Fear and Trembling - Soren Kierkegaard

"What is beyond Faith?"

Reading/Discussion Schedule

January 9:  Preface, Attunement, Speech in Praise of Abraham, Preamble from the Heart ;

January 12:  Problema I, Problema II   ; January 19: Problema III, Epilogue

January 9 

1. Which attunement account is most interesting?
2. Does Abraham possess free will?
3. Is God ethical in asking Abraham to sacrifice his son?
4. What is most striking about Rembrandt's painting?

January 12

1. Is individuality ethical?
2. What are the differences between the tragic hero and the faith hero?
3. Why didn't Satan teleologically suspend the ethical?
4. What are the steps of faith?
5. Draw a picture of the relationship between: the infinite and finite movements, the individual, the particular, the universal, and the ethical, all with respect to faith.
6. Can abortion be viewed as an act of faith?

January 19 

Questions du jour

1. Has anybody ever told you a deep dark secret?

2. When is it right to remain silent? When is it wrong?

 Discussion Questions

1. What does the saying “always tell the truth” have to do with Abraham’s silence?

2. How are Abraham and Isaac part of each other? Part of each one of us? 

3. Why is the title Fear and Trembling?

4. Is Satan part of the universal? The concealed? The disclosed? The absolute?

5. Trace the steps of faith.

6. What does the following statement mean:  Faith is the infinite inside of our finitude? 

7. Find the most quotable, critical statement that Kierkegaard makes in this work.

8. “in a sense there dwells infinitely more good in a demonic than in a superficial person” means what?

9. Why is it imperative that Abraham not speak?

January 19

Write two pages to address the question:

"What is beyond Faith?"