Fear and Trembling

Søren Kierkegaard's profound meditation on faith, Abraham, and the paradox of religious existence—a philosophical and literary masterpiece exploring the story of Abraham and Isaac to reveal the terrifying nature of authentic faith, the teleological suspension of the ethical, and the absolute duty to God that transcends all human understanding, creating one of the most influential works of existentialist philosophy and religious thought.

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), Danish philosopher and theologian often called the father of existentialism, published Fear and Trembling in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio (John of Silence). The book takes as its starting point the biblical story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac at God's command—a story that has troubled believers and philosophers for millennia. Kierkegaard asks: Was Abraham a murderer or a man of faith? How can we understand his willingness to kill his beloved son? What does this reveal about the nature of faith and our relationship to God?

What you'll discover:

• The teleological suspension of the ethical—when faith requires going beyond moral law
• The absolute duty to God that transcends all human relationships and ethical obligations
• The paradox of faith—believing by virtue of the absurd
• The knight of faith vs. the knight of infinite resignation
• Abraham's silence—why he could not explain his actions to anyone
• The anguish and terror of authentic religious existence
• Faith as a passionate, individual relationship with God, not adherence to doctrine
• The difference between tragic heroes and the knight of faith

Kierkegaard argues that Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac represents a teleological suspension of the ethical—faith requires him to suspend the universal moral law ("thou shalt not kill") for an absolute duty to God. This is terrifying because it means faith cannot be justified by ethics, reason, or universal principles. Abraham cannot explain his actions to Sarah, to Isaac, or to anyone—he stands alone before God in absolute silence. Yet this is precisely what makes him a knight of faith: he believes by virtue of the absurd, trusting God even when it makes no rational or moral sense.

What makes this book essential for your contemplative library is its vision of faith as passionate, individual, and paradoxical. Kierkegaard rejects the comfortable Christianity of his time—faith reduced to doctrine, morality, or social convention. True faith, he argues, is terrifying: it requires absolute commitment to God even when God's commands contradict everything we understand as good and right. The knight of faith lives in constant fear and trembling, knowing that faith cannot be secured by reason, ethics, or community but requires a leap into the absurd.

Kierkegaard distinguishes between the knight of infinite resignation and the knight of faith. The knight of resignation gives up what he loves, accepting loss with dignity (like a tragic hero). But the knight of faith goes further: he gives up everything yet simultaneously believes he will receive it back by virtue of the absurd. Abraham raises the knife, fully willing to sacrifice Isaac, yet believes God will somehow restore his son. This double movement—resignation and faith—is the paradox at the heart of religious existence.

The book is written in a literary, almost poetic style, with Kierkegaard circling around Abraham's story from multiple angles, never fully explaining but always deepening the mystery. He writes: "The ethical expression for what Abraham did is that he would murder Isaac; the religious expression is that he would sacrifice Isaac—but precisely in this contradiction lies the anguish that can make a person sleepless." This anguish is the price of authentic faith.

Fear and Trembling has profoundly influenced existentialism, theology, and philosophy of religion. It challenges both rationalist philosophy (which tries to explain faith) and institutional religion (which domesticates faith). Kierkegaard insists that faith is not reasonable, not ethical, not comfortable—it is a passionate, individual relationship with God that requires absolute commitment in the face of the absurd. This vision has shaped thinkers from Heidegger and Sartre to contemporary theologians and philosophers.

The book is short, accessible, and profound—perfect for readers seeking to understand existentialist approaches to faith and the paradoxical nature of religious existence. It complements Dostoevsky's explorations of faith and doubt while providing philosophical depth to questions of belief, commitment, and the relationship between the individual and God.

Perfect for: Readers of existentialist philosophy and theology, students of Kierkegaard and continental philosophy, those grappling with questions of faith and religious existence, readers interested in the Abraham and Isaac story and biblical interpretation, students of philosophy of religion and Christian existentialism, anyone questioning the relationship between faith and ethics, contemplative readers drawn to the paradox and anguish of authentic belief, and seekers interested in what it means to have absolute commitment to God beyond reason and morality.

This unabridged edition presents Kierkegaard's profound meditation on faith—a philosophical and literary masterpiece that remains one of the most influential explorations of religious existence and the terrifying nature of authentic faith.