logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
1h 8m

409 "Fear and Trembling" (The Story of A...

Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate
About this episode

In our last look at Søren Kierkegaard, we left our hero after he had just left the love of his life, Regine Olsen, in favor of a life devoted to God and philosophy. In this episode, Jacke looks at one of the great products of that seismic schism: Fear and Trembling, or Kierkegaard's analysis of God's command that Abraham should sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. How does Abraham's decision fit into moral and ethical principles? And if it doesn't fit, what does that mean for our society - or for Christianity itself?

Additional listening suggestions


Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 7
714 The Real Charles Dickens (with Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas) | Dickens and the Theatre
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) led one of the most colorful and interesting lives of any author. But while many of us are familiar with his unforgettable characters and fantastically successful novels, we often don't know the details of his difficult early life, his success as a rep ... Show More
1h 25m
Today
715 How Did George Eliot and the Victorians Respond to Climate Collapse? (with Nathan Hensley) | People at Museums Are Losing Their Brains! | My Last Book with Stephen Browning and Simon Thomas
What does it feel like to live helplessly in a world that is coming undone? If you're alive in 2025, you are probably very familiar with this feeling - and if you'd been alive in the age of Victorian literature, you might have felt that way too. In this episode, Jacke talks to au ... Show More
1h 12m
Jul 3
713 The Odyssey (with Daniel Mendelsohn) | The History of Literature Podcast Tour!
Homer's Odyssey is one of the oldest surviving works of literature - and yet, somehow, it can also feel like one of the newest. The inventive narrative structure, complex hero, and surprisingly modern themes still feel fresh, thousands of years after the poem's genesis. In this e ... Show More
1h 34m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
Ágúst Magnússon, "Kierkegaard and Eastern Orthodox Thought: A Comparative Philosophical Analysis" (Gorgias Press, 2019)
Today I talked to Ágúst Magnússon about his new book Kierkegaard and Eastern Orthodox Thought: A Comparative Philosophical Analysis (Gorgias Press, 2019).Throughout the years, there has been an extensive engagement with the philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard from the perspective of ... Show More
1h 34m
Mar 2022
Kierkegaard on the Present (Passionless) Age
Do you ever feel like the time we live in feels flat, complacent, timid, conformist, populated by people who are focused on playing it safe and are inwardly empty?A century and a half ago, the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard felt the same way about the period in which he liv ... Show More
59m 58s
Dec 2022
WOF 363: Why Art Matters
Friends, why is art important? An uptick in vandalism against famous pieces of art, calling to mind outbreaks of iconoclasm throughout history, has raised questions about art’s value and purpose. On today’s “Word on Fire Show,” I discuss with Brandon Vogt why art matters. A liste ... Show More
27m 16s
Jan 2022
Conversations: Deus Ex Alien, Ancient Realities vs. Pseudoarchaeology w/ David S. Anderson
Liv speaks with archaeologist David S. Anderson about the concept, and harm, of pseudoarchaeology. Why it matters to promote false notions of alien intervention and the study of the very real ancient people of the world is much more important.CW/TW: far too many Greek myths invol ... Show More
1h 10m
May 2023
Takeaway #3 - The Great Divorce
Give a little to help Chris continue to make Truce!In 1945, C.S. Lewis published his excellent book "The Great Divorce". It happens to be one of my favorite books. It has many themes, the biggest of which is that there can be no hell in heaven. The two are divorced from each othe ... Show More
14m 43s
Apr 2023
96 PARADISE LOST, Book 10: ”Evil Got”: Fractured Relation
Book Ten of Paradise Lost is the unraveling of the action of this epic poem. It is vitally important as the corollary of the Fall, which we saw in Book Nine, and it tells us a great deal about the nature of Sin and God's relation to ALL of creation. Join Jenny and I as we discuss ... Show More
23m 39s
Jun 2024
The Airing of Gratitude with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Kevin is joined once again by his friends—and by now, only somewhat special guests—Justin and Collin. Listen in as the three amigos talk about books, summer plans, and what they are grateful for. Once again, you’ll find that the guys hit that sweet spot that combines ephemeral ch ... Show More
1 h
Jun 2024
Gorgias by Plato ~ Full Audiobook
Gorgias by Plato audiobook. Dive into the captivating world of Plato's 'Gorgias,' a philosophical dialogue that transcends time and invites you to explore the intricate dance between rhetoric, morality, and the pursuit of true knowledge. As you listen to the audiobook, you will b ... Show More
7h 5m
Apr 2024
Conversations: From Homer, With Love… The Evolution of Oral Storytelling w/ Dr Joel Christensen
Liv is joined by Joel Christensen to talk all things oral storytelling, the tradition, theories on its origins, and how the Iliad and the Odyssey intersect with their ancient origins. Read more from Joel on Sententiae Antiquae. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreo ... Show More
1h 25m
Jun 2024
Can We Speak The Truth in Love? with Kyle Worley
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Kyle Worley to discuss how Christians are called to interact with others.Questions Covered in This Episode:Where does the ethos of discussing truth with grace to others with differing opinions or ideas come from?Why is there a difference between wh ... Show More
26m 5s