Which attunement account is most interesting? most
difficult?
What is beyond faith? beyond doubt?
Does Abraham possess free will?
Is God ethical in asking Abraham to sacrifice his son?
What is most striking about Rembrandt's painting of the sacrifice?
Jan 13
Why are we to praise Abraham?
Is individuality ethical?
What are the differences between the tragic hero and the
faith hero?
Why didn't Satan teleologically suspend the ethical?
What are the steps of faith?
How is faith like temptation?
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.
Can abortion be viewed as an act of faith?
Jan 20
Questions du jour
Has anybody ever told you a deep dark
secret?
When is it right to remain silent? When is
it wrong?
Discussion Questions
What does the saying “always tell the
truth” have to do with Abraham’s silence?
How are Abraham and Isaac part of each
other? Part of each one of us?
Why is the title Fear and Trembling?
Is Satan part of the universal? The
concealed? The disclosed? The absolute?
Trace the steps of faith.
What does the following statement mean:
Faith is the infinite inside of our finitude?
Find the most quotable, critical statement
that Kierkegaard makes in this work.
Explicate: “in a sense there dwells
infinitely more good in a demonic than in a superficial person”.
Why is it imperative that Abraham not
speak?
Jan 24
Bring your own questions.
Which of the following definitions of faith are consistent with Kierkegaard?
activity from obedience, grounded in belief that may (not) be aligned with inclinations.
trust and commitment despite fear/logic.
obedience (complete follow through) and the trust that our actions are the correct thing to do, i.e. for reason not chance.
expectation of the humanly impossible and commitment.
complete trust without regard to outside circumstances or future consequences; resolution to do whatever is demanded.
release of control, not understandable from outside the mind if the individual
belief in something despite logic and emotion that might dissuade; acknowledging the limits of understanding.