I just read the article on Kierkegaard. It seems that this reader of “Fear and Trembling” has missed the point of the book. More nuanced commentators, like Paul Ricoeur for example, argue that Kierkegaard is talking about faith as a pre-ethical moment which is completely unconditional. But without that moment the ethical command ‘Do not kill’ will be either absurd or impossible. So “Fear and Trembling” actually has the opposite point to that put by this writer: in fact, only pre-ethical faith makes ethics possible.

Cheers

Garry Deverell ____________________ Centre for Studies in Religion & Theology