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Practice in Christianity
Of the many works he wrote during 1848, his "richest & most fruitful year," Kierkegaard specified "Practice in Christianity" as "the most perfect & truest thing." In his reflections on such topics as Christ's invitation to the burdened, the imitatio Christi, the possibility of offense & the exalted Christ, he takes as his theme the requirement of Christian ideality in the context of divine grace. Addressing clergy & laity alike, Kierkegaard asserts the need for institutional & personal admission of the accommodation of Christianity to the culture & to the individual misuse of grace. As a corrective defense, the book is an attempt to find, ideally, a basis for the established order, which would involve the order's ability to acknowledge the Christian requirement, confess its own distance from it, & resort to grace for support in its continued existence. At the same time the book can be read as the beginning of Kierkegaard's attack on Christendom. Because of the high ideality of the contents & in order to prevent the misunderstanding that he himself represented that ideality, Kierkegaard writes under a new pseudonym, Anti-Climacus.
452 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1850
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About the author
Søren Kierkegaard
1,104 books6,243 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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August 25, 2023
Training in Christianity is a book written by the Danish philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard, which addresses fundamental questions about the nature of faith, the relationship between the individual and God, and the importance of authenticity and passion in life. christian. This book stands out for its innovative and profound ideas about the Christian faith, which can have an important contribution to psychology and mental health.
One of the main contributions of Training in Christianity to psychology is the importance that Kierkegaard attaches to authenticity and sincerity in the experience of the Christian faith. For Kierkegaard, authenticity involves deep introspection and reflection on one's motives, desires, and beliefs. In Training in Christianity, Kierkegaard argues that we can only experience true faith if we are absolutely honest with ourselves and with God, which can have a positive impact on our mental health, particularly our self-esteem and self-confidence.
In fact, authenticity is a fundamental skill in the field of psychology, as it involves recognizing and expressing our emotions and thoughts honestly and without reservation. The skill for authenticity can be particularly important for those who experience strong feelings and intense emotions or who seek to continually improve their self-awareness and psychological well-being.
Another important contribution that Kierkegaard makes to psychology is his emphasis on passion and emotional commitment in the life of faith. For Kierkegaard, faith is not simply an intellectual matter, but involves a deep emotional commitment to God and to others. He holds that true faith implies a complete surrender of the individual, and that only through passion and surrender can we experience divine truth and grace.
The importance of passion in life is a fundamental aspect of psychology. Emotional commitment to our goals and objectives can have a significant impact on our motivation and our ability to face and overcome challenges. In addition, passion and emotional commitment can increase our satisfaction and psychological well-being by fostering a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.
On the other hand, Training in Christianity also highlights the importance of pessimism and resignation in the Christian life. For Kierkegaard, resignation implies an unconditional acceptance of God's will, even when we do not understand it or when it seems unfair or cruel. This resignation can be difficult for many to accept, but it can be crucial for the mental and emotional health of people who seek to develop an attitude of acceptance and resilience in the face of life's difficulties.
Overall, Training in Christianity provides interesting insights into the nature of the Christian faith, authenticity, and emotional commitment. These ideas have an important contribution to psychology, particularly regarding the importance of authenticity and passion in life, acceptance and resignation to reality, and the need to link spirituality and daily life. . In conclusion, Training in Christianity is a fundamental work for those who seek to understand and deepen the experience of the Christian faith, but also for those who seek a deep and meaningful reflection on life and the human being.
One of the main contributions of Training in Christianity to psychology is the importance that Kierkegaard attaches to authenticity and sincerity in the experience of the Christian faith. For Kierkegaard, authenticity involves deep introspection and reflection on one's motives, desires, and beliefs. In Training in Christianity, Kierkegaard argues that we can only experience true faith if we are absolutely honest with ourselves and with God, which can have a positive impact on our mental health, particularly our self-esteem and self-confidence.
In fact, authenticity is a fundamental skill in the field of psychology, as it involves recognizing and expressing our emotions and thoughts honestly and without reservation. The skill for authenticity can be particularly important for those who experience strong feelings and intense emotions or who seek to continually improve their self-awareness and psychological well-being.
Another important contribution that Kierkegaard makes to psychology is his emphasis on passion and emotional commitment in the life of faith. For Kierkegaard, faith is not simply an intellectual matter, but involves a deep emotional commitment to God and to others. He holds that true faith implies a complete surrender of the individual, and that only through passion and surrender can we experience divine truth and grace.
The importance of passion in life is a fundamental aspect of psychology. Emotional commitment to our goals and objectives can have a significant impact on our motivation and our ability to face and overcome challenges. In addition, passion and emotional commitment can increase our satisfaction and psychological well-being by fostering a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.
On the other hand, Training in Christianity also highlights the importance of pessimism and resignation in the Christian life. For Kierkegaard, resignation implies an unconditional acceptance of God's will, even when we do not understand it or when it seems unfair or cruel. This resignation can be difficult for many to accept, but it can be crucial for the mental and emotional health of people who seek to develop an attitude of acceptance and resilience in the face of life's difficulties.
Overall, Training in Christianity provides interesting insights into the nature of the Christian faith, authenticity, and emotional commitment. These ideas have an important contribution to psychology, particularly regarding the importance of authenticity and passion in life, acceptance and resignation to reality, and the need to link spirituality and daily life. . In conclusion, Training in Christianity is a fundamental work for those who seek to understand and deepen the experience of the Christian faith, but also for those who seek a deep and meaningful reflection on life and the human being.
March 22, 2019
I can't really review Kierkegaard because I'm entirely biased. If I had never read his "Either/Or" as a freshman in college this statement may not be true, but it is regardless: I believe almost everything Kierkegaard writes, even before I've read him. It's almost to the point where if you tell me what one of his works is on, I can tell you what I think on the subject and it will be almost exactly what Kierkegaard says. That first reading of him a few years ago forever changed the trajectory of my thought and faith, and now I am almost in-synch with him.
Of course, there's a big difference between conversing with me and conversing with Soren Aabye Kierkegaard. If you are a Christian, he is a must-read. If you are not a Christian but are at all interested in religion, he is a must-read. If you are not even that but at all interested in what the meaning of words like "love" or "freedom" are, he is a must-read. Though his language is sometimes hard to follow, you can quickly get the hang of it. Once you get the hang of the language his arguments and logic are easy to follow and very reasonable. Unlike most philosophers and theologians, he does not simply throw out ideas and barely back himself up with evidence. No, Kierkegaard generally approaches every topic, every argument, from a number of different angles before he comes to a conclusion to ensure that he is being true to life and true to the spirit of the Bible (he does not use the Bible as evidence for anything. Instead he explains the Bible, or simply takes an attitude from the Bible and then doesn't mention it at all).
This book is particularly good for those seeking to understand what "church" means to them. The argument is very unique and for many people will perhaps be shocking.
Of course, there's a big difference between conversing with me and conversing with Soren Aabye Kierkegaard. If you are a Christian, he is a must-read. If you are not a Christian but are at all interested in religion, he is a must-read. If you are not even that but at all interested in what the meaning of words like "love" or "freedom" are, he is a must-read. Though his language is sometimes hard to follow, you can quickly get the hang of it. Once you get the hang of the language his arguments and logic are easy to follow and very reasonable. Unlike most philosophers and theologians, he does not simply throw out ideas and barely back himself up with evidence. No, Kierkegaard generally approaches every topic, every argument, from a number of different angles before he comes to a conclusion to ensure that he is being true to life and true to the spirit of the Bible (he does not use the Bible as evidence for anything. Instead he explains the Bible, or simply takes an attitude from the Bible and then doesn't mention it at all).
This book is particularly good for those seeking to understand what "church" means to them. The argument is very unique and for many people will perhaps be shocking.
February 27, 2016
One of the best writing works by Soren Kierkegaard. I love it to the core. It's so inspirational and so thoughtful that it'll make anyone to percieve the best in Christianity and its deeply ideals to be lived with.
February 10, 2017
A characteristic of paganism, Kierkegaard says, is a god who is immediately recognizable as a god; a god who is exalted and glorified is easy to worship. He accuses (his) modern-day Christendom of offering people a Christ strictly in his ascended and victorious state, and of neglecting Christ in his humiliation and 'voluntary incognito' - i.e., in his human and highly controversial form. He calls on each individual to thoroughly examine himself to make sure he would have been willing to associate with and follow Christ had he been his contemporary, which would have resulted in being despised and stigmatized; a mere admirer, he says, is an insult to Christ - only the follower pays the price of true worship. Kierkegaard doesn't neglect the Christ exalted on high, but reminds us that he came to present his message in a far more humble and polarizing form: by being himself the Truth, he exposed and still exposes all people's hearts by their reaction to him in his humility. Thus Kierkegaard brings a balanced point of view back to the idea of the 'God-man' that I would venture to say still tends to be lacking today in Christendom.
October 27, 2014
Although I gave this book only three stars, there was a lot that was great about this work. Most of Practice in Christianity is centered around the verse from John 12:32: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself." Kierkegaard writes under the name Anti-Climacus although he names himself as the editor. In other words, Kierkgaard agrees 100% with Anti-Climacus, but does not want the reader to get the impression that he is an ideal Christian. Kierkegaard is also trying to learn from Anti-Climacus. The problem in Kierkegaard's Danish State Church (and certainly in our own churches) is that being Christian is like being Danish. It is a label and nothing more. Christianity is preached on Sunday and people attend church every Sunday, but people are more interested in admiring Christ rather than imitating him. Anti-Climacus argues that the problem is that people are no longer contemporaneous with Christ. Following Jesus means accepting the suffering and possibly martyrdom that comes along the way.
“Christ is made into the speculative unity of God and man, or Christ is thrown out altogether and his teaching is taken, or Christ is really made into an idol. Spirit is the denial of direct immediacy. If Christ is true God, then he also must be unrecognizable, attired in unrecognizability, which is the denial of all straightforwardness. Direct recognizability is specifically characteristic of the idol. But this is what people make Christ into, and this is supposed to be earnestness. They take the direct statement and fantastically form a character corresponding to it (preferably sentimental, with the gentle look, the friendly eye, or whatever else such a foolish pastor can hit upon), and then it is directly altogether certain that Christ is God.
What abominable, sentimental frivolity! No, one does not manage to become Christian at such a cheap price! He is the sign of contradiction, and by the direct statement he attaches himself to you only so that you must face the offense of the contradiction, and the thoughts of your heart are disclosed as you choose whether you will believe or not.”
I do feel however that Kierkegaard did not speak enough of Grace. I understand that Grace is often taken in vain but I have always believed that the way to combat a perceived heresy is not to go to the opposite extreme. Sometimes, I got the feeling that discipleship was impossible. The book was also too long in my opinion. He repeated his points over and over again. The book could have been more concise and it still would have packed the same punch.
All in all, I am glad to have reread this book. While it is flawed and not his best work (I prefer Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing and Judge For Yourselves/For Self Examination), there is much in Practice in Christianity that a Christian needs to hear.
“Christ is made into the speculative unity of God and man, or Christ is thrown out altogether and his teaching is taken, or Christ is really made into an idol. Spirit is the denial of direct immediacy. If Christ is true God, then he also must be unrecognizable, attired in unrecognizability, which is the denial of all straightforwardness. Direct recognizability is specifically characteristic of the idol. But this is what people make Christ into, and this is supposed to be earnestness. They take the direct statement and fantastically form a character corresponding to it (preferably sentimental, with the gentle look, the friendly eye, or whatever else such a foolish pastor can hit upon), and then it is directly altogether certain that Christ is God.
What abominable, sentimental frivolity! No, one does not manage to become Christian at such a cheap price! He is the sign of contradiction, and by the direct statement he attaches himself to you only so that you must face the offense of the contradiction, and the thoughts of your heart are disclosed as you choose whether you will believe or not.”
I do feel however that Kierkegaard did not speak enough of Grace. I understand that Grace is often taken in vain but I have always believed that the way to combat a perceived heresy is not to go to the opposite extreme. Sometimes, I got the feeling that discipleship was impossible. The book was also too long in my opinion. He repeated his points over and over again. The book could have been more concise and it still would have packed the same punch.
All in all, I am glad to have reread this book. While it is flawed and not his best work (I prefer Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing and Judge For Yourselves/For Self Examination), there is much in Practice in Christianity that a Christian needs to hear.
October 20, 2024
“Signore Gesù, ci sia concesso di diventare Tuoi contemporanei, vederTi come e dove realmente passasti sulla terra e non nella deformazione di un ricordo vuoto […] nutrito dalle ciance della storia. VederTi qual sei, fosti e sarai fino al Tuo ritorno in gloria, segno di scandalo e oggetto di fede, uomo umile oppure salvatore dell’umanità, venuto sulla terra per amore a cercarvi gli smarriti, a soffrire a e morire, eppure ansioso, - ahimè - a ogni passo e ogni volta che chiamavi uno smarrito, a ogni gesto della mano levata a far segni e miracoli, e ogni volta che senza levarla pativi indifeso l’ostilità degli uomini, ansioso di ripetere sempre: “Beato colui che non si sarà scandalizzato in me!”. Concedi a noi di vederTi così e di non scandalizzarci di Te”.
Libro bellissimo, che non si pone affatto come scopo quello di convertire al cristianesimo, anzi! Leggendo questo testo, la maggior parte di coloro che si dichiarano cristiani dovrebbero solamente apostatare; chi, invece, si professa un senzadio avrà una conferma, pressoché inconfutabile, di esserlo effettivamente - o di essere, in questa sua miscredenza, un perfetto credente e devoto.
Libro bellissimo, che non si pone affatto come scopo quello di convertire al cristianesimo, anzi! Leggendo questo testo, la maggior parte di coloro che si dichiarano cristiani dovrebbero solamente apostatare; chi, invece, si professa un senzadio avrà una conferma, pressoché inconfutabile, di esserlo effettivamente - o di essere, in questa sua miscredenza, un perfetto credente e devoto.
March 8, 2015
This was my first foray into Kierkegaard and I must say, despite the difficult passages, I found many fresh insights that challenged me theologically and practically. The book is a strong reaction against the "established church" and how it is devoid of the suffering/incarnational components of Christian life. Soren critiques out tendency to promote becoming an admirer of Christ as opposed to an imitator.
It is too daunting to summarize this work here, but one of my favorite thoughts is the author's challenge tat when Christ bid us to come follow Him He did so from His "abasement" and not His glorification. Too often we skip past this and bask in the glory of the risen Lord (which is great and necessary), which can lead to a shallow life devoid of the sacrificial love and humility that provides the best argument for the way of Jesus.
The problem, however, is Kierkegaard tends to overstate a few things (like how no one has contributed anything to Christianity for 1800 years) and he is very repetitive.
Good read.
It is too daunting to summarize this work here, but one of my favorite thoughts is the author's challenge tat when Christ bid us to come follow Him He did so from His "abasement" and not His glorification. Too often we skip past this and bask in the glory of the risen Lord (which is great and necessary), which can lead to a shallow life devoid of the sacrificial love and humility that provides the best argument for the way of Jesus.
The problem, however, is Kierkegaard tends to overstate a few things (like how no one has contributed anything to Christianity for 1800 years) and he is very repetitive.
Good read.
November 5, 2023
Kierkegaard has the uncanny ability to haunt you well after you finish reading his books, and when he is dissecting scripture he is in even more familiar territory to set up his traps, forcing you to remember him when you're approaching the passages that so strongly shaped his peculiar philosophy. Or perhaps you could argue that he shaped the passages to his theology, either way its hard to forget his exegesis when you come across those same passages.
His perhaps neurotic but certainly humbling focus on the contemperaity of Jesus, with the resultant focus on a man who is only viewed as a man and yet more than a man, the stumbling block and stone of offense not just for the Jews and Greeks but for every man and woman who would claim christianity as their faith, was a determinative call to action, despite the fact that Christ is with us now, as king and ruler of the world no less than the humble servant of it, these two not being mutually exclusive.
For me it reminded me that the disclosure of Christ on this earth during his ministry is the pattern we are all to follow, the perfect image of the invisible God, not what I want him to look like, the aesthetic Jesus of my own desires, but the humbled and humiliating Jesus of the Gospel.
His perhaps neurotic but certainly humbling focus on the contemperaity of Jesus, with the resultant focus on a man who is only viewed as a man and yet more than a man, the stumbling block and stone of offense not just for the Jews and Greeks but for every man and woman who would claim christianity as their faith, was a determinative call to action, despite the fact that Christ is with us now, as king and ruler of the world no less than the humble servant of it, these two not being mutually exclusive.
For me it reminded me that the disclosure of Christ on this earth during his ministry is the pattern we are all to follow, the perfect image of the invisible God, not what I want him to look like, the aesthetic Jesus of my own desires, but the humbled and humiliating Jesus of the Gospel.
November 29, 2024
I confess I don't find all of this book to be brilliant - in fact it is sometimes tedious. But when Kierkegaard is brilliant, it is almost overwhelming. The sections on Christ as lived truth and the militant church alone make this a classic work.
November 16, 2021
Lost this for a few months so never finished it 🥺 Left it at someone’s house so was finally able to finish. I am biased in my love of Kierkegaard, but this is a great book that I can’t recommend enough.
October 15, 2020
The first Kierkegaard I've read and a good one to start on. After seeing several authors I love regularly cite his works and reading up on Christian existentialism, I figured I would enjoy his works. Kierkegaard described this book (also known as "Practice in Christianity") as his "most perfect and truest book."
It is split into three parts -- each of which could serve as its own work. In part 1, Kierkegaard provides philosophical insight to Jesus's words to "come hither unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest." He focuses on putting this statement into context by explaining what this statement means coming from the God man who himself leaves his place on high to suffer on Earth. Kierkegaard believes to hither with Christ is to embrace a form of righteous suffering that the bulk of the church in his era (and the modern church) refuses to embrace. This candid acceptance of humility and consciousness of sin, he argues, is to be contemporaneous with Christ and enter Christianity through the narrow way.
Part 2 covers the necessity of the offense of Christianity. Kierkegaard believes that practicing Christianity should not be profitable from an Earthly, material sense. If Christianity is to live a Christ-like life, it includes suffering and embracing the absurd, anti-establishment outlook that Jesus had. He cites (still relevant) examples of the church calling righteous endeavors silly as being evidence of the offense Christians out to embrace. "That the heathen thought to do God a service by killing an Apostle is not so crazy as that 'true Christians' are persecuted in 'Christendom,' and that thus 'the Christians' think that thereby they do service to God." Christians are out of touch with themselves and the radical nature of Christ by getting caught up in the established system. Christ's teachings aren't to be the direct subject of teaching but rather indirect messages to inspire reflection and action towards a radical life of faith and love.
The final part digs into Christ's commitment to draw all unto himself on high. Kierkegaard does not believe we are to meet Christ directly on high, rather mimic Christ's ascension to high through lowliness and inwardness on Earth. Christ draws us to be more inward and reflective which leads us to experience acceptance from God (thus, in the end, being drawn to Christ on high). Again, Kierkegaard is hypercritical of what he calls established "Christendom." "Christ never desired to conquer in this world; He came to the world to suffer, that is what He called conquering." He then goes deeper and contrasts what it means to admire Christ vs. follow Christ which he believes Christ has called us to. In admiring Christ, Christians get caught up in spiritual loftiness but overlook, perhaps, Earthly lowliness. To truly admire Christ is to mimic him -- to follow his example of life. This is the profound difference between authentic Christianity and cultural, luke-warm Christendom to Kierkegaard.
If I haven't made it obvious enough, this book was a lot. I read and reread slowly and still surely have not processed the depth of the messages Kierkegaard presented. I anticipate coming back to this one down the road or engaging with more of Kierkegaard's literature. Some of his takes are a bit too abstract, philosophical, or targeted for me, but I am certain that he is addressing many of the questions still unanswered and ignored by the mainstream church today. Training in Christianity is an excellent, dense, and convicting read.
It is split into three parts -- each of which could serve as its own work. In part 1, Kierkegaard provides philosophical insight to Jesus's words to "come hither unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest." He focuses on putting this statement into context by explaining what this statement means coming from the God man who himself leaves his place on high to suffer on Earth. Kierkegaard believes to hither with Christ is to embrace a form of righteous suffering that the bulk of the church in his era (and the modern church) refuses to embrace. This candid acceptance of humility and consciousness of sin, he argues, is to be contemporaneous with Christ and enter Christianity through the narrow way.
Part 2 covers the necessity of the offense of Christianity. Kierkegaard believes that practicing Christianity should not be profitable from an Earthly, material sense. If Christianity is to live a Christ-like life, it includes suffering and embracing the absurd, anti-establishment outlook that Jesus had. He cites (still relevant) examples of the church calling righteous endeavors silly as being evidence of the offense Christians out to embrace. "That the heathen thought to do God a service by killing an Apostle is not so crazy as that 'true Christians' are persecuted in 'Christendom,' and that thus 'the Christians' think that thereby they do service to God." Christians are out of touch with themselves and the radical nature of Christ by getting caught up in the established system. Christ's teachings aren't to be the direct subject of teaching but rather indirect messages to inspire reflection and action towards a radical life of faith and love.
The final part digs into Christ's commitment to draw all unto himself on high. Kierkegaard does not believe we are to meet Christ directly on high, rather mimic Christ's ascension to high through lowliness and inwardness on Earth. Christ draws us to be more inward and reflective which leads us to experience acceptance from God (thus, in the end, being drawn to Christ on high). Again, Kierkegaard is hypercritical of what he calls established "Christendom." "Christ never desired to conquer in this world; He came to the world to suffer, that is what He called conquering." He then goes deeper and contrasts what it means to admire Christ vs. follow Christ which he believes Christ has called us to. In admiring Christ, Christians get caught up in spiritual loftiness but overlook, perhaps, Earthly lowliness. To truly admire Christ is to mimic him -- to follow his example of life. This is the profound difference between authentic Christianity and cultural, luke-warm Christendom to Kierkegaard.
If I haven't made it obvious enough, this book was a lot. I read and reread slowly and still surely have not processed the depth of the messages Kierkegaard presented. I anticipate coming back to this one down the road or engaging with more of Kierkegaard's literature. Some of his takes are a bit too abstract, philosophical, or targeted for me, but I am certain that he is addressing many of the questions still unanswered and ignored by the mainstream church today. Training in Christianity is an excellent, dense, and convicting read.
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June 25, 2025Kierkegaard attacks the 19th century Danish church, where being a “Christian” had become more of a label instead of a life-transforming faith. He emphasizes the need for deep inwardness and faith that is genuinely lived out, not a cultural Christianity where one is saved by virtue of works/correct theology/baptism/church membership, etc. It’s a good thing that’s not a problem in the Western world anymo—OH SHOOT
June 5, 2012
This was a difficult read for me, simply because of his complex syntax and long sentences. I found plenty of gems of wisdom and a vocabulary through which I can discuss topics mentioned in the book with others, but there were plenty of sections which weighed down so heavily that it was hard to get through. I found it a little comforting when I had reached the end of some 4 or 5 extremely boring pages to see a footnote from the translator basically admitting to how dull a read these last 4 or 5 pages have been. But still, I wasn't strongly moved by anything mentioned in here. Perhaps one or two quotes were actually worth keeping in mind in the future.
July 20, 2014
Perhaps the most important book I have read on Christianity to date. Kierkegaard's perspective, although 150 years passed, couldn't be more relevant to the current struggle of essential Christianity within the modern context of established, evangelical Christendom. A must read for anyone who desires a more "true" faith.
August 7, 2023
My son's fascination with K. started me reading him. This book is excellent. I'm not surprised that the Presbyterian Francis Shaeffer would get him wrong.
January 25, 2023
Typical of Kierkegaard, there were some good points mixed up with some bad ones, along with some interesting reflections on some Scriptural passages. He’s quite good at calling out fake Christians who turn Christ into merely a man who everyone can easily follow (like any great leader) and hence call themselves a Christian, but rather as the “object of faith” and the “cause of offense”. If you remove the difficult parts of Christianity and make it so exceedingly easy and accommodating that literally everyone identifies as Christian, then you pacify the religion and turn it into a lukewarm, banal social club and cultural institution: "...the possibility of offence at Christ qua God-Man will last to the end of time. If you take away possibility of this offence, it means that you also take Christ away, that you have made Him something different from what He was, the sign of offence and the object of faith.”
SK is quite wrong in his critique of “deifying the established order” leading to the secularization of everything. However, I think his critique of Christendom is derived mainly from his negative view of the Church of Denmark (and Bishop Mynster) which he repeated criticized for many reasons including deifying the established order and traditions, and for subverting the true value of religious customs. These critiques are better directed purely at state churches (i.e. Church of Denmark) which are the most guilty as they follow their own traditions not for the ultimate aim of Christ, but for the sake of traditions: “So holy in fact had the Pharisees and the scribes become, and so holy do men always become when you deify the established order, that their divine worship is a way of making a fool of God. Under the pretense of serving and worshipping, they serve and worship their own device, either in self-complacent joy at being themselves the inventors, or through fear of men...he who disparages such an established order is regarded as one who makes himself more than man, and people are offended in him, although in reality he merely makes God God and man man.”
SK is quite wrong in his critique of “deifying the established order” leading to the secularization of everything. However, I think his critique of Christendom is derived mainly from his negative view of the Church of Denmark (and Bishop Mynster) which he repeated criticized for many reasons including deifying the established order and traditions, and for subverting the true value of religious customs. These critiques are better directed purely at state churches (i.e. Church of Denmark) which are the most guilty as they follow their own traditions not for the ultimate aim of Christ, but for the sake of traditions: “So holy in fact had the Pharisees and the scribes become, and so holy do men always become when you deify the established order, that their divine worship is a way of making a fool of God. Under the pretense of serving and worshipping, they serve and worship their own device, either in self-complacent joy at being themselves the inventors, or through fear of men...he who disparages such an established order is regarded as one who makes himself more than man, and people are offended in him, although in reality he merely makes God God and man man.”
June 30, 2021
Most of the first third of this book is an amazing call to Jesus. It's a long sermon that makes you want to run down and be baptized in the river. It really shows K's background in Pietism (Northern Europe's equivalent to America's "2nd Great Awakening"). That movement was a response to the 1800s hunger for a personal and emotional connection to the savior - and K's writing reaches out to that hunger with promises of fulfillment.
Unfortunately, criticism of the established church and further discussion about conversion make up most of the last two thirds of the book - and these seem to come from the very limited perspective of a man raised with a lot of privilege. He's a good preacher, but he's just not empathetic enough (or experienced in the world enough) for pastoral care. And though the poetry of his words can sway, I just don't think he has the depth of thought that's needed for good theology.
Unfortunately, criticism of the established church and further discussion about conversion make up most of the last two thirds of the book - and these seem to come from the very limited perspective of a man raised with a lot of privilege. He's a good preacher, but he's just not empathetic enough (or experienced in the world enough) for pastoral care. And though the poetry of his words can sway, I just don't think he has the depth of thought that's needed for good theology.
May 18, 2020
How you rate a book by SK ultimately depends on familiarity with the exceedingly extensive and varied corpus of his writings -- published and unpublished. Whatever is attributed to SK, he was fundamentally a Christian thinker seeking to expound the fundamental importance (to individual existence) of a relationship in FAITH to the GOD-MAN PARADOX, the ULTIMATE, JESUS CHRIST.
This book comes late in his authorship and is one of most direct expositions of his Christian conviction.
To a reader unfamiliar with SK, be prepared to "fight through" stilted (and perhaps infelicitous) Danish to English translations coupled with SK's own prolix and intricate style.
This book comes late in his authorship and is one of most direct expositions of his Christian conviction.
To a reader unfamiliar with SK, be prepared to "fight through" stilted (and perhaps infelicitous) Danish to English translations coupled with SK's own prolix and intricate style.
December 30, 2024
Kierkegaard approaches passages from Scripture by taking them at face value and stripping away qualifications placed on the passages by his contemporary church. This project goes with his larger project of re-introducing self-proclaimed Christians to the faith which they claim. Even when I disagree with his conclusions, I value his approach.
This work is also the first place I have seen him speak in length about the church. This is helpful for understanding his polemic against Danish Christendom.
This work is also the first place I have seen him speak in length about the church. This is helpful for understanding his polemic against Danish Christendom.
December 1, 2017
Certainly not my favorite of Kierkegaard's works. Here the writings center once again around the fallen nature of the Danish Church in Kierkegaard's time. He believed that the people's admiration of Christ was an affront to God, for he asked to be followed, to be imitated. One must attempt to lived the worldly abased life like that of Christ, following the Imitatio Christi. While not as great as, say, The Sickness Unto Death, or Fear and Trembling, it is still distinctly Kierkegaard.
September 6, 2025
“Soon it will have gone so far that even though sermons are often enough preached about or rather, ‘observations’ are made about what it means to follow Christ, what it is to be a follower of Christ etc., this talk still produces, if it evokes any effect at all, only this, that it strengthens admirers in admiring Christianity, and once in a while it wins a new admirer. But in the strictest sense the admirer is indeed not the true Christian; only the imitator is that.”
May 9, 2018
Much like The Sickness unto Death, Practice in Christianity is a fine text that scrutinises but also attempts to understand the ever pushing requirement to imitate the perfect, for religious people. He provides valuable insight into the notion of that who has faith, particularly this notion of a 'leap'.
September 20, 2017
A difficult read. It helps to have someone to discuss it with. I most appreciated the section on followers versus admirers as it reflects on Jesus, the God-Man.
December 28, 2023
Read in Dutch, though very insightful book!
August 14, 2025
It took me awhile to get into this, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. The discussion on being an admirer versus follower and of the truth of the way versus truth as knowledge was particularly insightful.
June 10, 2013
This is one of two books SK published under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus, intended as a Christian counterpoint to one of his other pseudonyms, Johannes Climacus. Kierkegaard himself ranked his place a little higher than the latter, but not as high as the former. That is, he allows Anti-Climacus to speak to matters in a way that would have seems presumptuous or embarrassing to he, Kierkegaard. In point of fact no one in 1848 Copenhagen had any doubt about who the agent that put pen to paper in these works really was, but SK himself would insist that the pseudonyms, though his creation, are in fact the actual authors of the books that bear their name. In my opinion, this book, intended as a sequel to the much shorter (and much more interesting) Sickness Unto Death is more of a sermon or series of sermons than a philosophical treatise. I am not a believer, so perhaps it is inevitable that I would find myself a little put off by the book, but I have read Kierkegaard with enjoyment and fascination since my first encounter with his writings in 1982, and devoted fully a third of my doctoral dissertation to his thought. I do not regard this as one of his best books, but I do regard it as a fully developed statement of his contempt for the pretentiousness and complacency of Danish Christendom, of his own passionate interest in and uncertainty about what it means to be a true Christian, and a pious declaration of love and devotion to his savior. I would recommend a different volume above this, a series of his "Edifying Discourses" (rendered more literally as "Upbuilding" in the Hongs' translation of the 18 SK published simultaneously with his pseudonymous output). As always in this volume the Hong and Hong translation is a labor of love and thoroughness, with lots of notes and inclusion of many references to drafts and to Kierkegaard's voluminous journals.
May 12, 2009
My favorite work by Kierkegaard (that I've read so far). A challenging book in the best sense, though also one of his most readable. It carries you along in a deep dive into what Christ is all about. Along the way Kierkegaard dismantles popular notions (at least popular in the 19th century Denmark, but generally still very relevant today) of Christ. As with other Kierkegaard works like "Fear and Trembling", the emphasis is on the individual taking seriously his/her life and their relationship to God (as you would expect from the father of existentialism). Kierkegaard's main task is to, in a sense, remove many of the religious paradigms that enshroud Christ in our minds and distances us from just how singular He is.
Highly recommended, especially for Christians - however non-Christians will benefit from reading an in-depth look at what makes Christ such a radical figure (radical in every sense) with almost no reference to dogma except occasionally to dismantle it when Kierkegaard finds it suspect.
Highly recommended, especially for Christians - however non-Christians will benefit from reading an in-depth look at what makes Christ such a radical figure (radical in every sense) with almost no reference to dogma except occasionally to dismantle it when Kierkegaard finds it suspect.
January 25, 2017
I love saying the author's name. I don't love reading his books. It is probably the language of a mid 19th century Danish author but as I read it I felt like I was back in my Religion 101 class in undergrad. Slow, dull, boring and a fight to get through. Books shouldn't be that way. His ideas may be great but the presentation was lacking. I know the response will be "How dare you? Kierkegaard is a genius." And I agree he might be but books should be pleasurable to read, not a battle.
December 13, 2010
What it means to be a Christian and how Christianity is a being in the world. For Kirekegaard Christianity was not a subject of debate one either was or was not faith is not a thing to be considered only its practice can be considered and debated and this is what his entire works are about. Read one read the rest and you will never need to read anything else.
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