Fear and Trembling

by

Søren Kierkegaard

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Fear and Trembling: Speech in Praise of Abraham Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Johannes writes that if humanity didn’t have an “eternal consciousness” or if everything beyond the temporal world were empty, then life would be nothing but despair. Without noticeable change and progress from one generation to the next, life would be meaningless. However, according to Johannes, this is why God created poets and heroes—heroes to do great deeds and poets to publicly praise them, keeping their heroic actions alive in humanity’s collective memory. Thanks to the poets, no truly great person is ever forgotten, and every person has the potential to be great in their own way and in proportion to what they devote their lives to. Some devote their lives to themselves and some people devote their lives to others, but the greatest are those who love and devote their lives to God, namely Abraham even though he seems full of contradictions (such as finding power in powerlessness).
The “eternal consciousness” Johannes refers to is believing in eternal life after death. Having an eternal consciousness gives life more meaning because it hinges on the belief that whatever a person does in this world will live on and carry on to the next. However, not only does a person’s spirit go on, but humanity itself goes on and changes (hopefully for the better) from generation to generation. What makes Abraham and others who devote their lives to God so great is that they set their sights beyond the temporal and into the eternal. Instead of focusing their energy on their earthly life, they consider both their earthly life and their eternal one.
Themes
Belief vs. Doubt Theme Icon
Faith and the Absurd Theme Icon
Quotes
Through faith, Abraham found the courage to leave his comfortable life behind to wander in the desert, even though he didn’t fully understand why God chose him to do it. Furthermore, Abraham left no “song of lament” about his confusion because his faith was greater. It was also through faith that Abraham found the patience to wait for decades for the son God promised him he’d have with Sarah. Johannes notes that if Abraham ever wavered in his faith, he would have given up on waiting for God’s promise. Nobody would have blamed Abraham for this, and he would still be great, but he wouldn’t be “the father of faith,” and Sarah might have died of grief. Fortunately, Abraham and Sarah remained faithful—which Johannes claims kept them young—and God’s promise was ultimately fulfilled.
Abraham’s life is characterized by his various choices: choosing to go into the desert, choosing to faithfully wait for God’s promise of a son with Sarah to materialize, and choosing to follow God’s command to sacrifice that son later. These things seem to defy reason, highlighting how faith is often difficult to understand. The fact that Abraham left no “song of lament” shows that he accepted all these events without question and had total faith in God. This faith in Abraham also made him the “father of faith,” meaning that he inspired faith in future generations.
Themes
Belief vs. Doubt Theme Icon
Faith and the Absurd Theme Icon
The Unintelligibility of Faith Theme Icon
Quotes
However, as Johannes explains, God tested Abraham further by commanding him to take Isaac to Mount Moriah and offer him up as a burnt sacrifice. Johannes writes that it was ridiculous of God to ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac after so much waiting and suspense, but Abraham himself didn’t laugh at this command—he would have to sacrifice Isaac, despite God’s promise that through Isaac his bloodline would spread throughout the world and be great, and despite Abraham and Sarah’s immense love for Isaac. However, Abraham had faith that no matter what God asked of him, in “this life,” he would still have Isaac through God’s ability to make all things possible. Johannes believes that if Abraham had wavered in his faith for a moment, he would have sacrificed himself rather than Isaac, but his faith remained strong and he prepared to do as God asked.
When Johannes explains that Abraham believed he could still be happy with Isaac in “this life” even after sacrificing him, he’s referring to the temporal world. In other words, Abraham wouldn’t have to wait until he died and entered heaven to be happy with Isaac. This passage also reveals how fragile faith can be. If Abraham had wavered in his faith even for a moment, the entire story might have changed, and he wouldn’t be known as the great man he’s generally believed to be. Basically, one moment of doubt can undo everything, so a faithful person must always be on their guard against it.
Themes
Belief vs. Doubt Theme Icon
Faith and the Absurd Theme Icon
Infinite Resignation Theme Icon
The Unintelligibility of Faith Theme Icon
Johannes writes that when God asked Abraham where he was, Abraham was confident and ready to answer his call. Abraham woke up early and, without saying a word to Sarah or Eleazar, took Isaac to Mount Moriah and prepared to sacrifice him on an altar. Without hesitation, Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac because he knew God would never tell him to do something that would be too hard. Again, had Abraham doubted, the story might end differently—had he seen the ram before pulling out the knife, then returning home would have been more like running away rather than experiencing something profound that confirmed his faith. Johannes praises Abraham for this unwavering faith and promises that he’ll never forget that “in one hundred and thirty years [Abraham] got no further than faith.”
Johannes is most struck by the fact that “in one hundred and thirty years [Abraham] got no further than faith” while people in the modern age (who don’t typically live for that long years) seem to be always trying to go beyond faith into something else. At the root of Abraham’s greatness is that he never tried to go further than faith—he stopped at it and then devoted himself to maintaining it. Based on this logic, the current age can never achieve the same level of greatness because so few people are willing to stop at faith, or even have the courage to develop it in the first place.
Themes
Belief vs. Doubt Theme Icon
Faith and the Absurd Theme Icon
Infinite Resignation Theme Icon
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