Humanist Jesus: The Contrast Between Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Christianity Anonymous 12th Grade

In the late 19th century, Christianity remained deeply rooted in European culture. The desire to spread the teachings of Jesus Christ continued to rise with growing fervor, and the push for missionary services spiked in eastern-European nations (especially in Germany, the home of Friedrich Nietzsche). Yet while the overpowering Christian ideology pervaded, an undertone of Renaissance humanism re-emerged, drawing criticism from the religious parties. Friedrich Nietzsche was the spearhead of the 19th-century humanist movement, coining his famous phrase, “God is dead.” Atheism and humanism were by no means fresh movements in the 19th century, but Nietzsche’s aim was to strengthen and reinvent the ideas, make them accessible to the common man, and portray his disillusionment with Christian theism. Through his writing, he spread the rejection of religion and the focus on the capabilities of mankind. In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche paints the main character, Zarathustra, as Jesus Christ’s humanist counterpart.

Throughout the narration, Nietzsche uses Zarathustra to critique Christianity, imitating the rhetoric of Christ in Zarathustra’s prophetic dialogue. Zarathustra repeatedly disproves of religious people, warning against...