Kierkegaard and the Life of Faith: The Aesthetic, the Ethical, and the Religious in Fear and Trembling (Philosophy of Religion)

Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling is one of the most widely read works of Continental philosophy and the philosophy of religion. While several commentaries and critical editions exist, Jeffrey Hanson offers a distinctive approach to this crucial text. Hanson gives equal weight and attention to all three of Kierkegaard's "problems," dealing with Fear and Trembling as part of the entire corpus of Kierkegaard's production and putting all parts into relation with each other. Additionally, he offers a distinctive analysis of the Abraham story and other biblical texts, giving particular attention to questions of poetics, language, and philosophy, especially as each relates to the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious. Presented in a thoughtful, well-informed, and fresh manner, Hanson's claims are original and edifying. This new reading of Kierkegaard will stimulate fruitful dialogue on well-traveled philosophical ground. "A thorough, considered, and provocative treatment of what justifiably remains Kierkegaard's most famous book." — Marginalia Review of Books Soren Kierkegaard's masterful work Fear and Trembling interrogates the story of Abraham and Isaac, finding there one of the most profound and critical dilemmas in all of religious philosophy. While several commentaries and critical editions exist, Jeffrey Hanson offers a distinctive approach to this crucial text. Hanson gives equal weight to all three of Kierkegaard's "problems," dealing with Fear and Trembling as part of the entire corpus of Kierkegaard's thought and putting all parts into relation with each other. Additionally, he offers a distinctive analysis of the Abraham story and other biblical texts, giving particular attention to questions of poetics, language, and philosophy, especially as each relates to the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious. Presented in a thoughtful and fresh manner, Hanson's claims are original and edifying. This new reading of Kierkegaard will stimulate fruitful dialogue on well-traveled philosophical ground. Cover -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1 Titular Matters -- 2 A Philosophical Preface -- 3 A Narrative Approach -- 4 A Rhetorical Rehearsal -- 5 Beginning from the Heart -- 6 Teleological Suspensions -- 7 Absolute Duty -- 8 Silence and Speech -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W