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Digital Audiobook
Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard

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Fear and Trembling

Narrator
Mark Meadows
Publisher
Naxos AudioBooks
Publish Date
1 December 2018
Run Time
4 hours 40 minutes
Format
Audiobook
$13.95

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What to expect

Written from the perspective of an unbeliever, Fear and Trembling explores the paradox of faith, the nature of Christianity and the complexity of human emotion. Kierkegaard examines the biblical story of Abraham, who was instructed to sacrifice his son Isaac, and forces us to consider Abraham’s state of mind. What drove Abraham, and what made him carry out such an absurd and extreme request from God? Kierkegaard argues that Abraham’s agreement to sacrifice Isaac, and his suspension of reason, elevated him to the highest level of faith. He explores more comprehensible alternatives, but in each one Abraham fails the test of faith, thus showing that true faith cannot be explained, understood, or made rational. His thesis is a compelling counterpoint to Hegel, who maintained that reason was the highest form of thought, and it proved a significant source of inspiration to later existentialist philosophers such as Camus and Sartre.

Critics Review

  • Philosophy is often presented in a dry and dull manner, but that isn’t the case when it’s delivered by narrator Mark Meadows. In this version of Kierkegaard’s masterpiece, Meadows uses good pacing to give the listener an intricate treatment of the biblical story of Isaac’s near sacrifice by his father, Abraham, and what this story may mean in the realm of faith in a higher power. Meadows’s narration makes exploring Kierkegaard’s philosophy a joy to experience, especially if one has had a difficult time getting into reading from the text directly. Meadows’s British accent in this delightful production will make listeners feel as if they are reading philosophy at Oxford or Cambridge.

    V.B., AudioFile

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Details

Author
Søren Kierkegaard
Narrator
Mark Meadows
Duration
4 hours 40 minutes
Release Date
1 December 2018
ISBN
9781781981719
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Naxos AudioBooks
Genre
Christianity, Theology

Synopsis

Written from the perspective of an unbeliever, Fear and Trembling explores the paradox of faith, the nature of Christianity and the complexity of human emotion. Kierkegaard examines the biblical story of Abraham, who was instructed to sacrifice his son Isaac, and forces us to consider Abraham’s state of mind. What drove Abraham, and what made him carry out such an absurd and extreme request from God? Kierkegaard argues that Abraham’s agreement to sacrifice Isaac, and his suspension of reason, elevated him to the highest level of faith. He explores more comprehensible alternatives, but in each one Abraham fails the test of faith, thus showing that true faith cannot be explained, understood, or made rational. His thesis is a compelling counterpoint to Hegel, who maintained that reason was the highest form of thought, and it proved a significant source of inspiration to later existentialist philosophers such as Camus and Sartre.

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