Ievadvārdi (Erna Freija) - Kārļa Skalbes reliģija un ētika: 1. Kārļa Skalbes reliģija
K. Skalbe’s religious and ethical views

Summary/Abstract: The current volume of the Religious Philosophical Papers continues to introduce readers to the manuscripts left by the Latvian theologian Alberts Freijs (1903-1968) (with a kind permission of his son Andris Freijs). This time the editors have chosen Freijs’ essay on the religious and ethical views of the well-known Latvian poet and author Kārlis Skalbe (1879-1945). In her foreword to the publication the theologian’s widow Erna Freija (1903-1993) notes that A. Freijs began this essay in 1943/1944, i.e., during the Nazi occupation of Latvia, and completed it post-WWII years when the country had succumbed to the Soviet forces. Meticulously analysing K. Skalbe’s literary work as well as his other writings A. Freijs demonstrates that for K. Skalbe religiosity was an essential aspect of the human soul. According to A. Freijs, K. Skalbe’s own religiosity was a dynamic one. Although a believer for all his life K. Skalbe contemplated religiosity as closely intertwined with feelings for nature. A panentheist rather than a pantheist initially, towards the end of his life K. Skalbe came to es pouse theism. K. Skalbe believed in Christ even though his understanding of Christ considerably differed from the one preferred by the church. In K. Skalbe’s interpretation, Christ is a person who is close to every sufferer and helps the fallen souls to rise again.

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