Clifford Williams

The Wisdom of Kierkegaard

Clifford Williams

Tucked away in the complicated prose that fills many of Soren Kierkegaard's books are numerous insightful declarations. They arrest the reader with their depth of understanding. They often are expressed in a lilting and lyrical manner. Encountering them makes working through the intricate prose eminently worthwhile.
The Wisdom of Kierkegaard contains two hundred fifty such passages, chosen partly because of their ability to be understood apart from their context and partly because of their ability to provoke an «Ah! That's true» response. Many of them contain a «twist» that imparts an incisive jab. Some are on themes for which Kierkegaard is well known, but many are on a variety of other significant themes. The passages are organized in alphabetical sections, which are introduced by a brief essay.

The Divided Soul

Clifford Williams

SOren Kierkegaard's Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing is an astute analysis of inner dividedness. In this striking little book, Kierkegaard gently yet incisively specifies the precise forms it takes. Like many of SOren Kierkegaard's books, however, Purity of Heart contains a good deal of formidable prose.
The aim of The Divided Soul: A Kierkegaardian Exploration is to make Kierkegaard's scrutiny of our inner terrain in Purity of Heart accessible and inviting. With clear, direct prose, Clifford Williams lays bare Kierkegaard's discerning descriptions of the tension between a desire for goodness and resistance to goodness. Williams then reflects on themes arising from Kierkegaard's conception of faith.