First published in 1847, Works of Love is among Søren Kierkegaard’s most explicitly religious works. Intended to awaken rather than convince the book consists of a series of fifteen deliberations on love. Contrasting romantic love and love for one’s friends with the selfless Christian love—agape—of the New Testament, Works of Love contends that the only way to purge self-interest from love is to love one’s neighbour, who is “indeed unconditionally every person.” Though always careful to distinguish his “deliberations” from clerical “sermons”, Kierkegaard insisted that in order to grasp the full meaning of the work, one must hear it. Whereas other translations have obscured or disregarded the rhetorical aspect of the text, Kirmmse’s translation preserves it—thus making the same request of its readers that Kierkegaard once made of his: to hear the argument by reading it aloud. Søren Kierkegaard’s The Concept of Anxiety was praised as: “[A] book at once so profound and byzantine that it seems to aim at evoking the very feeling it dissects. Perhaps more than any other philosopher, Kierkegaard reflected on the question of how to communicate the truths that we live by.”—The New York Times

"Bruce H. Kirmmse has produced an impressive translation. . . . This is not only an accomplishment that commands respect, but is also an occasion for plain delight. Kierkegaard is rejoicing in his grave." -- Joakim Garff, author of Søren Kierkegaard: A Biography
"Bruce H. Kirmmse conveys the vigor and lucidity of Kierkegaard’s original text as it persuasively guides us to the paradoxical message of hope that emerges from the Dane’s unequalled analysis of despair." -- George Pattison, author of Kierkegaard and the Quest for Unambiguous Life

Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a Danish philosopher and theologian whose work has been widely recognized as foundational both to modern psychology and existentialism. A professor emeritus at Connecticut College, Bruce H. Kirmmse has published several books and numerous articles on Kierkegaard and is general editor of Kierkegaard’s Journals and Notebooks. He lives in Randolph, New Hampshire, and Copenhagen, Denmark.