Christianity & Existentialism
Is Meaning Made or Given?
Existentialism holds that there is no meaning built into the universe, so we must forge our own: for Sartre, 'existence precedes essence,' meaning we exist first and then define ourselves by what we choose. This is a serious and honest position. Christianity offers a different account: meaning is not only invented but received, because we are made on purpose, known, and loved by God. Here is the contrast, stated fairly.
What existentialism holds
For atheistic existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre, there is no God to hand us a purpose, and so there is no fixed human nature we are made to fulfil. We simply exist, and then, through our free choices, we become someone. Sartre put it in a formula that has echoed ever since:
This is not a shallow or lazy view. It is a brave attempt to live with dignity and responsibility in a cosmos that offers no script. If meaning is not given, then making it well, through love, courage, and commitment, becomes a serious moral task. Many thoughtful people find this liberating and honest.
What Christians believe
Christianity agrees that a person must live their meaning, not merely theorize about it. But it denies that the universe is silent. It says you are not a cosmic accident who must invent a reason to exist; you are made, on purpose, by a God who knows your name.
Where we agree
Existentialism is right that a meaning you never lived out is worthless, and right to refuse the comfort of borrowed, unexamined answers. It is also honest that if there is no God, the universe hands us no purpose at all. Christianity takes that 'if' seriously rather than waving it away.
Where we differ
The difference is between meaning we manufacture against an indifferent void and meaning we receive from a God who speaks. On the Christian account you do not have to generate your own worth by sheer will; it is given, because you are already known and loved. Whether that is true is exactly the question worth testing.
Existentialist sources are quoted and attributed in the text: Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism is a Humanism, 1946), Albert Camus (The Myth of Sisyphus, 1942), and Soren Kierkegaard (The Concept of Anxiety; Concluding Unscientific Postscript). We aim to represent each thinker accurately and in their own terms. Bible: King James Version.
Frequently asked questions
- What does 'existence precedes essence' mean?
- It is Sartre's claim that there is no fixed human nature or God-given purpose we are made to fulfil. We exist first, and then define ourselves through our free choices. Meaning is invented, not received.
- How is the Christian view of meaning different?
- Christianity holds that meaning is received as well as lived: you are made on purpose, known, and loved by God (Genesis 1:27; John 10:10). Meaning is not something you must manufacture against a silent universe, but something given by a God who speaks.
- Does Christianity take existentialism seriously?
- Yes. Existentialism is a thoughtful, honest attempt to live well in a universe that, without God, offers no built-in purpose. Christianity shares its insistence that meaning must be lived, and disagrees mainly about whether the universe is truly silent.
Come and see, and choose freely
Existentialism prizes an honest, first-hand encounter over inherited answers. In that spirit, the most honest way to weigh Christianity is to read Jesus for yourself and see whether his account of freedom and meaning rings true. No belief is required to read it.
Read the Gospel of JohnKierkegaard: the Christian existentialistWhy Jesus?