KierkegaardonFaithandLove(ModernEuropeanPhilosophy)

Kierkegaard'swritingsareinterspersedwithremarkablestoriesoflove,commonlyunderstoodasaliterarydevicethatillustratestheproblematicnatureofaestheticandethicalformsoflife,andthecontrastingdesirabilityofthelifeoffaith.SharonKrishekarguesthatforKierkegaardtheconnectionbetweenloveandfaithisfarfrombeingmerelyillustrative.Rather,loveandfaithhaveacommonstructure,andareinvolvedwithoneanotherinawaythatmakesitimpossibletolovewellwithoutfaith.Remarkably,thisappliestoromanticlovenolessthantoneighbourlylove.Krishek'soriginalandcompellinginterpretationoftheWorksofLoveinthelightofKierkegaard'sfamousanalysisoftheparadoxicalityoffaithinFearandTremblingshowsthatpreferentiallove,andinparticularromanticlove,playsamuchmoreimportantandpositiveroleinhisthinkingthanhasusuallybeenassumed.