Armed Neutrality and An Open Letter with Relevant Selections from His Journals & Papers

Born in Copenhagen, Kierkegaard was the son of a wealthy middle-class merchant. He lived on his inheritance, using it to finance a literary career. He studied theology at the University of Copenhagen, completing a master's thesis in 1841 on Socratic irony. He became engaged, but broke it off upon deciding God had destined him not to marry. The years 1841-46 were ones of intense literary activity, in which he produced a series of writings of varying forms published under pseudonyms. Parallel to these, he wrote a series of shorter Edifying Discourses, quasi-sermons published under his name. As he later interpreted it in the posthumously published Point of View for My Work as an Author, this had been a systematic attempt to raise the question of what it means to be a Xian. He was persuaded that in his time people took the meaning of the Xian life for granted, allowing all kinds of worldly ways of thinking & living. He applied this analysis especially to the speculative philosophy of German idealism. After 1846, he continued to write, publishing most works under his name. Within Denmark he was isolated, often despised. His writings had little impact for a long time. They were translated into German early in the 20th century & have had influence on both theology & existentialism.
Acknowledgments
Soren Kierkegaard-poet or pastor?/ Gregor Malantschuk
An introduction to Armed Neutrality & An Open Letter: their situation & significance/ Howard V. & Edna H. Hong
Armed Neutrality or My Position as a Christian Author in Christendom/ Soren Kierkegaard
Commentary on Armed Neutrality & An Open Letter/ Gregor Malantschuk
Chronological Table
Bibliography
Abbreviations & Notes
Guide to 'Selected Entries'
Index