Fear and Trembling

By: Søren Kierkegaard

Narrated by: Mark Meadows

Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

Public Domain (P)2019 Naxos Audiobooks

Worth listening to & thinking about.

Amazing. I’ve read the biding of Isaac so many times & I’ve heard the story retold more times than I’ve read it over the years. I’ve blown past it, accepted it, questioned it, ruminated on it but never in the exact way that Kierkegaard does here & while under his pseudonym he does more than examine the passage that inspires this book, he pulls out strings of thought that would have otherwise remained hidden under the jumble of thoughts the story demands of its reader.

Very dense

I’d say similar difficulty level to Kant. I was able to take away some core concepts, but it was tough to follow. Also would recommend familiarity with Hegel beforehand because Kierkegaard references him frequently

Amazing. Never figured out Abraham on mug own

30 years ago I read selections in philosophy class about existentialism. Today as a reborn Christian I see the meaning in this discussion. Great reading and good for spiritual mind candy as our hands work. Idle hands are devils plaything.

Powerful, Excellent Book

Kierkegaard had a profound influence on me in college, and this is a great reading of his classic work. My only criticism is that the chapters are not clearly marked, so it gets a little disorienting after a long listen.

read twice

I found myself struggling alot the first time through so I listened again right after finishing and it was like it all clicked, so thats my suggestion to anyone who struggles with it like I did

Great read of an all time great work of thought.

books like these can be hard to read so I like to listen to the audio book along side to get a feel for how the "flow" is supposed to go. this was a great reading and a different although I think improved translation than the most common version.

Refreshingly clear

Very clear Thesis. Very nicely orated. My favorite from Soren K. this far. I definitely recommend.

very thought provoking

The concepts presented were to difficult to grasp through an audible book. I've got the print book on the way.

Essential existentialism.

if you enjoy contemplating the intersection of Faith with the absurdity of existence then read this.

fascinating but difficult

fascinating concept of a book. interesting ideas to consider. but hard to follow all the points as the author wins his way through several ways of looking at the scenario. I found the most thought provoking chapters earlier in the book. and later on, became it confusing