Nietzsche: A Selected Annotated Bibliography

Nietzsche and Religion

Although an avowed atheist, who proclaimed that “God is dead,” and who railed against the ill effects of Christianity, Nietzsche was in many ways a religious thinker, preoccupied with religious themes.  “Has it ever been really noted [observed Nietzsche] to what extent a genuinely religious life…of self-examination…requires a leisure class…I mean leisure with a good conscience…And that consequently our modern, noisy, time-consuming industriousness, proud of itself, stupidly proud, educates and prepares people more than anything else does, precisely for ‘unbelief.’” ²⁸

Lippit, John and Jim Urpeth, eds.  Nietzsche and the Divine.  (Manchester: Clinamen Press, 2000).  JFD 02-20688

This collection of essays explores Nietzsche’s relation to Greek, Jewish, Christian, Asian, and mystic religion.

Roberts, Tyler T.  Contesting Spirit: Nietzsche, Affirmation, Religion.  (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998).  JFE 99-1839

Roberts understands Nietzsche’s philosophy as a spiritual practice that uses ascetic and mystical exercises to cultivate and transfigure the self.  Nietzsche’s affirmation of this life is based on the most severe self-discipline and renunciation.  And Roberts argues that many of these practices have close affinities to those developed in the Christian tradition that Nietzsche attacked.

Santaniello, Weaver.  Nietzsche, God, and the Jews.  (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994).   *PPF 95-222

 An examination of Nietzsche’s critiques of Christianity, Judaism, and anti-Semitism. 

Yovel, Yirmiyahu.  Dark Riddle: Hegel, Nietzsche, and the Jews. (Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 1998). *PPX 98-1915         

The “dark riddle” is the attraction and repulsion that both Hegel and Nietzsche felt towards the Jews. Yovel argues that in Nietzsche's attitude towards Judaism "three stages are to be distinguished: Old Testament Judaism, whose ‘grandeur’ Nietzsche adored; the ‘priestly’ Judaism of the Second Temple, which he profoundly despised…as the parent of Christian culture; and the…Jews in the Diaspora…whom he…admired…” p. 117.

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28. Nietzsche, Friedrich.  Beyond Good and Evil.  (Vintage: New York, 1966) 69.