Selections from the Writings of Kierkegaard

Faith and individual responsibility connect the writings gathered in this selection from Søren Kierkegaard. Translated by L. M. Hollander, the volume brings together Diapsalmata, In Vino Veritas, Fear and Trembling, Preparation for a Christian Life, and The Present Moment. An introductory account traces Kierkegaard's upbringing in Copenhagen, his father's religious influence, and his search for a purpose that could guide his own conduct.

The selections offer philosophical and religious reflection in a strongly personal literary voice. In the passage from Fear and Trembling, the relationship between a hero and the poet who preserves his memory leads into a meditation on Abraham, trust, and devotion to God. For readers approaching Kierkegaard, the collection provides several points of entry into his thought, while the introduction connects his arguments about inward life with the pressures and experiences described in his biography.