Kierkegaard's Writings, XVII: Christian Discourses: The Crisis and a Crisis in the Life of an Actress

512 Pages·2009·28.53 MB·English

by  Soren Kierkegaard & Howard Vincent Hong & Edna Hatlestad Hong

CHRISTIAN DISCOURSES
THE CRISIS AND A CRISIS IN
THE LIFE OF AN ACTRESS
KIERKEGAARD'S WRITINGS, XVII

CHRISTIAN DISCOURSES
THE CRISIS AND A CRISIS IN
THE LIFE OF AN ACTRESS
by Seren Kierkegaard
Edited and Translated
with Introduction and Notes by
Howard V. Hong and
Edna H. Hong
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
Copyright © 1997 by Postscript, Inc.
Published by Princeton University Press,
41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street,
Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TW
All Rights Reserved
Second printing, and first paperback printing, 2009
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-691-14078-0
The Library of Congress has cataloged the cloth edition of this book as follows
Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813­­–1855.
[Christelige taler. English.]
Christian Discourses ; The Crisis and a crisis in the
life of an actress / by Søren Kierkegaard ;
edited and translated with introduction and notes by
Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong.
p. cm. — (Kierkegaard’s writings ; 17)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-691-01649-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Christian life—Lutheran authors. 2. Theater.
3­­. Heiberg, Johanne Luise, 1812–1890.
I. Hong, Howard Vincent, 1912– .
II. Hong, Edna Hatlestad, 1913­­– .
III. Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813­­–1855. Krisen og en
krise in en skuespillerindes liv. English. IV. Title.
V. Title: Crisis and a crisis in the life of an actress.
VI. Series: Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813­­–1855.
Works. English. 1978 ; 17.
BV4505.K3­­413­­ 1997
248.4—dc21 96-49099
British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
Preparation of this volume has been made possible in part by a grant from
the Division of Research Programs of the National Endowment
for the Humanities, an independent federal agency
Printed on acid-free paper. ∞
Designed by Frank Mahood
press.princeton.edu
Printed in the United States of America
3­­ 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
CONTENTS
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION xi
Christian Discourses
Part One
The Cares of the Pagans
3
INTRODUCTION
9
I. The Care of Poverty
13
II. The Care of Abundance
23
III. The Care ofLowliness
37
IV. The Care ofLoftiness
48
V. The Care of Presumptuousness
60
VI. The Care ofSelf-Torment
70
VII. The Care oflndecisiveness, Vacillation, and
Disconsolateness
81
Vl Contents
Part Two
States of Mind in the Strife of Suffering
93
I. The Joy oflt: That One Suffers Only Once But Is
Victorious Eternally
95
II. The Joy oflt: That Hardship Does Not Take Away
But Procures Hope
106
III. The Joy of It: That the Poorer You Become the Richer
You Are Able to Make Others
114
IV. The Joy oflt: That the Weaker You Become the
Stronger God Becomes in You
124
V. The Joy oflt: That What You Lose Temporally You
Gain Eternally
134
VI. The Joy oflt: That When I "Gain Everything"
I Lose Nothing at All
144
VII. The Joy of It: That Adversity Is Prosperity
150
Part Three
Thoughts That Wound from Behind-for Upbuilding
161
I. Watch Your Step When You Go to the House of
the Lord
163
Contents Vll
II. "See, We Have Left Everything and Followed You;
What Shall We Have?" (Matthew 19:27)-and What
Shall We Have?
176
III. All Things Must Serve Us for Good-When We Love God
188
IV. There Will Be the Resurrection of the Dead, of the
Righteous-and of the Unrighteous
202
V. We Are Closer to Salvation Now-Than When We
Became Believers
214
VI. But It Is Blessed-to Suffer Mockery for a
Good Cause
222
VII. He Was Believed in the World
234
Part Four
Discourses at the Communion on Fridays
247
PREFACE
249
I. Luke 22:15
251
II. Matthew 11:28
262
III. John 10:27
268
Vlll Contents
IV. I Corinthians 11:23
275
V. II Timothy 2:12-13
282
VI. I John 3:20
289
VII. Luke 24:51
296
The Crisis and a Crisis in the Life of an Actress
301
ADDENDUM
Phister as Captain Scipio
327
SUPPLEMENT 345
Key to References 346
Original Title Page and Section Pages of Christian
Discourses 348
Selected Entries from Kierkegaard's Journals and Papers
Pertaining to Christian Discourses 359
Original First Page of The Crisis and a Crisis in the Life
of an Actress 408
Selected Entries from Kierkegaard's Journals and Papers
Pertaining to The Crisis and a Crisis in the Life of
an Actress and Addendum 411
EDITORIAL APPENDIX 429
Acknowledgments 431
Collation of Christian Discourses in the Danish Editions
ofKierkegaard's Collected Works 433
Contents IX
Collation of The Crisis and a Crisis in the Life of an Actress
in the Danish Editions ofKierkegaard's Collected Works 437
Notes 439
Bibliographical Note 467
Index 469