The Hidden Authorship of Soren Kierkegaard

In this book Jacob H. Sawyer explores the concept of hiddenness as a means to unlock the intriguing and oft misunderstood authorship of Soren Kierkegaard. By understanding the melancholy man as first and foremost a Christian thinker this work gives special attention to how the form of Kierkegaards authorial task complements its content giving particular attention to his use of pseudonyms. The first part of the book addresses the explicit content of the authorship the second addresses the implicit form in which it was communicated to Kierkegaards reader and the third addresses how these can help us understand Kierkegaards own hidden inwardness. Through this investigation Soren Kierkegaard is recognized as an example par excellence of a communicator. He is seen to have attempted to only speak what his own life could uphold striving to be one who was in Christ the truth. In the vast array of books about Kierkegaard this modest work makes a stunning contribution by suggesting a very coherent way to make sense of Kierkegaards use of the device of pseudonymous authorship. Neatly yet profoundly Jacob Sawyer offers a persuasive interpretation of the coherence of the great Danish spiritual writer combining rich scholarship with a spirituality which breathes the spirit of Kierkegaard. --Peter Lineham Professor of History Massey University Albany New Zealand Jacob H. Sawyer is a Masters graduate from Laidlaw College in Auckland New Zealand.