Abstract:
With this article, I wish to introduce the concept of ‘faith envy’. From time to time, both
believers and non-believers envy those who have faith or more faith. People envy, for
example, Muslims or Charismatics for the significance and certainty of their convictions in
their lives. I propose using ‘faith envy’ as an angle to investigate faith and religious
language. This perspective opens up important new questions about faith. If we look at
faith from this angle, we see aspects of faith that remain obscure in many debates on
religion, aspects beyond historical or factual matters. Firstly, I explore what it is exactly that
is envied in faith envy. Secondly, I argue for the use of the concept ‘envy’ rather than
‘jealousy’ or ‘admiration’ in this context. Thirdly, I indicate how using the concept of faith
envy may open up new theoretical perspectives on faith and in particular the nature of
religious language. I show how the lives and works of Sören Kierkegaard, Ludwig
Wittgenstein and Simone Weil are illuminated by looking at them as people who envy faith.
I conclude this article by providing some impressions of what novel perspectives using the
concept of faith envy may bring to light.
Description:
This research is part of the
project, ‘University, Education
and Theology’, directed by
Prof. Dr Johan Buitendag,
Department of Historical and
Systematic Theology, Faculty
of Theology and Religion,
University of Pretoria.
