Dionysus Against the Crucified: Nietzsche Contra Christianity, Part 1

Abstract

This is the first part of a two-part study of Nietzsche and Christianity. Nietzsche’s phrase ‘Dionysus against the Crucified’ is used as a kind of text for the articles. ‘Dionysus’ is the principle of life: raw, tragic, joyful, but real, subject to no extraneous principle. ‘The Crucified’ is the principle of death: anti-natural, symbolising consciousness of sin and foreboding authority of God, imposing a morbid principle on life. This part is strictly descriptive and although it outlines some elements in Nietzsche’s philosophy, it suggests that philosophy as such will not provide an adequate response.