Tsendrovsky, O. Yu. Rome Against Judea: Nietzsche’s Interpretation of History and Genealogy of Christianity

Abstract: The author of the preset article views Nietzsche’s interpretation of religion, first of all, Christianity, from the point of view of its relation to the central topic of his philosophy, the phenomenon of nihilism. The history of the religious development in Nietzsche’s teachings is rather understudied. The author provides an insight into this aspect of Nietzsche’s teaching from the point of view of the fundamental conflict of ‘life approval’ and ‘life denial’ – ‘Rome and Judea’. In the course of the research the author has described and analyzed Nietzsche’s views on such problems as the genesis and purpose of religion, the essential difference between paganism and Christianity, social and cultural causes and the base for Christianity, relation to Judaism, metaphysical and psychological-anthropological grounds of Christianity, death of God and the situation of nihilism in the Early Modern Period. Nietzsche’s philosophy is shown from the point of view of its systematic interpretation. The main thesis made by the author is that Nietzsche views Christianity genealogically, i.e. not as it is but as a major exponent and accumulator of the ‘metaphysical defect’ of the denial which was distanced from the values of the real life and began to serve the opposite targets.

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