Fear and Trembling

'He who loved himself became great in himself, and he who loved others became great through his devotion, but he who loved God became greater than all' In Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard, writing under the pseudonym Johannes de silentio, expounds his personal view of religion through a discussion of the scene in Genesis in which Abraham prepares to sacrifice his son at God's command. Believing Abraham's unreserved obedience to be the essential leap of faith needed to make a full commitment to his religion, Kierkegaard himself made great sacrifices in order to dedicate his life entirely to his philosophy and to God. The conviction shown in this religious polemic - that a man can have an exceptional mission in life - informed all Kierkegaard's later writings, and was also hugely influential for both Protestant theology and the existentialist movement. Alastair Hannay's introduction elucidates Kierkegaard's philosophy and the ways in which it conflicted with more accepted contemporary views. This edition also includes detailed notes to complement this groundbreaking analysis of religion, and a new chronology.Kierkegaard, Soren is the author of 'Fear and Trembling', published 1986 under ISBN 9780140444490 and ISBN 0140444491.