Kierkegaard and the Concept of Religious Authorship

Keith H. Lane examines Soren Kierkegaard’s concept of religious authorship and argues for Kierkegaard’s status as a religious author. He elucidates how such authorship may have similarities to philosophical authorship (particularly philosophy as envisioned by Ludwig Wittgenstein) and wherein the two differ. Starting with Kierkegaard’s Concluding Unscientific Postscript and giving special attention to The Point of View and other later writings, Lane investigates aspects of thought and expression that may be unique to religious authorship and explores the particular constraints, challenges, and opportunities for one who writes from within a framework of religious belief and commitment-including such issues as protectionism, apologetics, persuasion, and the tension between certainty and uncertainty that attends religious authorship.