#56: Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard

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100 books, book review, books, Kierkegaard, philosophy, religion

After thirteen laborious days, I can finally cross another book off of my list.  Soren Kierkegaard is one of those writers whom I have always intended to read at some point, but had never quite managed to tackle.  Thanks to a fortuitous find at the Half Price Books Labor Day sale, that has changed.  Fear and Trembling is Kierkegaard’s consideration of the story of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac.  Despite its small size (only 150 pages), this book requires a tremendous amount of concentration and mental effort.  That effort was definitely well worth it. 

Fear and Trembling is divided into several sections.  The first is a preface from Kierkegaard’s pseudonym, Johannes de silentio.  This is followed by an exordium and a Speech in Praise of Abraham.  Finally, there is a section of Problemata in which Kierkegaard presents three major questions: Is there a teleological suspension of the ethical?; Is there an absolute duty to God?; and Was it ethically defensible of Abraham to conceal his purpose from Sarah, from Eleazar, and from Isaac?  The first half of the book, consisting mainly of the speech in praise of Abraham, is relatively straightforward and contains some wonderful examples of Kierkegaard’s literary talent.  The meat of the book, however, lies in the Problemata.  This is where the reading gets rather dense at times, and many sections require multiple reads to become intelligible.  Kierkegaard is writing in a dialectical style based on Hegel’s philosophy, which means that he uses several terms in a very specialized manner.  Once you clear that hurdle, the arguments become more clear and Kierkegaard’s genius becomes more dazzling.

Kierkegaard’s explanation of what it means to have faith, based on Abraham’s example, is truly remarkable.  What many people take for granted as the first step necessary in becoming a believer of any religion, Kierkegaard identifies as an ultimate goal reached by precious few.  What Abraham demonstrates is a willingness to go beyond the bounds of normal ethics due to a divine command that cannot be made understandable to any other person.  In order to have faith, Abraham was forced to separate himself from and be placed in opposition to humanity and its moral code.  What made Abraham’s act most remarkable was not merely his willingness to obey the command, but the absolute belief that somehow he would not lose Isaac despite sacrificing him.  Kierkegaard makes it clear that Abraham did not think that he would not ultimately be made to sacrifice Isaac, but that despite killing his son, that son would somehow be restored to him.  The willingness to believe that on the strength of the absurd is, according to Kierkegaard, the mark of faith.

This is not a book that can be summed up in one short blog post.  It is laden with profundity to an incredible degree, and is not an easy read.  It is, however, extremely rewarding.  Rather than try to summarize further, I will simply say that any person interested in the nature of faith or the relationship between individual faith and universal morality needs to read this book.

The Current Count:

56 Read, 44 To Go

#54: The Madman by Kahlil Gibran

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100 books, book review, books, literature, poetry

I intentionally chose a shorter work for my most recent book, as I hoped its brevity might help kickstart my pace and revive my flagging hopes of succeeding in the challenge.  Kahlil Gibran‘s The Madman certainly accomplished that.  The book is roughly 75 pages long, but has so much simple beauty and wisdom crammed into those pages that it feels as if I have finished a philosophical tome of epic length.  Narrated by the titular madman, this book is a collection of parables and poems that remind me of Nietzsche’s Zarathustra or Hesse’s Steppenwolf. 

This book is short by necessity.  Any longer would be too much.  As it is, I could not put down the book as soon as I began reading.  If you are in a ponderous mood and want a book that inspires reflection, The Madman is an excellent choice.  This is the second work by Gibran that I have ever read (the other being The Prophet earlier this year), and I am hooked.  I recently purchased a single volume that has ten of his books in it, and look forward to reading them all.  I will leave you with one of the short selections from The Madman.

God

In the ancient days, when the first quiver of speech came to my lips, I ascended the holy mountain and spoke unto God, saying, “Master, I am thy slave. Thy hidden will is my law and I shall obey thee for ever more.”

But God made no answer, and like a mighty tempest passed away.

And after a thousand years I ascended the holy mountain and again spoke unto God, saying, “Creator, I am thy creation. Out of clay hast thou fashioned me and to thee I owe mine all.”

And God made no answer, but like a thousand swift wings passed away.

And after a thousand years I climbed the holy mountain and spoke unto God again, saying, “Father, I am thy son. In pity and love thou hast given me birth, and through love and worship I shall inherit thy kingdom.”

And God made no answer, and like the mist that veils the distant hills he passed away.

And after a thousand years I climbed the sacred mountain and again spoke unto God, saying, “My God, my aim and my fulfillment; I am thy yesterday and thou are my tomorrow. I am thy root in the earth and thou art my flower in the sky, and together we grow before the face of the sun.”

Then God leaned over me, and in my ears whispered words of sweetness, and even as the sea that enfoldeth a brook that runneth down to her, he enfolded me.

And when I descended to the valleys and the plains God was there also.

The Current Count:

54 Read, 46 To Go

Can your Kindle do this?

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books

You've got nothing on this, Kindle!

In case you didn’t know, I am an old man.  Not physically (I’m 24), but attitudinally speaking I am an antique.  My old age is most evident when it comes to technology (read a previous rant here).  I am not the biggest fan of newfangled electronic devices.  That said, I am beginning to come around.  I recently upgraded to a smart phone and I even admire the utility of the iPad. 

One device I have not warmed up to is the Amazon Kindle.  I know, I know– it can hold a million books.  It has a built-in dictionary.  It has access to free classic books.  It can download magazines.  It is so much more convenient than lugging around a stack of hardbacks. 

What’s my problem with the Kindle?  The problem isn’t so much what’s wrong with the Kindle, but what is right with books.  The Kindle doesn’t have the old book smell.  The Kindle doesn’t give you the satisfaction of closing the cover when you finally get through all of those pages.  Most of all, the Kindle doesn’t come with a story of its own.

Every book has two stories to tell.  The first is the most obvious– the story written on the pages.  The second story is the story of the book itself, what journey it took to land in a particular reader’s hands.  The book pictured above is the perfect example.  This is a copy of “Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord (Third Edition)” by Richard Chenevix Trench, published in 1850.  This book came to me from my Grandma, as one book in a large box full.  She in turn had been given them by the widow of a long-time family friend.  This family friend was a pastor, which explains the obscure volume of Biblical commentary.  How it came to the pastor, I do not know.

What I do know is that a Mr. Andrew of Glasgow, Scotland acquired this book in September 1920.  I know this because Mr. Andrew recorded his acquisition on the flyleaf.  What a story!  This book journeyed from Glasgow, Scotland in the 1920’s to Canadian, Texas in the 1990’s to Dallas, Texas in the 2000’s.  That is just the tip of the iceberg.

Pictured to the left is the inside cover.  It features two remarkable elements– a seal and an inscription.  The seal (close-up here) reads “Sig[illum] universitatis doctorum magistrorum et scolarium Sanctee Andree.”  Translated that is “Seal of the doctors, masters, and scholars of the University of Saint Andrew.”  This is the seal of St. Andrews University in Scotland.  As in the oldest university in Scotland.  The image of the seal is incredible.  The inscription is even better.  It reads “Awarded as a prize to Mr. Robert Bell for a valuable essay on the reasonableness and utility of confessions of the faith by Geo. Buist, Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Theology, St. Mary’s College, 25th March 1857.” (Close-up here)  A bit of internet research has informed me that George Buist was born in 1805 and died in 1860.  In addition to being a well-respected professor, Buist served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1848 and was consulted by Parliament numerous times on matters related to education.  Robert Bell studied Greek, Latin, and Humanities at St. Andrews before continuing his studies in theology.  George Buist had this book on his bookshelf.  Robert Bell earned it by a well-written essay in 1857.  Mr. Andrew got his hands on it in 1920.  Now it is part of my library.

When the Kindle can offer a pedigree like that, I might consider making the purchase.

#15: Dialogue on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God by John Perry

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100 books, book review, books, philosophy, religion, theology

As the title suggests, my fifteenth book deals with some pretty big issues.  John Perry’s Dialogue on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God is a relatively short dialogue (70 pages) that features three friends arguing about issues at the heart of Christianity.  Christian minister Sam Miller is challenged by his atheist philosopher friend Gretchen Weirob to prove that belief in an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent creator is not inconsistent with the recognition of a world in which suffering exists.  Miller, Weirob, and their mutual friend Dave Cohen discuss the nature of evil and of suffering, the ramifications of free will, and what it means to say that God is all-powerful and all-knowing.  Perry does an excellent job of exploring these fundamental theological issues in a way that makes sense to readers without a degree in philosophy.  He also offers suggestions for readings that will provide a deeper look at these issues.  Any philosophically minded person, Christian or not, would benefit from reading this book.  It is a great introduction to the works of Augustine in particular. 

The Current Count:

15 Read, 85 To Go