What Makes a Christian Life Alive? On Call and Creation in N.F.S. Grundtvig and Jean‐Louis Chrétien

ABSTRACT According to 19th‐century Danish theologian and poet N.F.S. Grundtvig, Christianity truly comes alive when it is freely expressed in the congregation through confession of faith, preaching, song, and praise. This article presents a contemporary systematic reading of Grundtvig's important essay, The Christian Signs of Life , alongside his hymn There Sat a Fisherman Deep in Thought , which depicts the conversion of Simon. It is argued that Grundtvig's hymn may be taken to show not only what it means to be called to a Christian life, but also the necessity of contemplation, as well as the movement from contemplation to action. To further elaborate on Grundtvig's insights, the article draws upon 20th‐century philosopher Jean‐Louis Chrétien's work concerning the call and the response. By reading Chrétien alongside Grundtvig's hymn Creation , it is shown how being called may be understood as a foundational moment not only in discipleship, but in Creation as such.