Kierkegaard, Soren (1813-1855)

Kierkegaard, Soren (1813-1855) -- from Wikipedia Article

Soren Kierkegaard -- from The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge

Crowd is Untruth

Description: Kierkegaard originally meant this text to serve as introduction of sorts to his Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits. In it, he entreats his readers to seek God for themselves rather than following the crowd. A person cannot live out the Christian faith by simply going to church, observing Christian holidays, or praising whatever is trendy among the church community. Instead, one must encounter God personally and do whatever God calls one to do, even if doing so seems impolite, ridiculous, or even wicked to everyone else. Although of great interest to theologians and philosophers, this short work remains accessible and relevant to the contemporary lay-reader.

Kathleen O’Bannon
CCEL Staff Writer

Selections from the Writings of Kierkegaard

Description: Soren A. Kierkegaard is arguably one of, if not the most, prominent theological thinkers to come out of Scandinavia. In this collection of some of his most representative works, L.M. Hollander offers the reader access into the brilliant mind of the Danish philosopher and theologian. Hollander argues in his introduction that Kierkegaard’s works place him “in the front rank of prose writers of the nineteenth century where, both by the power of his utterance and the originality of his thought, he rightfully belongs.” While this prose is admittedly not easy reading, the rewards for working through it are immense. Kierkegaard writes with a firm hand of the role of the Church, the demands of an ethical life, and the marvelous paradox of God becoming the lowliest of men.

Laura de Jong
CCEL Staff Writer