--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But, inevitably, as he [Kierkegaard]…" description: "\"But, inevitably, as he [Kierkegaard] approaches what we might call his Christocentric climax many readers drop off. Many scholars just leave that part ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/george-pattison-17005_approach_but-inevitably-as-he-kierkegaard-approac_610234.jpg" --- # But, inevitably, as he \[Kierkegaard\] approaches what we… ![“But, inevitably, as he [Kierkegaard] approaches what we might call his Christocentric climax many readers drop off. Many scholars just leave that part of his authorship alone.” quote by George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/george-pattison-17005_approach_but-inevitably-as-he-kierkegaard-approac_610234.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/george-pattison-17005_approach_but-inevitably-as-he-kierkegaard-approac_610234.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/george-pattison-17005_approach_but-inevitably-as-he-kierkegaard-approac_610234.jpg) > “But, inevitably, as he \[Kierkegaard\] approaches what we might call his Christocentric climax many readers drop off. Many scholars just leave that part of his authorship alone.” [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Readers often abandon Kierkegaard's later work, missing its deep spiritual focus. **In simple terms:** Many quit before reaching his spiritual peak. Key Takeaway Stay engaged with challenging ideas. Themes philosophy spirituality readership challenge Mood thoughtful curious Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - academic study - personal reflection - theological discussion Key Concepts Existentialism Christocentrism interpretation Questions to Reflect On - What draws you to continue reading difficult texts? - How can you apply his spiritual insights today? A Different Perspective The later sections are dense and require patience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Authorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authorship/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Scholar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholar/) ## Related quotes > [Sartre is one example of someone who does just this. Every text is, after all, a human document and whatever Kierkegaard thought about God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/sartre-is-one-example-of-someone-who-does-just-this-every-text-is/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Of course, if one's reading Kierkegaard for personal interest that's fine - but it's sloppy scholarship just to cherry pick what suits one from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/of-course-if-one-s-reading-kierkegaard-for-personal-interest-that-s/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Perhaps unsurprisingly, there's a paradox here! Kierkegaard's own indirect communication proposes that we start with the experience of those who don't believe and meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/perhaps-unsurprisingly-there-s-a-paradox-here-kierkegaard-s-own/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Kierkegaard was by far the most profound thinker of the last century. Kierkegaard was a saint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/kierkegaard-was-by-far-the-most-profound-thinker-of-the-last-century/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [“I never really saw the celerity of your heart When steadily fighting off the Kierkegaardian part I listened to Plutarch While you threw out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/i-never-really-saw-the-celerity-of-your-heart-when-steadily-fighting/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [What Kierkegaard said about love is also true of creativity: every person must start at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/what-kierkegaard-said-about-love-is-also-true-of-creativity-every/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [I ... had what Kierkegaard called 'the sickness of infinitude,' wandering from one path to another with no real recognition that I was embarked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-had-what-kierkegaard-called-the-sickness-of-infinitude-wandering/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [“I venture to say Kierkegaard meant that truth has lost its force with us and horrible pain and evil must teach it to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-venture-to-say-kierkegaard-meant-that-truth-has-lost-its-force-with/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“It was not surprising that after the war Dostoevsky was linked to Kierkegaard as a prophet of social resignation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jay/it-was-not-surprising-that-after-the-war-dostoevsky-was-linked-to/) Martin Jay > [“What is particularly striking about his reconstruction and criticisms of the traditional account of friendship is that he finds it deficient not only by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-smith/what-is-particularly-striking-about-his-reconstruction-and-criticisms/) Graham Smith > [“And therefore, all of those for whom authentic transformation has deeply unseated their souls must, I believe, wrestle with the profound moral obligation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/and-therefore-all-of-those-for-whom-authentic-transformation-has/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [“I would have liked to say, "I'm a doctor," to those who asked me what I did, doctors being the current purveyors of magic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-would-have-liked-to-say-i-m-a-doctor-to-those-who-asked-me-what-i/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“as in Heinrich Heine’s (a contemporary of Kierkegaard’s) well-known saying that one should value above everything else ‘freedom, equality and crab soup’. ‘Crab soup’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/as-in-heinrich-heine-s-a-contemporary-of-kierkegaard-s-well-known/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [“As Kierkegaard said, “To venture causes anxiety; not to venture is to lose oneself.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-krech/as-kierkegaard-said-to-venture-causes-anxiety-not-to-venture-is-to/) [Gregg Krech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-krech/) > [“I am poor—you are my riches; dark—you are my light; I own nothing, need nothing. And how could I own anything? After all, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/i-am-poor-you-are-my-riches-dark-you-are-my-light-i-own-nothing-need/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## More by George Pattison > [I'm not sure if Cupitt himself still uses this term, but it's useful in suggesting that, actually, there are more choices than the choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/i-m-not-sure-if-cupitt-himself-still-uses-this-term-but-it-s-useful/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [When I'm on the operating table, I'm happy for the surgeon to treat me as a machine, but the moment I return to consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/when-i-m-on-the-operating-table-i-m-happy-for-the-surgeon-to-treat-me/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [But why should a religious person be interested in a work like Heidegger's that many regard as the epitome of nihilism? 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He just wants us to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/i-think-he-heidegger-sets-the-question-up-in-a-useful-way-and-despite/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [I still read a lot about teenage angst! Of course, any kind of mourning CAN become pathological and then it 'has to stop', but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/i-still-read-a-lot-about-teenage-angst-of-course-any-kind-of-mourning/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [But my point is that 'the death of God' is not something like the Battle of Waterloo or Magna Charta. It's not a historic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/but-my-point-is-that-the-death-of-god-is-not-something-like-the/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Barth's approach tears up any possibility of dialogue between faith and unfaith or between theology and other human sciences. 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