KIERKEGAARD’S PHILOSOPHY OF SUBJECTIVITY in THE FILIPINO CATHOLIC

SEMINARIANS’ PRIESTLY FORMATION

Before slide:

Goodafternoon to all, I am Alwin Ramos, a 4 th year student and also a former seminarian. Yes, I am an
ex-seminarian, and i stayed for almost 7 years of formation inside the seminary. My youth life was
compressed in the seminary, and I almost spent half of my life there.

Why am I saying this, because my thesis is the same as to what I have experience. Gentlemen may I now
present to you my thesis entitled, Kierkegaard’s philosophy of subjectivity in the seminary formation.

2nd slide

Explain

3rd slide

Explain each and connect it to the next slide, and explain the current issues and controversies in which
clerics have been involved at present.

4th slide

Explain the idea of a fragment term. Something is lacking.

5th slide

A research study conducted by Fr. Jaime Bulatao, SJ, said in his (commentary on Dr. Landa Jocano’s
paper on conversion and the patterning of Christian experience in Malitbog, central Panay)

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The human formation of a seminarian should acknowledge the fact that they are having an

immense transition from adolescence to young adulthood, and from being dependent on family members

to independently living a life with freedom and free will. So, this means that a typical seminarian is in

search for his purpose and identity and lives within tensions that usually accompany that search. (Human

aspect of the seminarian)

Intellectual Formation
 In aid of the seminarians’ need to search for identity and mission in life, intellectual formation

seeks to develop not only academic excellence but also his capacity to face intelligently whatever state in

life he may pursue.

Spiritual Formation

As the seminarian prolongs on his journey towards his search of self-purpose, he would

acknowledge also the presence of something higher to find his fulfillment of human existence in the

religious realm. This would help the seminarian provide adequate response towards his passion of priestly

life. Life through spiritual exercises and spiritual directions will help the seminarian understand more the

mystery of his vocation and will lead to a proper conclusion of the self.

Pastoral Formation

The pastoral formation of a seminarian aims to help him face the questions arising from his stage

in life as he comes face to face with the demands of service. Pastoral exposure to and involvement in a

specific community or ministry is meant to strengthen his self-identity and to crystallize his mission,

which can occur only when he has discovered the meaning of service to others

Intellectualization of Faith

In a case study made by Carlo Enrico Tinio, OCD, A Story of guy named Daniel a 37 years old,

who was sent out the seminary because of his lack of academic understanding and proficiency. It was also

indicated in Kierkegaard’s attack on Christendom

Structure Spirituality

This idea was also focused by Kierkegaard in his book Practice in Christianity

 A daily routine
 For the sake of schedule only
 No renewal of faith, but fear of punishment

Post-Formation Crises

Burn out

More than 86 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belong to various

nationalized Christian cults, and another 2 percent belong to well over 100 Protestant

denominations.

Depression

Living a life alone is depressing

A quote by Kierkegaard in his book, concept of dread, he says that “The most common form of

despair is not being who you are.”

Anxiety

Kierkegaard defines anxiety as a dizziness of freedom. In his book, the concept of anxiety, “ sin

itself brings about anxiety, a compounding of the anxiety of freedom”

Boredom

Kierkegaard’s idea of boredom is somehow a negative term in his philosophy. For him

“Boredom is the root cause of evil”

8th slide

Authenticiy:

condition of significant, emotionally appropriate living

being true to the self

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Body and soul, mind and heart, faith and reason.

For him, we make choices as individuals; and the outcomes of our truly significant

choices depend only and always on our individual selves

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Pseudonyms as the product of being the author instead of just a reader, being inside the

story, or being the story itself.

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This is the coalition of Kierkegaard’s idea of subjectivity and the seminary formation

Subjectivity of truth

And now, we could see that there is already something wrong in the situation, and that is

the lack of intra-personal decision making.

Freedom, as stated by Kierkegaard, has always an outside factor that affects one’s own

decision.
Leap of Faith

We cant explain faith per se. Can you explain why you observe fasting in holy week or

lent if you are a catholic, or in other religion, not eating “dinuguan” not eating beef,

something like that?

Is there a scientific, nutritional explanation that there is a diet behind all of this?

Passion or Inwardness

Explain

“ it is better to get lost in the passion than to lose passion”

This is the drive or urge.