The Oxford Handbook of Kierkegaard

by John Lippitt (Editor), George Pattison

The Oxford Handbook of Kierkegaard brings together some of the most distinguished contemporary contributors to Kierkegaard research together with some of the more gifted younger commentators on Kierkegaard's work. There is significant input from scholars based in Copenhagen's Soren Kierkegaard Research Centre, as well as from philosophers and theologians from Britain, Germany, and the United States. Part 1 presents some of the philological, historical and contextual work that has been produced in recent years, establishing a firm basis for the more interpretative essays found in following parts. This includes looking at the history of his published and unpublished works, his cultural and social context, and his relation to Romanticism, German Idealism, the Church, the Bible, and theological traditions. Part 2 moves from context and background to the exposition of some of the key ideas and issues in Kierkegaard's writings. Attention is paid to his style, his treatment of ethics,
culture, society, the self, time, theology, love, irony, and death. Part 3 looks at the impact of Kierkegaard's thought and at how it continues to influence philosophy, theology, and literature. After an examination of issues around translating Kierkegaard, this section includes comparisons with Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Wittgenstein, as well as examining his role in modern theology, moral theology, phenomenology, postmodernism, and literature.

Genres: Philosophy

640 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2013

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Oxford Handbook of Kierkegaard has been a both a joy and a profound challenge to dive into. Upon opening such a thick, heavy volume, one has the feeling of standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon and looking out, or at the foot of Mount Everest and looking up. This particular edition of the massive “Oxford Handbook of…” collection is wide in its breadth and ambitious in its reach. With over 30 contributors, this book represents some of the most impressive and innovative modern research on Søren Kierkegaard one can find.

The book consists of three parts. The first part, “Contexts and Sources” focuses on precisely what the title implies, Kierkegaard’s context and what “laid the foundation” for his work. The chapters that interested me the most in this part were “Kierkegaard and Copenhagen” and “Kierkegaard and the Bible”. The next part focuses on a number of major topics of authorship in Kierkegaard’s works. Here I thoroughly enjoyed M. Jamie Ferreira’s essay on Kierkegaard’s work on the topic of love. Ferreira lays out Kierkegaard’s foundational belief about love, that it is “derived from the most general commitment underlying all his writing about love – namely, that God is love.” (p. 329) Ferreira also spends a good amount of time explaining Kierkegaard’s paradoxical belief that love is both a gift we have received from God, and simultaneously a debt we owe to our neighbors. Though, not a debt one should ever wish to “get out of”, but rather something one should desire to remain in forever.

Finally, the last part focuses on the continued impact Kierkegaard’s work has had and is having in the areas of modern philosophy and literature. Here the editors have included some work on the challenges of translating Kierkegaard, as well as some essays on Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Heidegger, as well as Kierkegaard and Postmodernism.

I’m a novice when it comes to Kierkegaard and his work. I’ve spent relatively little time reading him. This has proven to be somewhat of a blessing and a curse while reading the Oxford Handbook on him. On the one hand, these essays have given me valuable insight into Kierkegaard’s work and have been a great introduction to his corpus. On the other hand, it is clear that a more thorough knowledge of his authorship would greatly enhance my experience. Nonetheless, I have benefited from reading this scholarship on his work. I am myself a theology student still early on in my undergraduate degree here in Copenhagen, Denmark, and I am sure that this handbook with be valuable to me in the years to come as I study the very faith Kierkegaard held to in the very city that served as the backdrop for his life and works.

Many could do with some fresh knowledge on the philosopher, theologian, essayist, social commentator and state-church-critic that has had such a profound and lasting impact in so many areas of study. Kierkegaard is one of very few Danish names that have remained well known internationally throughout the decades, a fact that testifies to the importance of his work. For anyone working in any area his work has touched, and even for the interested layman, this book is highly recommended.

Copenhagen-based buyers would do well to visit Bethesdas Bookshop on Rømersgade 17, where the book can be purchased for 300 kr.