This article is a brief commentary on Donald Turner and Ford Turrell’s “The Non-Existent God: Transcendence, Humanity, and
Ethics in Emmanuel Levinas.” While I agree with Turner and Turrell’s general presentation of Levinas’s existential conception
of God and ethics, I reflect primarily on the reference the authors make to Kierkegaard as an existentialist forefather of
Levinas. I show certain basic similarities between Levinas and Kierkegaard as existentialist thinkers, but also note their
differences, also taking into consideration the influence of Hegel. This paper was delivered in the APA Pacific 2007 Mini-Conference
on Models of God.
Keywords Turrell - Turner - Levinas - Kierkegaard - Hegel - Philosophy of religion - God - Ethics - Existentialism - Phenomenology - Abraham - Isaac - Dialectical mediation - Faith - Leap of faith