Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses Explained

The Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses (Danish: Opbyggelige Taler), sometimes called the Eighteen Edifying Discourses, is a collection of discourses produced by Søren Kierkegaard in 1843 and 1844.^[1] Although he published some of his works using pseudonyms, these discourses were signed. His discourses stress love, joy, faith, gratitude, thanksgiving, peace, adversity, impartiality, and equality before God and recommend them to the single individual.

Kierkegaard was not a preacher or a teacher at the beginning of his discourses, but by the end he removed the word, teacher.^[2] Later in Practice in Christianity he stated the problem he had with the modern sermon. "The Christian sermon today has become mainly observations. 'To observe' can mean in one sense to come very close to something, namely, to what one wishes to observe; in another sense, it signifies keeping very distant, infinitely distant, that is, personally." Practice in Christianity.^[3]

Purpose

These discourses or conversations are intended to be "upbuilding", building up another person or oneself. Kierkegaard said: "Although this little book (which is called 'discourses,' not sermons, because its author does not have authority to 'preach',^[4] "upbuilding discourses," not discourses for upbuilding because the speaker makes no claim to be a teacher) wishes to be only what it is, a superfluity, and desires only to remain in hiding".^[5]

He also wrote that he was without authority. He explained in his Journals:

Martin Buber

Martin Buber discussed his idea of the Single One this way:

Titling and translation

David F. Swenson first translated the works in the 1940s and titled them the Edifying Discourses.^[6] In 1990, Howard V. and Edna H. Hong translated the works again, calling them the Upbuilding Discourses. The word "upbuilding" was more in line with Kierkegaard's thought after 1846, when he wrote Christian discourses about suffering^[7] and later Christian deliberations about works of love.^[8]

Packaging

Kierkegaard published these discourses in groups between 1843 and 1844. Confusingly, the publications shared names, with dates appended. They were:

• Two Upbuilding Discourses, 1843
• Three Upbuilding Discourses, 1843
• Four Upbuilding Discourses, 1843
• Two Upbuilding Discourses, 1844
• Three Upbuilding Discourses, 1844
• Four Upbuilding Discourses, 1844

Notes and References

1. The Danish text is available online Atten opbyggelige Taler (1862) reprinting
2. These Christian discourses (which in more than one respect are not, and thus for more than one reason are not called, sermons) are not intended “to fill an idle moment for inquisitiveness.” If, however, just one single sufferer, who perhaps is also going astray in many thoughts, should by means of them find a heavy moment lighter, should find in them a trail leading through the many thoughts, then the author will not regret his intention with them. It is “The Gospel of Sufferings,” not as though the subject were exhausted by these discourses but because each discourse is a draught of this, praise God, inexhaustible supply, not as though the particular discourse were exhaustive but because each discourse still drinks deeply enough to find the joy. Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits, S.K. p. 215
3. Hong p. 233
4. Kierkegaard does find someone who was a preacher in his 1847 book. Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits, Hong He says, "The penitent robber is preaching" p. 271-273
5. Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses, Søren Kierkegaard 1843-1844, 1990 ed. by Howard V. Hong, Princeton University Press, p. 5
6. Book: Kierkegaard, Søren . Edifying discourses by Søren Kierkegaard ... . Swenson . Lillian Marvin. . Swenson . David F. . 1943–1946 . Minneapolis, Minn.. Augsburg publishing house.
7. Søren Kierkegaard, Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits, 1847 p. 213-341
8. Søren Kierkegaard, Works of Love, p. 3 (Hong 1990)