instincts    What is the proper Christian attitude toward eros?
Christianity about belief rather than action    What are the main elements of Christianity that need to be held in balance?
Christians as hypocrites who follow their instincts anyway    How does Christianity impact the lives of Christians? Does it make a difference in what they value and

how they act?

Show close and specific knowledge of the class readings, but avoid using direct quotes (unless you have a special reason in a particular instance).  Use only materials

from this class.  Focus on readings, powerpoints, class materials, and your class notes. Do not rely on further research or outside sources for this assignment.

Use the link to see the file

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html

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