ABSTRACT
Paul Holmer’s work, The Grammar of Faith , was first published in 1978 as an earnest response to what Holmer saw as a disappointing turn in the academic study of theology. Not strictly a work about Kierkegaard, its perspective is, however, fully informed by Kierkegaardian concerns. Holmer employs Kierkegaard’s categorical distinctions between an “apostle” and a “genius” to analyze the contemporary (academic) dilemma. He leans, as one would expect, toward the importance of apostolic witness and the God-relationship that Christianity demands, and away from the jargon and “systems” that distract from Christianity’s imperative. Holmer sought to emphasize the Gospel’s transformative claim on the individual: “ideas become important when they have a context in our lives, our cares and passions, our longings and hopes.” He can be credited with bringing both Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein into further conversation with contemporary Christian theology.
