'God Is Dead': Should Catholics Read Nietzsche?

Topics include:
The meaning of the death of God
The four causes of unbelief
Christian responses to the death of God
The parable of the madman

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[MilesMariae]

I am currently completing a PhD on Nietzsche and am a Catholic priest. I would say, no, read Lubac instead. His "the drama of atheist humanism" both summarises and responds to Nietzsche, usefully placing him alongside Dostoyevski as the antidote to Nietzsche. If you really wish to read Nietzsche, personally I would say avoid Zarathustra as it makes very little sense even to Nietzsche scholars. I think The Gay Science is his most exhilarating work, it also shows development in his thinking as the work was written over a long period, it gives us an atheist Nietzsche who, at the same time wants to charm existence through a kind of mystical appreciation of this life and this world. Beyond Good and Evil, for me is too dry but many N scholars would put that as the text to read. The Genealogy is widely admired but its scope is limited and it ultimately argues from an historical perspective (offers a 'genealogy') which is simply false, the Antichrist is bad biblical exegesis, Ecce Homo is quite a good read as you probably get into Nietzsche's head by reading it. Birth of Tragedy is enjoyable but its early and doesnt touch some of Ns most famous ideas. Untimely Mediations dont bother. Human all to Human and Daybreak arent read that much by N scholars as they belong to a kind of positivistic blip in Ns thinking. Daybreak is ok but HH is long and a bit of a slog. Twilight is readable, if you want to get a contrast between Nietzsche and Socrates that is where you will find it.

[nickchavez]

Nietzsche is only real atheist worth reading. I would say he is the only true contemporary anti-christian philosopher.

[JohnWes]

The madman was a reference to Diogenes the ancient greek founder of the Cynic, dog like, school of philosophy. He used to light a lantern in daylight and strolabout saying, "I'm looking for a man." Never found one.

Nietzsche called himself and an antinihilist several times but he's still conflated with Nihilism. If you have deeply held metaphysical beliefs and dogmas I suppose you could view him as a nihilist, or making you a nihilist, he's there to rain on your parade.

[ThisNinjaSays_]

Nietzche: God is dead
Me: 😲
Nietzche: We have killed him.
Me: 💆‍♀️

[richardt.buryan]

CONSIDER THE DATA RESIDING ON THE SHROUD OF TURIN. THE CHURCHES HAVE BECOME EFFEMINATE.