Poor Kierkegaard. You have to understand the poor man’s tragic life before you understand this book—he’s built an entire theological system out of his personal misfortune.

His father grew up as an impoverished shepherd and, one cold evening, cursed God for his misfortune. Even though he ended his life as a wealthy merchant, he always felt God cursed him in reciprocity. He told this to his children that they, too, were cursed. (The sins of the father…) Soren, born disfigured and perhaps caustic by nature, never stood a chance under these circumstances.

Soren went to school and fell in love with a beautiful young woman named Regine (pronounced like “regina”) Olson. Despite his apperance, he convinced her to marry him. After both families gave their blessing, however, he decided that poor Regine’s life would be ruined if she married him. Rather than tell her this—Regine being a noble girl would have told him that she was willing to take the risk—he cruelly broke of the engagement by telling her he was no longer interested and went to the theater.

Acting in this way, Kierkegaard became what he called a “knight of infinite resignation,” giving up his will wholey to God. For the rest of his life, he saught to become a “knight of faith” with so much confidence in God and the “strength of the absurd” who would be granted what he wished.

Fear and Trembling is beautiful and tragic, a short tract from the philosophical father of twentieth-century existentialism that is well worth the read.