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A review by tienno22
Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard
challenging
slow-paced
5.0
This book has challenged me in ways I still can't fully understand. It has challenged my faith, knowledge, perceptions of the world, and understanding of the famous story of Abraham and Isaac. I thought I understood it... until I read Kierkegaard. Please do not tackle this text alone. The concepts are difficult to understand, especially when considering modern thought, and will need some acclimation and pondering.
Fear and Trembling are Kierkegaard's thought processes as he explores and attempts to understand Abraham's radical actions. Most Christians are taught that Abraham was good and obedient to God because he was willing to sacrifice his son, the greatest that he had, to appease God. Kierkegaard believes that there is more to it.
He starts by questioning the story of Abraham and Isaac, adding more perspective than the traditional Bible story. The traditional story is matter-of-fact. Abraham challenges the story by crafting different versions of it that take into account very different realities. He poses the question: Was Abraham really good? How can someone be willing to sacrifice their child and be proclaimed as good? What does that mean for morality? Doesn't that mean that Abraham lacked morals?
Fear and Trembling explores Abraham's faith in relation to a Knight of Faith and a Knight of Infinite Resignation. Both are good, but the epitome is the Knight of Faith. One is unattainable but remains the ideal. This was not something that he gladly did without fear. There is, of course, fear and trembling. Abraham is a man of faith because he believed in the absurd. He was willing to risk everything on the belief, but not the expectation that God would provide. In both readings of the biblical text and Kierkegaard's commentary, Abraham never thought he would lose Isaac. On the strength of the absurd and against all reason, Abraham never thought he would lose Isaac in this world -- even as he was sacrificing him. To Abraham, it wasn't just about salvation in the next life or meeting Isaac in the next life; it was also about the here and now. He believed God would do miracles and hoped to get Isaac back. Yet, at the same time, this requires strength because there is no certainty, no guarantee, no promise. There is no expectation to get Isaac back. But on the miracle of God's glory, he wagers. And he wins.
Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling is an excellent exploration of what it means to be a true person of faith. This exploration and concept continues to haunt me even weeks after reading this. I understand it, but something ineffable about it makes it difficult to articulate. I have much to go to become a person of faith -- something I wouldn't have realized without Kierkegaard's Knight of Faith.
Fear and Trembling are Kierkegaard's thought processes as he explores and attempts to understand Abraham's radical actions. Most Christians are taught that Abraham was good and obedient to God because he was willing to sacrifice his son, the greatest that he had, to appease God. Kierkegaard believes that there is more to it.
He starts by questioning the story of Abraham and Isaac, adding more perspective than the traditional Bible story. The traditional story is matter-of-fact. Abraham challenges the story by crafting different versions of it that take into account very different realities. He poses the question: Was Abraham really good? How can someone be willing to sacrifice their child and be proclaimed as good? What does that mean for morality? Doesn't that mean that Abraham lacked morals?
Fear and Trembling explores Abraham's faith in relation to a Knight of Faith and a Knight of Infinite Resignation. Both are good, but the epitome is the Knight of Faith. One is unattainable but remains the ideal. This was not something that he gladly did without fear. There is, of course, fear and trembling.
Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling is an excellent exploration of what it means to be a true person of faith. This exploration and concept continues to haunt me even weeks after reading this. I understand it, but something ineffable about it makes it difficult to articulate. I have much to go to become a person of faith -- something I wouldn't have realized without Kierkegaard's Knight of Faith.