Kierkegaard's The Sickness Unto Death

Presents new approaches to one of Kierkegaard's most important texts, shedding light on themes such as selfhood, despair, and sin.

Despite the importance of The Sickness unto Death to Kierkegaard scholarship, it has been somewhat overlooked. This book applies diverse approaches to the work, explaining complex issues in clear language. It will be required reading for those interested in Kierkegaard as well as existentialism, religious philosophy, and moral psychology.The Sickness unto Death (1849) is commonly regarded as one of Kierkegaard's most important works – but also as one of his most difficult texts to understand. It is a meditation on Christian existentialist themes including sin, despair, religious faith and its redemptive power, and the relation and difference between physical and spiritual death. This volume of new essays guides readers through the philosophical and theological significance of the work, while clarifying the complicated ideas that Kierkegaard develops. Some of the essays focus closely on particular themes, others attempt to elucidate the text as a whole, and yet others examine it in relation to other philosophical views. Bringing together these diverse approaches, the volume offers a comprehensive understanding of this pivotal work. It will be of interest to those studying Kierkegaard as well as existentialism, religious philosophy, and moral psychology.