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Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard
The purpose of this new collection is two fold. First, to make Kierkegaard accessible; second, to present in as concise a way possible his "heart," his core themes, and his passion. Divided into six sections, Provocations contains a little of everything from Kierkegaard's prodigious output, including his famously cantankerous (yet wryly humorous) attacks on what he calls the "mediocre shell" of conventional Christianity, his brilliantly pithy parables, and his incisive attempts to dig through the fluff of theology and clear a way for the basics: decisiveness, obedience,and recognition of the truth.
Arguably the most accessible Kierkegaard volume to be published in decades, Provocations is a must for every serious reader. Indeed, the wealth of sayings and aphorisms collected in one of the sections is reason enough to buy the book.
460 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
204 people are currently reading
1489 people want to read
About the author
Søren Kierkegaard
1,125 books6,399 followersSøren Aabye Kierkegaard was a prolific 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian. Kierkegaard strongly criticised both the Hegelianism of his time and what he saw as the empty formalities of the Church of Denmark. Much of his work deals with religious themes such as faith in God, the institution of the Christian Church, Christian ethics and theology, and the emotions and feelings of individuals when faced with life choices. His early work was written under various pseudonyms who present their own distinctive viewpoints in a complex dialogue.
Kierkegaard left the task of discovering the meaning of his works to the reader, because "the task must be made difficult, for only the difficult inspires the noble-hearted". Scholars have interpreted Kierkegaard variously as an existentialist, neo-orthodoxist, postmodernist, humanist, and individualist.
Crossing the boundaries of philosophy, theology, psychology, and literature, he is an influential figure in contemporary thought.
Kierkegaard left the task of discovering the meaning of his works to the reader, because "the task must be made difficult, for only the difficult inspires the noble-hearted". Scholars have interpreted Kierkegaard variously as an existentialist, neo-orthodoxist, postmodernist, humanist, and individualist.
Crossing the boundaries of philosophy, theology, psychology, and literature, he is an influential figure in contemporary thought.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 15, 2025
Provocations is essentially a Time Capsule of the last ten or so years of one dynamically alienated youngish man’s life, that changed the way modern intellectuals conceive religion.
For they were the last dissenting years in the life of Soren Kierkegaard.
He was during that time frame GALVANIZED into relentless, nonstop action against the soupy mediocrity of the uncommitted - lost in their own creature comforts - Ecclesiastics. He simply told them to practice what they preached…
And he is therefore the father of modern existential dissent. The voice of the New and Clearheaded Thinking: and the icy breath of a 21st century uneasy CONSCIENCE.
A prophet.
Look at us now! While much has changed, much has not. But now we can clearly see the Bad Guys, thanks to him.
Nowhere to run,
Nowhere to hide -
It was all sinking in back in the sixties, the time the mass catalysts for change raged like Martha and the Vandellas. Welcome, folks, to the Age of Anxiety. The New Normal, as we see now.
I wanted to be a part of that big picture in 1967, when - during Spring Break - I listened ardently to Judy Collins sing, and as if in sync with that mood read William Barrett on the early existentialists. The mood of the Edge.
I dumbly thought back then that I had discovered the Archimedian fulcrum for dislodging our false gods from their exalted roosts in that same edginess! Collins, Dylan and Neil Young obviously felt the same way.
Of course, it was not to be...
So now my Better World is simply in Jesus.
Well, where do we go from here?
"Full steam ahead!" Kierkegaard - the coxwain of our leaky rowboat - shouts.
And - you know what? - we have Alfred Tennyson rooting alongside us:
It is not too late to seek a better world -
To strive, to seek, and not to yield.
Never give up, friends:
For while our political leverage changes little -
A Change in our Hearts Changes EVERYTHING.
For they were the last dissenting years in the life of Soren Kierkegaard.
He was during that time frame GALVANIZED into relentless, nonstop action against the soupy mediocrity of the uncommitted - lost in their own creature comforts - Ecclesiastics. He simply told them to practice what they preached…
And he is therefore the father of modern existential dissent. The voice of the New and Clearheaded Thinking: and the icy breath of a 21st century uneasy CONSCIENCE.
A prophet.
Look at us now! While much has changed, much has not. But now we can clearly see the Bad Guys, thanks to him.
Nowhere to run,
Nowhere to hide -
It was all sinking in back in the sixties, the time the mass catalysts for change raged like Martha and the Vandellas. Welcome, folks, to the Age of Anxiety. The New Normal, as we see now.
I wanted to be a part of that big picture in 1967, when - during Spring Break - I listened ardently to Judy Collins sing, and as if in sync with that mood read William Barrett on the early existentialists. The mood of the Edge.
I dumbly thought back then that I had discovered the Archimedian fulcrum for dislodging our false gods from their exalted roosts in that same edginess! Collins, Dylan and Neil Young obviously felt the same way.
Of course, it was not to be...
So now my Better World is simply in Jesus.
Well, where do we go from here?
"Full steam ahead!" Kierkegaard - the coxwain of our leaky rowboat - shouts.
And - you know what? - we have Alfred Tennyson rooting alongside us:
It is not too late to seek a better world -
To strive, to seek, and not to yield.
Never give up, friends:
For while our political leverage changes little -
A Change in our Hearts Changes EVERYTHING.
March 27, 2016
Soren Kierkegaard's radical idea: what would happen if someone were to introduce Christianity to.... Christians?
He doesn't actually state it as such but that is the essential thrust of the writings collected in this volume. His work is an antidote to a factory assembly line version of Christianity; a reminder that spirituality is not outwardly conforming to a certain manner of life (ritual) or inwardly acquiescing to a certain set of intellectual propositions (theology) but is instead a lived out experience (faith).
"There are many people who reach their conclusions about life like schoolboys; they cheat their master by copying the answer out of a book without having worked out the sum for themselves." - Soren Kierkegaard
The title for this collection was very aptly chosen. I have a friend who once shared with me that she takes a certain amount of pleasure in poking egos with a stick. I'm going to commandeer her phrase because it is such a perfect description of what this book does - it pokes the ego with a stick.
“Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are.” - Søren Kierkegaard
Another reviewer stated it far more pithily than me: the purpose is to inform in order to transform.
He doesn't actually state it as such but that is the essential thrust of the writings collected in this volume. His work is an antidote to a factory assembly line version of Christianity; a reminder that spirituality is not outwardly conforming to a certain manner of life (ritual) or inwardly acquiescing to a certain set of intellectual propositions (theology) but is instead a lived out experience (faith).
"There are many people who reach their conclusions about life like schoolboys; they cheat their master by copying the answer out of a book without having worked out the sum for themselves." - Soren Kierkegaard
The title for this collection was very aptly chosen. I have a friend who once shared with me that she takes a certain amount of pleasure in poking egos with a stick. I'm going to commandeer her phrase because it is such a perfect description of what this book does - it pokes the ego with a stick.
“Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are.” - Søren Kierkegaard
Another reviewer stated it far more pithily than me: the purpose is to inform in order to transform.
October 16, 2012
Provocations. Soren Kierkegaard, Charles E. Moore editor
Of all the enlightening ideas I have encountered, a few special items never go far from my mind.
One of them is the position Soren Kierkegaard took in regard to churches. He considered them dangerous, essentially because Christ called people to live in opposition to the ways of the world, which arise out of human nature. But churches long ago became and continue to be collaborators with the world. To survive, they need to compromise with the ways of the world, and that compromise negates the Christian message.
Dostoyevski offered an extreme presentation of the church gone awry in “The Grand Inquisitor”, and close observation of most any contemporary church will offer evidence to back up the Kierkegaard’s position and to justify making Dostoyevski’s vision required reading.
Kierkegaard is about as pure an idealist as I can imagine. He is willing to compromise not a word of Christ’s message. So, regarding Christ’s command to love our neighbor and his use of the parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate that our neighbor is everybody, Kierkegaard insists that the message is: we are commanded to actively love, and to love everyone without distinction.
Provocations is a collection of the heart of Kierkegaard’s work, a most valuable introduction to his brilliance and idealism. The text is, in many cases, edited for clarity, as the originals are often dense and difficult. Though some reviewers object to this editing, I would argue that only the most patient readers can be expected to fully appreciate the more literally translated originals without first being convinced by such an introduction as this one that any amount of patience in reading Kierkegaard will prove to be more than adequately rewarded.
My suggestion to people new to Kierkegaard would be to read Provocations first, then proceed to the originals (I recommend Works of Love) where they will encounter more poetic depth.
Of all the enlightening ideas I have encountered, a few special items never go far from my mind.
One of them is the position Soren Kierkegaard took in regard to churches. He considered them dangerous, essentially because Christ called people to live in opposition to the ways of the world, which arise out of human nature. But churches long ago became and continue to be collaborators with the world. To survive, they need to compromise with the ways of the world, and that compromise negates the Christian message.
Dostoyevski offered an extreme presentation of the church gone awry in “The Grand Inquisitor”, and close observation of most any contemporary church will offer evidence to back up the Kierkegaard’s position and to justify making Dostoyevski’s vision required reading.
Kierkegaard is about as pure an idealist as I can imagine. He is willing to compromise not a word of Christ’s message. So, regarding Christ’s command to love our neighbor and his use of the parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate that our neighbor is everybody, Kierkegaard insists that the message is: we are commanded to actively love, and to love everyone without distinction.
Provocations is a collection of the heart of Kierkegaard’s work, a most valuable introduction to his brilliance and idealism. The text is, in many cases, edited for clarity, as the originals are often dense and difficult. Though some reviewers object to this editing, I would argue that only the most patient readers can be expected to fully appreciate the more literally translated originals without first being convinced by such an introduction as this one that any amount of patience in reading Kierkegaard will prove to be more than adequately rewarded.
My suggestion to people new to Kierkegaard would be to read Provocations first, then proceed to the originals (I recommend Works of Love) where they will encounter more poetic depth.
April 27, 2009
fallen in to the pile of 4star books... i wish they had decimals b/c it's more like 4.8 (i don't like to give 5).
read it slowly in small bits to prevent what he says from becoming bitter aphorisms, and more like sharp shards of truth that need time to sink in. he's like the intense, depressing friend who's hard to take in large doses, but he's that way because he has a very clear look at the world around him. we need people like him.
read it slowly in small bits to prevent what he says from becoming bitter aphorisms, and more like sharp shards of truth that need time to sink in. he's like the intense, depressing friend who's hard to take in large doses, but he's that way because he has a very clear look at the world around him. we need people like him.
March 6, 2017
I've read a few books that I return to more than others because of their content and the pleasure of reading them. This book will be one. Kierkegaard writes as one who holds nothing back, but rather writes as if everything were in his journal. Provocations is convicting and hopeful for the Christian. Read it slowly (as if you had a choice)!
May 27, 2013
Kierkegaard has to be one of the most consistently insightful authors I have ever read. To that end, Provocations is an indispensable collection of his religious writings. His comments are so profound, so searching, so sharp and biting, that it is impossible to read this book as a Christian and not feel at once challenged to admit your own hypocrisy. As you read his critique of Christendom, I guarantee you will find yourself saying, 'Yes, that is me. I am like that.' But its not all negative. He points to the vanity and hypocrisy of Christendom with a view to show what true Christianity is all about. I haven't yet come across anything in Kierkegaard where I've said that he is wrong.
This is perhaps the most thought-provoking book in my library. A must have.
This is perhaps the most thought-provoking book in my library. A must have.
December 1, 2021
In "Provocations", Charles E. Moore compiles, edits, organizes and paraphrases the writings of Søren Kierkegaard in order to show that Kierkegaard had a systematic and organized philosophy of man's existence. In so doing he makes a case for Kierkegaard as one of the great thinkers of our civilisation.
Moore presents the reader with a picture of Kierkegaard that is very clear. Not having read any of the original works by Kierkegaard at this point, I am not able to say if Moore's rendering of Kierkegaard is completely accurate.
After a general introduction, Moore presents the work of Kierkegaard in six chapters.
In his introduction Moore states that Kierkegaard was an existential Christian who held that one should not attempt to follow any Christian doctrine. Rather one has to act as a Christian and to put Christianity into one's existence. Institutionalized religions are impediments to being Christian as they simply peddle morale complacency to make their members feel comfortable. The individual alone is responsible for his or her own actions and no responsibility could be transferred to any group, church, polity or corporate entity. Moore appears to agree with the notion that Kierkegaard was the founder of "Existentialism" as preached by Heidegger and Sartre.
In the second chapter, "To Will One Thing" Moore argues that Kierkegaard regarded cowardice and indecision as the greatest faults. One need to act decisively as a Christian. Life is an "Either/Or" proposition. One must serve God or the World. A mediocre faith is perdition. God does not want his followers to contemplate but to act. One must live in the truth which means suffering.
In the third chapter, "Truth and the Passion of Inwardness", Moore has Kierkegaard reminding us that Christ does not know the truth but is the truth and the way. Jesus is not an object to be studied but a subject to relate to. Christ has no doctrine to be subscribed to. He must be internalized. Scholarly study and theology are simply obstacles to connecting inwardly with God.
The fourth chapter , "The Works of Love", has few surprises. Kierkegaard/Moore again stress that Christian love is about action. The Good Samaritan is a prime example of the individual who loves through actions. Christ lived among us so that he could love actively. True love abides forever.
The fifth chapter, "Anxiety and the Gospel of Suffering", is about despair which Moore and Kierkegaard feel that all humans suffer from. Many are not aware that they despair because they do not perceive themselves as being spirit. Those that realize that they despair are closer to the cure which is to connect inwardly with God who will give them rest.
In the sixth chapter "Christian Collisions" Moore and Kierkegaard argue that the Christian must be militant; that-is-to-say on offensive. To be a good a Christian is to be at war with the world. Scholarship being passive undermines the requirement to act aggressively against evil. Established religion is run by clergy who want to live comfortably and are unwilling to tell their members that they must be offensive or militant. Thus established religion is a major part of what is wrong with Christianity.
The seventh and final chapter "Excerpts and Aphorisms" touches on a myriad of topics and to my mind lacks focus. Moore constantly returns to issues covered in earlier chapters and hammers away constantly at Kierkegaard's disdain for the official Lutheran religion of his country which he felt was focussed on doctrine rather than action.
It is indeed Kierkegaard's perpetual criticism of the nineteenth century Danish Lutheran Church that is the most dislikeable part of Moore's book. In the eyes of Kierkegaard, the Danish Lutheran church preached doctrine rather urging its members to follow Christ. The clergy were most pre-occupied with preserving their positions of financial privilege. They presented Christianity as a set of sweet fairy tales to children and encouraged smugness in adults. Some of this may be true, but Kierkegaard's vehemence as presented by Moore is unsettling.
"Provocations" is a work that is great fun to read and leaves the reader thinking that he or she understands Kierkegaard very well. If nothing else in provides a very solid introduction to a notoriously difficult philosopher.
Moore presents the reader with a picture of Kierkegaard that is very clear. Not having read any of the original works by Kierkegaard at this point, I am not able to say if Moore's rendering of Kierkegaard is completely accurate.
After a general introduction, Moore presents the work of Kierkegaard in six chapters.
In his introduction Moore states that Kierkegaard was an existential Christian who held that one should not attempt to follow any Christian doctrine. Rather one has to act as a Christian and to put Christianity into one's existence. Institutionalized religions are impediments to being Christian as they simply peddle morale complacency to make their members feel comfortable. The individual alone is responsible for his or her own actions and no responsibility could be transferred to any group, church, polity or corporate entity. Moore appears to agree with the notion that Kierkegaard was the founder of "Existentialism" as preached by Heidegger and Sartre.
In the second chapter, "To Will One Thing" Moore argues that Kierkegaard regarded cowardice and indecision as the greatest faults. One need to act decisively as a Christian. Life is an "Either/Or" proposition. One must serve God or the World. A mediocre faith is perdition. God does not want his followers to contemplate but to act. One must live in the truth which means suffering.
In the third chapter, "Truth and the Passion of Inwardness", Moore has Kierkegaard reminding us that Christ does not know the truth but is the truth and the way. Jesus is not an object to be studied but a subject to relate to. Christ has no doctrine to be subscribed to. He must be internalized. Scholarly study and theology are simply obstacles to connecting inwardly with God.
The fourth chapter , "The Works of Love", has few surprises. Kierkegaard/Moore again stress that Christian love is about action. The Good Samaritan is a prime example of the individual who loves through actions. Christ lived among us so that he could love actively. True love abides forever.
The fifth chapter, "Anxiety and the Gospel of Suffering", is about despair which Moore and Kierkegaard feel that all humans suffer from. Many are not aware that they despair because they do not perceive themselves as being spirit. Those that realize that they despair are closer to the cure which is to connect inwardly with God who will give them rest.
In the sixth chapter "Christian Collisions" Moore and Kierkegaard argue that the Christian must be militant; that-is-to-say on offensive. To be a good a Christian is to be at war with the world. Scholarship being passive undermines the requirement to act aggressively against evil. Established religion is run by clergy who want to live comfortably and are unwilling to tell their members that they must be offensive or militant. Thus established religion is a major part of what is wrong with Christianity.
The seventh and final chapter "Excerpts and Aphorisms" touches on a myriad of topics and to my mind lacks focus. Moore constantly returns to issues covered in earlier chapters and hammers away constantly at Kierkegaard's disdain for the official Lutheran religion of his country which he felt was focussed on doctrine rather than action.
It is indeed Kierkegaard's perpetual criticism of the nineteenth century Danish Lutheran Church that is the most dislikeable part of Moore's book. In the eyes of Kierkegaard, the Danish Lutheran church preached doctrine rather urging its members to follow Christ. The clergy were most pre-occupied with preserving their positions of financial privilege. They presented Christianity as a set of sweet fairy tales to children and encouraged smugness in adults. Some of this may be true, but Kierkegaard's vehemence as presented by Moore is unsettling.
"Provocations" is a work that is great fun to read and leaves the reader thinking that he or she understands Kierkegaard very well. If nothing else in provides a very solid introduction to a notoriously difficult philosopher.
June 5, 2013
Provocations is one of the best books I have read on the faith in a long while. It seemed that each chapter brought to light some part of my heart that I was holding in reserve from God. Kierkegaard encourages us to go forth, have faith, dare to follow God--say no to the dumbed down version of Christianity which so many embrace. This book is so full of rich truth.
Some favorite quotes:
"[Jesus did not want to form a party, an interest group, a mass movement, but wanted to be what he was, the truth, which is related to the single individual."
"We could at least be truthful before God and admit our weakness instead of reducing the requirement."
"The consciousness of sin is the very passion of love."
" God's education consists in leading one to being able to do freely what at first one had to be compelled to do."
"When the ocean is exerting all its power that is precisely the time when it cannot reflect the image of heaven and even the slightest motion blurs the image. But when it becomes still and deep, then the image of heaven sinks into it's nothingness."
"To venture the truth is what gives human life and the human situation pith and meaning. To venture is the fountainhead of inspiration. Calculating is the sworn enemy of enthusiasm, the mirage whereby the earthly person drags out time and keeps the eternal away, whereby one cheats God, himself, and his generation."
Some favorite quotes:
"[Jesus did not want to form a party, an interest group, a mass movement, but wanted to be what he was, the truth, which is related to the single individual."
"We could at least be truthful before God and admit our weakness instead of reducing the requirement."
"The consciousness of sin is the very passion of love."
" God's education consists in leading one to being able to do freely what at first one had to be compelled to do."
"When the ocean is exerting all its power that is precisely the time when it cannot reflect the image of heaven and even the slightest motion blurs the image. But when it becomes still and deep, then the image of heaven sinks into it's nothingness."
"To venture the truth is what gives human life and the human situation pith and meaning. To venture is the fountainhead of inspiration. Calculating is the sworn enemy of enthusiasm, the mirage whereby the earthly person drags out time and keeps the eternal away, whereby one cheats God, himself, and his generation."
June 28, 2013
The fork as they called him is a very very deep and complex and extremely precise thinker, besides his spiritual aspects of Christianity that determine almost all his works, obviously this one. This holds a review and compilation of the spiritual aspects in all his work. He is a genius, meaning he is utmost unique, and doesn't think, rather lives his truths, as he said, that is why it is so vital, even on a plain philosophical side. All the aspects of human pathos, emotion, agony, despair, suffering, it is definitely an antidote to misery, and inspiration naturally otherwise. Brilliant. A man who had no theory or doctrine, rather truths and lessons set to him just like weather or relatives or clothes.
July 14, 2016
"The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly.”
“The greatest danger to Christianity is, I contend, not heresies, heterodoxies, not atheists, not profane secularism – no, but the kind of orthodoxy which is cordial drivel, mediocrity served up sweet.”
“The greatest danger to Christianity is, I contend, not heresies, heterodoxies, not atheists, not profane secularism – no, but the kind of orthodoxy which is cordial drivel, mediocrity served up sweet.”
December 22, 2018
This is my first foray into Kierkegaard. His pugilistic style is captivating. His stories and parables not only memorable but clear and concise. And his critique of the church which has transmogrified itself into an institution is as contemporary today as ever. I’m looking forward to reading more.
May 19, 2023
My favorite Kierkegaard reading from my reading group. It's all excerpts, so the chapters are very short. But it sort of has a "Screwtape Letters" feeling to it. Like you can just read a small chapter during a devotion or something and feel like SK wrote it just for you.
October 22, 2020
This is one of the few books to have ever changed my life.
Kierkegaard is brilliant and while his writing can veer between concise and thrilling (Fear and Trembling) versus dense and impenetrable (Works of Love), not in any of his other works have I seen such a balance between the two.
In many ways this book is a great overview and introduction to Kierkegaard. Most of the essays are distilled summaries of arguments from his myriad other works but while not fully realised or expounded upon, the throbbing nucleus of each one spits out blinding light that emanates from the heart of the matter: Kierkegaard's clear and radical grasp of the Christian Gospel.
Kierkegaard's depth of insight, biting wit, and uncompromising faith are on full display as he goes on a tour de force through the topics of love, suffering, faith, and living as a Christian inspite of established Christianity. His writings are underpinned by a humanity and humility that really makes them connect.
I will say, this work is not perfect. Not every essay hits as hard and the first section is unfortunately weaker than some of the later ones, such as 'Christian Collisions'. The book also, at least in my edition, has the last third as merely a collection of quotations on various subjects which can be useful reference for those familiar with Kierkegaard's wider body of work, but will offer little to the uninitiated.
Either way, this is a great intro to the work of a profound philosopher and an enjoyable refresher for those returning.
Kierkegaard is brilliant and while his writing can veer between concise and thrilling (Fear and Trembling) versus dense and impenetrable (Works of Love), not in any of his other works have I seen such a balance between the two.
In many ways this book is a great overview and introduction to Kierkegaard. Most of the essays are distilled summaries of arguments from his myriad other works but while not fully realised or expounded upon, the throbbing nucleus of each one spits out blinding light that emanates from the heart of the matter: Kierkegaard's clear and radical grasp of the Christian Gospel.
Kierkegaard's depth of insight, biting wit, and uncompromising faith are on full display as he goes on a tour de force through the topics of love, suffering, faith, and living as a Christian inspite of established Christianity. His writings are underpinned by a humanity and humility that really makes them connect.
I will say, this work is not perfect. Not every essay hits as hard and the first section is unfortunately weaker than some of the later ones, such as 'Christian Collisions'. The book also, at least in my edition, has the last third as merely a collection of quotations on various subjects which can be useful reference for those familiar with Kierkegaard's wider body of work, but will offer little to the uninitiated.
Either way, this is a great intro to the work of a profound philosopher and an enjoyable refresher for those returning.
March 1, 2014
a heavy dose of introspection for the suffering soul
September 8, 2014
Profound, deep but it's like having appetisers, I'm going after the main meal now.
May 10, 2020
My first time reading Kierkegaard and wow. You can certainly see his biases come through in every page, and he is very much a part of the recent post-enlightenment culture, but he uses the tools of reason, rationalism, individualism to critique the majority Christians, as well as the methods and ideas used at the time, which have happened to unfortunately linger into today's Americanized, capitalist driven, nominal Christian culture of which I'm a part of. For example, Kierkegaard goes head first into battling the idea that any sort of objectivity in the life of faith is superior to the subjective, inward truth. In "Two Ways of Reflection", he states as an example that if one desires objective knowledge of God, they concern themselves with what is reflected upon, "of whether this is the true God. In the way of subjectivity, however, the Individual relates to God in such a way that this relation is in truth a God-relation ... God is a subject to be related to, not an object to be studied or meditated on. He exists only for subjective inwardness." With so many religious people today exclaiming "truths" about God, especially within my own American Protestant tradition, it was really amazing to be able to read Kierkegaards thoughts and analyses on things I feel like I've been drawn toward but not able to really put my finger on. Most of these passages, including the one above, are fundamentally based around the idea that action, risk, passion, and to get there using humility, service, inwardness, and individual relation to the Divine are at the core of what it means to live. This collection of work has forced me to grapple with questions I thought I had a lot more figured than I actually do, like: do I love God? Who is God? What does it look like to live in faith? Am I an advocate for Christ? Which entails being an advocate for truth, justice, and service in humility to others? What is truth? What is true meaning? What can I do about doubt? Or suffering? And so many other things. This is truly a massive work for how short of a book it is and the translations are super approachable. Would recommend any person of faith pick up some Kierkegaard and gain some wisdom from one of the great, and earliest, existentialists.
November 27, 2011
The crowd is the enemy of truth; to know the truth is to live the truth as an individual; the way to salvation is to stand alone before God. In standing alone before God, a person becomes aware of God and then sees himself as he really is: inadequate and helpless to change. Each person should therefore aspire to Christian individuality in "fear and trembling."
Because we are helpless to change, we need God. "To need God is nothing to be ashamed of, but is perfection itself.... A human being is great and at his highest only when before God he recognizes that he is nothing in himself" (ch. 8 -- To Need God is Perfection).
"God," according to Kierkegaard, is "a subject to be related to, not an object to be studied or mediated on. Because God is spirit, he exists only for subjective inwardness... to know God means to resort to God, not by virtue of objective deliberation, but by virtue of the infinite passion of inwardness" (ch. 15 -- Two Ways of Reflection).
Faith isn't something we should try to understand through reason; faith is something we should live through an inward passion. When we try to prove God's existence, we lose sight of him, because it is only through personal, inward transformation that we can ever hope to see God.
We find God by reaching for the highest sphere of existence--the religious sphere. The religious sphere "includes but transcends" the other two spheres: the aesthetic and the ethical.
To be moral, we must aspire to the religious sphere. To do this means to stand alone before God in order to recognize that we are helpless without him in our struggle against the world's will for us. We thus see ourselves as we really are: nothing without God, sinful, inadequate, and helpless to change that without him.
Kierkegaard has been called "incomprehensible" by some, but Provocations, compiled and edited by Charles E. Moore, condenses and clarifies much of his work in such a way that it becomes difficult not to digest. The overarching message becomes clear: to become truly Christian, we must not admire Christ, but we must instead follow Christ. And this is what it means to live the truth as an individual, because Christ himself IS the truth exemplified in an individual human life.
This is an introvert's book.
Because we are helpless to change, we need God. "To need God is nothing to be ashamed of, but is perfection itself.... A human being is great and at his highest only when before God he recognizes that he is nothing in himself" (ch. 8 -- To Need God is Perfection).
"God," according to Kierkegaard, is "a subject to be related to, not an object to be studied or mediated on. Because God is spirit, he exists only for subjective inwardness... to know God means to resort to God, not by virtue of objective deliberation, but by virtue of the infinite passion of inwardness" (ch. 15 -- Two Ways of Reflection).
Faith isn't something we should try to understand through reason; faith is something we should live through an inward passion. When we try to prove God's existence, we lose sight of him, because it is only through personal, inward transformation that we can ever hope to see God.
We find God by reaching for the highest sphere of existence--the religious sphere. The religious sphere "includes but transcends" the other two spheres: the aesthetic and the ethical.
To be moral, we must aspire to the religious sphere. To do this means to stand alone before God in order to recognize that we are helpless without him in our struggle against the world's will for us. We thus see ourselves as we really are: nothing without God, sinful, inadequate, and helpless to change that without him.
Kierkegaard has been called "incomprehensible" by some, but Provocations, compiled and edited by Charles E. Moore, condenses and clarifies much of his work in such a way that it becomes difficult not to digest. The overarching message becomes clear: to become truly Christian, we must not admire Christ, but we must instead follow Christ. And this is what it means to live the truth as an individual, because Christ himself IS the truth exemplified in an individual human life.
This is an introvert's book.
April 27, 2021
Best and worst book I've ever read. Kierkegaard is convicting and challenging and makes you really reevaluate calling yourself a Christian.
January 19, 2015
Easy digestible pieces of Kierkegaard's thoughts on life, God, and human relationships. I really appreciated the short chapters that allowed the reader time to take in the chewier pieces of "meat" that often defines Kierkegaard's lines of thought. I've been quoting him so much lately, especially this section:
"When a believer sins, he or she is still loved by God. God longs for them to know this, and is thus concerned to make them equal to himself. If equality cannot be established, love becomes unhappy and incomplete. The revelation of God's love becomes meaningless, the two cannot understand each other. How then might this relationship be established? [...]
God must become the equal of the lowliest. But the lowliest is one who serves others. God therefore must appear in the form of a servant."
A great gift book, but also one to cherish if you need a challenge to your spiritual life.
"When a believer sins, he or she is still loved by God. God longs for them to know this, and is thus concerned to make them equal to himself. If equality cannot be established, love becomes unhappy and incomplete. The revelation of God's love becomes meaningless, the two cannot understand each other. How then might this relationship be established? [...]
God must become the equal of the lowliest. But the lowliest is one who serves others. God therefore must appear in the form of a servant."
A great gift book, but also one to cherish if you need a challenge to your spiritual life.
May 13, 2018
The world would certainly be a better place if Christians stopped reading their Bibles for a week and instead read this masterpiece. Kierkegaard interprets the Bible on a totally different level, unhinged by any sort of parochialism.
While I'm no Christian, but I must attest that Kierkegaard's work not only justifies what Christianity should be but a religious life should be. He understands the human spirit profoundly and makes compelling arguments in the lines of Faith, Inwardness, Certitude and Love.
Recommended to all those want to give Faith a chance.
While I'm no Christian, but I must attest that Kierkegaard's work not only justifies what Christianity should be but a religious life should be. He understands the human spirit profoundly and makes compelling arguments in the lines of Faith, Inwardness, Certitude and Love.
Recommended to all those want to give Faith a chance.
May 23, 2015
I have read a few books by Kierkegaard, but this book was ble to sum up his thinking in a marvelous way. I totally enjoyed reading this book because the full scoope of Kierkegaard was on display. Anyone wating to become familiar with his thinking will find this book useful. It is a solid book, chock full of interesting passages.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
May 9, 2011
Kierkegaard is like fire, burning, cleansing... making life harder, and better. Someone to go back to again and again and again. This anthology is not bad as an introductory text, though I much prefer reading deep thinkers like K in their full original context... still, the selections are not so small as to be useless.
October 16, 2013
This guy is crazy! So funny.
Can't wait tor ead it!
Can't wait tor ead it!
March 11, 2017
This is a well-worn volume on my shelves. I go back to it from time to time and always gain some new insight or idea from its pages. I grew to love Kierkegaard through this work.
October 14, 2020
I made the mistake of reading the actual text before the introduction... then I found out the editor abridged and "paraphrased" certain parts. Wish I had known! Nonetheless, still a very good read.
January 19, 2020
This is a compilation of excerpts from various writings of Kierkeegaard, arranged under specific thematic headings. Reading this served to be very edifying and convicting. Soren Kierkegaard is considered the father of modern existentialist philosophy (or more specifically Christian Existentialism), and I was able to more thoroughly understand his views through reading this (and to more specifically realize that many - but definitely not all - of his thoughts are simple restatements of New Testament teachings).
I previously assumed that Kierkegaard's existentialism focuses solely on the preeminence of subjective truth to the individual at the expense of objective truth (which when taken absolutely, I don't agree with), but what I found Kierkegaard's writings to mostly emphasize is the importance of both. He affirms that there is an absolute, objective truth that exists with respect to God and all of reality, but that God must be experienced and KNOWN subjectively (that is through a personal, spiritual relationship that informs and impacts our will). It is the difference between understanding the gospel and EXPERIENCING the gospel, and it is this EXPERIENCE that Kierkegaard argues was being ignored by many in the church of his day.
This work covers many themes of which Kierkegaard elegantly and cleverly writes on and details. His writing is sometimes encouraging/uplifting, sometimes cutting/convicting, and sometimes sarcastic/comedic. He writes heavily on such topics as the importance of the individual over the collective, the importance of following Christ and not being merely an "admirer", the extremely high call to which Christ calls his followers (total sacrifice of worldly things and selflessness, to which he admits that he himself fails at), the nature of love and the command to love ones neighbor (he has some particularly beautiful passages on this topic...including many that rival the prose of such authors as C.S. Lewis), the nature of spiritual anxiety/despair, and many other topics.
Some Example Quotes that portray ideas of his "Christian Existentialism":
"We are not saying that to need God is to sink into a dreaming admiration and some visionary contemplation. No. God does not let himself be taken in vain in this way. Just as knowing ourselves in our own nothingness is the condition for knowing God, so knowing God is the condition for the sanctification of a human being by God's assistance and according to his intention. Wherever God is, there he is always creating. He does not want a person to be spiritually soft and to bathe in the contemplation of his glory. He wants to create a new human being. To need God is to become new. And to know God is the crucial thing. Without this knowledge a human being becomes nothing. Without this knowledge, he is scarcely able to grasp that he himself is nothing at all, and even less that to need God is his highest perfection."
"What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know, except in so far as a certain understanding must precede every action. The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wants me to do. The thing is to find a truth that is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die. What would be the use of discovering so-called objective truth, of working through all the systems of philosophy and of being able, if required, to review them all and show up the inconsistencies within each system; what good would it do me to be able to develop a theory of the state and combine all the details into a single whole, and so construct a world in which I did not live, but only held up to the view of others; what good would it do me to be able to explain the meaning of Christianity if it had no deeper significance for me and for my life; what good would it do me if truth stood before me, cold and naked, not caring whether I recognized her or not, and producing in me a shudder of fear rather than trusting devotion?
I certainly do not deny that there is an imperative of understanding, but it must be taken up into my life, and that is what I now recognize as the most important thing. That is what I lack, and that is why I am left standing like a man who has a rented house and gathered all the furniture and household things together, but has not yet found the beloved with whom to share the joys and sorrows of his life."
I previously assumed that Kierkegaard's existentialism focuses solely on the preeminence of subjective truth to the individual at the expense of objective truth (which when taken absolutely, I don't agree with), but what I found Kierkegaard's writings to mostly emphasize is the importance of both. He affirms that there is an absolute, objective truth that exists with respect to God and all of reality, but that God must be experienced and KNOWN subjectively (that is through a personal, spiritual relationship that informs and impacts our will). It is the difference between understanding the gospel and EXPERIENCING the gospel, and it is this EXPERIENCE that Kierkegaard argues was being ignored by many in the church of his day.
This work covers many themes of which Kierkegaard elegantly and cleverly writes on and details. His writing is sometimes encouraging/uplifting, sometimes cutting/convicting, and sometimes sarcastic/comedic. He writes heavily on such topics as the importance of the individual over the collective, the importance of following Christ and not being merely an "admirer", the extremely high call to which Christ calls his followers (total sacrifice of worldly things and selflessness, to which he admits that he himself fails at), the nature of love and the command to love ones neighbor (he has some particularly beautiful passages on this topic...including many that rival the prose of such authors as C.S. Lewis), the nature of spiritual anxiety/despair, and many other topics.
Some Example Quotes that portray ideas of his "Christian Existentialism":
"We are not saying that to need God is to sink into a dreaming admiration and some visionary contemplation. No. God does not let himself be taken in vain in this way. Just as knowing ourselves in our own nothingness is the condition for knowing God, so knowing God is the condition for the sanctification of a human being by God's assistance and according to his intention. Wherever God is, there he is always creating. He does not want a person to be spiritually soft and to bathe in the contemplation of his glory. He wants to create a new human being. To need God is to become new. And to know God is the crucial thing. Without this knowledge a human being becomes nothing. Without this knowledge, he is scarcely able to grasp that he himself is nothing at all, and even less that to need God is his highest perfection."
"What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know, except in so far as a certain understanding must precede every action. The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wants me to do. The thing is to find a truth that is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die. What would be the use of discovering so-called objective truth, of working through all the systems of philosophy and of being able, if required, to review them all and show up the inconsistencies within each system; what good would it do me to be able to develop a theory of the state and combine all the details into a single whole, and so construct a world in which I did not live, but only held up to the view of others; what good would it do me to be able to explain the meaning of Christianity if it had no deeper significance for me and for my life; what good would it do me if truth stood before me, cold and naked, not caring whether I recognized her or not, and producing in me a shudder of fear rather than trusting devotion?
I certainly do not deny that there is an imperative of understanding, but it must be taken up into my life, and that is what I now recognize as the most important thing. That is what I lack, and that is why I am left standing like a man who has a rented house and gathered all the furniture and household things together, but has not yet found the beloved with whom to share the joys and sorrows of his life."
December 7, 2018
This book has been a companion for many years. Every so often I would pick it up off of the shelf and read a few pages, because only a few pages would be enough to fill my feeble mind for the rest of the day or even week. It's a challenging book, not because the concepts are hard to understand, but because they are so hard to follow. The calls to action are not for the faint of heart. The lessons and commentaries he makes of the world, and especially of the state church at the time, feel as though they could be written today and not in the mid 19th century. Regardless of when they were written, they are needed today more than ever as his charges are for true action, not just against evil or sin, but to fight against the ideas cultural Christianity which has conflated the ideas of the world into it's doctrine to make it easier and less obtrusive. At times it reminds me of another challenging book: Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship".
Not knowing much about Kierkegaard or reading any of his works before picking this book up, I was surprised. I knew he was a founding existentialist and so expected his words and ideas to be more metaphysical and theoretical in nature, but I didn't expect the "useful" or practical, no-nonsense approach he takes to the many issues addressed in the book.
It's not an easy, passive read. I scribbled notes in the margins, marked passages in boxes and underlines, and copied quotes into journals that lead to pages of introspective writing long after I put the book down. And, while I don't like to tell people how they should read their books, I will say that this book warrants such attention.
Not knowing much about Kierkegaard or reading any of his works before picking this book up, I was surprised. I knew he was a founding existentialist and so expected his words and ideas to be more metaphysical and theoretical in nature, but I didn't expect the "useful" or practical, no-nonsense approach he takes to the many issues addressed in the book.
It's not an easy, passive read. I scribbled notes in the margins, marked passages in boxes and underlines, and copied quotes into journals that lead to pages of introspective writing long after I put the book down. And, while I don't like to tell people how they should read their books, I will say that this book warrants such attention.
June 24, 2021
My edition of this book features a wonderful woodcarving (etching? scratch oats?) of Kierkegaard. There’s just one problem: it doesn’t look like any of the other pictures I’ve seen of The Melancholy Dane.
This is a fitting analogy for this anthology: it’s well-curated, interesting, and engaging, but in some ways it doesn’t *really* engage with the actual works of Kierkaard. Sure, the words may be directly paraphrased and reflect Kierkegaard’s worldview to some degree, but it’s misleading for anyone to believe that they actually understand this notoriously difficult philosopher just by reading quotes and excepts. And I say this as somehow who has slogged through multiple Kierkegaard books with confidence that I most certainly do NOT understand him.
Still, this is a great starting point for anyone wanting a taste of Kierkegaard’s thoughts and style. I particularly recommend theft first half of the book (paraphrased excerpts).
This is a fitting analogy for this anthology: it’s well-curated, interesting, and engaging, but in some ways it doesn’t *really* engage with the actual works of Kierkaard. Sure, the words may be directly paraphrased and reflect Kierkegaard’s worldview to some degree, but it’s misleading for anyone to believe that they actually understand this notoriously difficult philosopher just by reading quotes and excepts. And I say this as somehow who has slogged through multiple Kierkegaard books with confidence that I most certainly do NOT understand him.
Still, this is a great starting point for anyone wanting a taste of Kierkegaard’s thoughts and style. I particularly recommend theft first half of the book (paraphrased excerpts).
December 31, 2024
This is probably the most profound collection of essays I have ever read, the most provocational Christian book on a practical and psychological level ever, and the most densely packed (and therefore rewarding) with ideas in Christian living that were as yet novel to me. I am deeply grateful to have found this book. To anyone who often feels Christ's teachings aren't taken literally enough, or that their Christian community feels to comfortable, or that they want to really understand what a "personal" relationship with Christ means, you will find a kinship with Kierkegaard. So harsh is he in examining our Christian lives, and yet so comforting in how he points you to the fulness of what your faith has to offer. That maybe your attempts to feel more positive about your faith are for lack of understanding. As someone for whom the standard answers don't always cut it, i treasure this book.
July 6, 2025
This one was only 400 pages with short paragraphs and ideas. However, it took me close to a month to go through it since every time I would read a proposition by Kierkegaard, he would point it straight to my soul asking questions that I never thought were possible to ask and even more, to answer.
The deep, spiritual richness found in this book is so ahead of its time that even today it constitutes an awakening call to the grayness of spirit that modernity creates. It gives you hope, courage and faith. Makes you believe in love, sacrifice and meaning through an enrichment of the soul. The anxiety of possibility is also present, of choice; being in front of everything that you could be, the deciding factor of choosing to live in truth and earnestness or superficiality and emptiness.
The choice is ours.
The deep, spiritual richness found in this book is so ahead of its time that even today it constitutes an awakening call to the grayness of spirit that modernity creates. It gives you hope, courage and faith. Makes you believe in love, sacrifice and meaning through an enrichment of the soul. The anxiety of possibility is also present, of choice; being in front of everything that you could be, the deciding factor of choosing to live in truth and earnestness or superficiality and emptiness.
The choice is ours.
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