Fear and Trembling - Søren Kierkegaard

Published by Penguin Books/The Penguin Group: London, England, 2005.
First published as Frygt og Baven in 1843. Translated from Danish by Alistair Hannay, 1985.

If I told you I "got" all of this book, I would be lying. There are definitely aspects that went over my head, even if I thought I got the gist of them.

It is not an easy book.

It is interesting, though.

Which makes sense.

Søren Kierkegaard is a philosopher who fascinates me, because of the way in which he chose to write: under different pen-names that each took a different position on what he was writing. This book, for example, is written under the name 'Johannes de silentio' (John the Silent), and is a meditation on the faith of Abraham, particularly regarding the sacrifice of Isaac.

It is also the only Kierkegaard book I have ever successfully read the whole way through (so far).

I think this is because "John the Silent" is a writer that appeals to me, being interested in what we can learn about in terms of faith from Abraham. As the creation of a philosopher, John the Silent also digs into the morality of the incident, and says some incredibly stretching and challenging things as a result.

Kierkegaard introduces a concept and then runs with it, taking it to its logical conclusion, and sometimes even pushing beyond that point. He states that Abraham challenges him because Abraham isn't just a 'tragic hero' who feels that God requires Isaac to be sacrificed, but is the 'greatest man of faith' because Scripture tells us that he believed that even if he sacrificed Isaac God would give Isaac back - something that Kierkegaard calls believing in "the strength of the absurd." Kierkegaard unpacks this by saying: "But Abraham believed and held firm in the promise. Had Abraham wavered he would have renounced it...He would not have been forgotten, he would have saved many by his example, yet he would not have become the father of faith; for it is great to give up one's desire, but greater to stick to it after having given it up." (page 18)

After wrestling through this idea of believing in the absurd, Kierkegaard goes on to discuss three 'dilemmas' arising from the Isaac incident: do Abraham's actions mean that his ethical obligations (to not sacrifice his son) were 'suspended' by God? Do we have an absolute duty to God no matter what? Was Abraham right to conceal his intentions from those around him? Each of these questions is discussed in its own chapter, with Kierkegaard delving deeply into the philosophy behind such statements.

Again, this is not an easy book, but it is interesting.

Having been preparing a sermon on Abraham and Isaac, I am glad I had the time to revisit this book and blow my mind once again. A lot to digest. 

Not necessarily theology-shaping, but very thought-provoking nonetheless. 

Completed 3 July 2025.

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