Kierkegaard: A Single Life

Description

Discover a new understanding of Kierkegaard's thought and his life, a story filled with romance, betrayal, humor, and riots. Kierkegaard, like Einstein and Freud, is one of those geniuses whose ideas permeate the culture and shape our world even when relatively few people have read their works. That lack of familiarity with the real Kierkegaard is about to change. This lucid new biography by scholar Stephen Backhouse presents the genius as well as the acutely sensitive man behind the brilliant books. Scholarly and accessible, Kierkegaard: A Single Life introduces his many guises-the thinker, the lover, the recluse, the writer, the controversialist-in prose so compelling it reads like a novel. One chapter examines Kierkegaard's influence on our greatest cultural icons-Kafka, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Camus, and Martin Luther King Jr., to name only a few. A useful appendix presents an overview of each of Kierkegaard's works, for the scholar and lay reader alike.

Stephen Backhouse is the Lecturer in Social and Political Theology at Mellitus College, London. He has published a number of critically well-received books and articles on religion, history, and Kierkegaard, from the popular Compact Guide to Christian History for Lion through to the academic Kierkegaard's Critique of Christian Nationalism for Oxford University Press.

'Stephen Backhouse has given us a wonderfully lively and sympathetic portrait of one of the greatest minds of the nineteenth century, sparing us nothing of Kierkegaard's abrasive, contrarian personality, but also illuminating the extraordinary courage and spiritual depth of the man. We have waited a long time for such an accessible introduction, growing out of deep study of the abundant original sources and bringing them alive with a light and sure touch.' * Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College and former Archbishop of Canterbury * 'Stephen Backhouse's Kierkegaard: A Single Life is an extremely useful book that makes Kierkegaard accessible to those just beginning to know him. Backhouse's account of Kierkegaard's life is exemplary but particularly useful is his summary of Kierkegaard's works.' * Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Emeritus Professor of Divinity and Law at Duke University * 'Drawing on the wealth of new biographical material that has become available in the last twenty years, Backhouse's life of Kierkegaard sets the Danish thinker in his time and place and does so with confidence and verve. Few books about this most subtle and elusive of figures could be described as page-turners, but Backhouse combines a fast-moving style with a strong grasp of the big issues that makes this a compelling read. For those who have not yet read Kierkegaard himself, this will leave them wanting to do so--which must be the best outcome for any work of this kind.' * George Pattison, Professor of Divinity, University of Glasgow * 'This is an extraordinarily likeable book about a not-very-likeable, though fascinating, figure. This is not hagiography; Backhouse gives the full measure of Kierkegaard and loves him in all his weirdness. Backhouse is a great storyteller--witty, imaginative, and with an eye for irony and humor. This book fills a need for an introduction for the educated nonspecialist to Kierkegaard's life and thought, which are inseparable. How lucky we are that this need has been filled with such flair.' * Dr. William T. Cavanaugh, Director, Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology, DePaul University * 'Almost every road in modern Christianity leads back, at some point, to Kierkegaard. Yet few appreciate this fact because we've lacked a knowledgeable and accessible guide. Finally, we have one in Stephen Backhouse. I've waited my whole life for this book. And so has the church.' * Dr. Richard Beck, Associate Professor of Psychology, Abilene Christian University * 'Stephen Backhouse has written a lively, accessible, and expert introduction to an often misunderstood but hugely influential and prophetic thinker. This is an ideal place to start understanding Kierkegaard's life and thought, which has much to say to the contemporary church and world.' * Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington, President St Mellitus College * 'Starting with the astonishing scenes at Kierkegaard's funeral, Stephen Backhouse traces the life and impact of this extraordinary, elusive, passionate critic of passionless Christianity. Backhouse's book is both learned and accessible, so that the issues that Kierkegaard wrestled with walk off the page to challenge us again today, while the man himself haunts us, calling us and hiding from us, as he did his contemporaries.' * Dr. Jane Williams, Assistant Dean and Lecturer in Systematic Theology, St Mellitus College * 'Kierkegaard believed that to understand a historical figure, one must be able, imaginatively, to become the person's contemporary. In this gripping biography, Stephen Backhouse helps us become contemporaries of Kierkegaard himself. In these pages the Danish thinker comes alive. This book gives us an extraordinary portrait of an extraordinary human being.' * C. Stephen Evans, University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, Baylor University * 'This book is a fascinating read about a fascinating person. Stephen has skillfully created a glimpse into the life and work of a perplexing and brilliant character.' * Luke Norsworthy, podcaster and pastor, Organization-Newsworthy with Norsworthy Podcast and Westover Hills Church *