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C. Stephen Evans provides a clear, readable introduction to Søren Kierkegaard (1813–55) as a philosopher and thinker. His book is organized around Kierkegaard’s concept of the three “stages” or “spheres” of human existence, which provide both a developmental account of the human self and an understanding of three rival views of human life and its meaning. Evans also discusses such important Kierkegaardian concepts as “indirect communication,” “truth as subjectivity,” and the Incarnation understood as “the Absolute Paradox.” Although his discussion emphasizes the importance of Christianity for understanding Kierkegaard, it shows him to be a writer of great interest to a secular as well as a religious audience. Evans’ book brings Kierkegaard into conversation with western philosophers past and present, presenting him as one who gives powerful answers to the questions which philosophers ask.

C. Stephen Evans is University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Baylor University. His most recent published works include Kierkegaard: Fear and Trembling (2006), co-edited with Sylvia Walsh, and Kierkegaard’s Ethic of Love: Divine Commands and Moral Obligations (2004).