Bierkergaard: The Writings of Soren Kierkegaard

Soren reminds us of that Scripture verse that "Godliness with contentment is great gain." So it is first Grace, then Godliness, then Contentment.

Soren reminds us that with God, one does not need a lot for a contented life.

It is very freeing to be decreased. We can fly through the incarcerating iron bars of the world when we are not saddled with the inordinate self and its suffocating desires.

When John the Baptist said "He must increase and I must decrease" it wasn't mere words. He acted on it immediately. And began decreasing. And in prison, he became discouraged and needed Jesus to affirm that he was indeed the Christ.

Today I do a 20 minute intro about John the Baptist. We’ll do a full episode next week about “He Must Increase and I Must Decrease.”

OK, I couldn’t resist spoofing the Aussie Band popular in the U.S. back in the day “Men At Work.” Today’s episode is with my Australian friend Ryan Ross who I have come to know through our mutual affection for Soren Kierkegaard. We talk about a lot of topics including Philosophical Fragments, Leap of Faith, Knight of Faith, and Love. Plus, a reference to Ultimate Frisbee which was totally unexpect...

Soren writes, “As soon as a human being is born, he begins to die.” That awareness grants us the understanding of how our time is limited in duration in this world. And point to He whose increase is ours in eternity if we put our hopes in Him.

Soren writes to remind us that salvation is all grace lest any person boast. It is His work and His way. We receive.

“Every person has heaven’s salvation only by the grace and mercy of God.” That’s the Gospel.

Soren writes, “Heaven’s salvation is and still remains the settlement that settles everything.”

Having an expectancy of an eternal salvation protects us from the prey of temporality.

Heaven’s salvation has an eternal overweight. Experience, of course, understands weights and measures. Only heaven’s salvation knows how to comfort beyond all measure.

Spotify announced it is ending its podcast creation and editing platform tonight at midnight. It will still host podcasts. Spotify now has a collaboration with an application called Riverside which is “supposed” to provide the platform for the creating and editing functions of podcasts and then to then post episodes into Spotify and other podcasting platforms like Apple and etc. As I mention in th...

We’ll see you next week!

The Apostle Paul, calls his earthly affliction, “brief and light” compared to the eternal weight of glory. The expectancy of salvation.

Today is the day of salvation. Not tomorrow or eternity. Soren admonishes us readers to hear his words and to act now rather than delay and presume that God is subject to human demands and wishes. That presumption is dangerously arrogant. We are to accept this gift of His salvation on His terms, and thus experience that happy calmness in the midst of trouble.

Not all wishing is frivolous and selfish. Soren reminds us that to truly wish for salvation is sound. For ourselves, for others, and is fundamental. And we even can have fun! Bierkergaard, putting the fun in Fundamentalism.

Today we have Kierkegaard scholar Dr. Marilyn Piety who is a distinguished college professor share her insights on how Kierkegaard speaks to the 21st Century young adult in some very profound and helpful ways. This was a fun interview.

“O God, preserve a recollection of youth that preserves a youth’s thoughts of his Creator….those thoughts are the child’s most beautiful ornament, and the bride’s most beautiful jewel, and the dying person’s best garment.”

Thinking about your Creator when young grounds and grows your life on and in the foundation of Truth. In reviewing the audience of the podcast, 80% of the listeners are between 23-44 years of age, with nearly 40% being 23-27. Have a relentless commitment to the Truth and It shall set you free. Nothing else can. Nothing else will. You will have the ability to walk confidently in an often antagonist...

Soren, in citing the Preacher’s admonition of “Remembering One’s Creator” when young, does not go too far in the other direction by telling the young to become adults too soon. Enjoy being young. Just remember your Creator.

The episode title is the name of a book by Henning Fenger. It seeks to establish that Soren’s life has a good amount of fiction in it, in terms of Soren’s own presentation of his life story. I dispute a decent amount of Fenner’s allegations. By seeking to correct a series of errors, he seems to commit his own errors in interpreting Soren’s life and writings. I don’t entirely dismiss all of Fenner’...

“The thought of the Creator is youth’s most beautiful splendor.” Soren contrasts this with the vanity of the world and the pernicious toil of meaninglessness. Life is hard. And useless. Work hard and it means, ultimately, nothing. Which is where the prominent ideology of our day Materialism, takes us-to nothing, where if it is only matter, nothing ultimately matters. Thinking of our Creator animat...

We finish up (phew) Patience in Expectancy, through the story of the noble one, Anna. Enjoy the sawing of trees noises in the background at the end of the podcast! Special bonus.

Jesus came into a world torn by division, conflict, hatred, apathy, worldliness, false gods, and misplaced hopes. Not much different than our own. Despite our toys and technology, the key matter of life is still essentially this: Where do we place and put our hope? On the world and all that it offers and is passing away or the eternal God and His promises? Don’t “Waste the power of our souls and t...