A fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to tell the audience. They thought it was a joke and applauded. He repeated the announcement; they cheered even louder. That, I think, is how the world will end.

Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855), Philosoph, Theologe

Topics: Doubt & Hard Questions, Eternity & Hope Beyond Death

Occasions: For Reflection

Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) war ein dänischer Philosoph und Theologe, der zeitlebens als freier Schriftsteller in Kopenhagen wirkte. Als Vordenker der Existenzphilosophie betonte er die persönliche Verantwortung des „Einzelnen“ vor Gott und kritisierte das bürgerliche Kulturchristentum der damaligen dänischen Staatskirche scharf. Heutigen Bibellesern stellt er den christlichen Glauben als existenzielle, unbedingte Nachfolgeentscheidung jenseits bloßer religiöser Konvention vor Augen.

All quotes by Søren Kierkegaard (162)

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The strongest faith isn't a faith that never doubts. Rather, it's a faith that grows through doubts.

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I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it but because, by it, I see everything else.

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Do you see the moon standing there? It's only half visible, and yet it's round and lovely! So it is with many things that we lightly laugh about, because our eyes cannot see them.

Matthias Claudius

The grip of our faith by which we hold on to the Lord may loosen. But the One in whom we believe holds us with his grip.

Helmut Thielicke

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.

C.S. Lewis

Now that I am a Christian I do not have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable.

C.S. Lewis

Faith comes and goes. It rises and falls like the tides of an invisible ocean. If it is presumptuous to think that faith will stay with you forever, it is just as presumptuous to think that unbelief will.

Flannery O'Connor

Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.

William Shakespeare

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