Soren Kierkegaard was a nineteenth century Danish philosopher and theologian, widely regarded as prefiguring the existentialist movement that dominated post-war Continental philosophy. His multi-layered, ironic, often obscure and yet deeply personal writings stress the necessity of a purely immediate, individual relationship with God, unmediated by any external religious authority.

It is short, readable, and less 'intimidating' than Kierkegaard's more complex works, whilst inadvertently free from the footnoted trappings of modern Kierkegaard scholarship (which can sometimes obfuscate Kierkegaard as much as clarify). ....this volume is still to be welcomed. Kierkegaard's inimitable proclamation of the Gospel is as challenging and comforting here as it ever was.

• I. What is involved in the concept of following Christ; in particular, what joy is involved in it?II. How can the burden indeed be light, since suffering is heavy?III. The joy in the thought that before God a man is always accounted guilty.IV. The joy in the thought that it is not the way that is narrow, but narrowness is the way.V. The joy in the thought that even when time's suffering is heaviest eternity's blessedness still out-weighs it.VI. The joy in the thought that in the midst of suffering, courage can wrest from the world its power, and can turn contempt to honour, disaster to triumph.

Soren Kierkegaard was a nineteenth century Danish philosopher and theologian, widely regarded as prefiguring the existentialist movement that dominated post-war Continental philosophy. His multi-layered, ironic, often obscure and yet deeply personal writings stress the necessity of a purely immediate, individual relationship with God, unmediated by any external religious authority.

It is short, readable, and less 'intimidating' than Kierkegaard's more complex works, whilst inadvertently free from the footnoted trappings of modern Kierkegaard scholarship (which can sometimes obfuscate Kierkegaard as much as clarify). ....this volume is still to be welcomed. Kierkegaard's inimitable proclamation of the Gospel is as challenging and comforting here as it ever was.

• I. What is involved in the concept of following Christ; in particular, what joy is involved in it?II. How can the burden indeed be light, since suffering is heavy?III. The joy in the thought that before God a man is always accounted guilty.IV. The joy in the thought that it is not the way that is narrow, but narrowness is the way.V. The joy in the thought that even when time's suffering is heaviest eternity's blessedness still out-weighs it.VI. The joy in the thought that in the midst of suffering, courage can wrest from the world its power, and can turn contempt to honour, disaster to triumph.

Soren Kierkegaard was a nineteenth century Danish philosopher and theologian, widely regarded as prefiguring the existentialist movement that dominated post-war Continental philosophy. His multi-layered, ironic, often obscure and yet deeply personal writings stress the necessity of a purely immediate, individual relationship with God, unmediated by any external religious authority.

It is short, readable, and less 'intimidating' than Kierkegaard's more complex works, whilst inadvertently free from the footnoted trappings of modern Kierkegaard scholarship (which can sometimes obfuscate Kierkegaard as much as clarify). ....this volume is still to be welcomed. Kierkegaard's inimitable proclamation of the Gospel is as challenging and comforting here as it ever was.

• I. What is involved in the concept of following Christ; in particular, what joy is involved in it?II. How can the burden indeed be light, since suffering is heavy?III. The joy in the thought that before God a man is always accounted guilty.IV. The joy in the thought that it is not the way that is narrow, but narrowness is the way.V. The joy in the thought that even when time's suffering is heaviest eternity's blessedness still out-weighs it.VI. The joy in the thought that in the midst of suffering, courage can wrest from the world its power, and can turn contempt to honour, disaster to triumph.