Description Isn't 'The Rationality of Faith' contrary to Kierkegaard's own claims? This book seeks an answer to the essential relationship between faith and reason as Kierkegaard understood it. Philosophical Fragments addresses, in essence, the questions: 'Can truth be known? And if so, is the path to truth philosophy (reason) or faith?' Since faith and reason inherently occupy different domains of human thought, they are bound to be in tension. In the reason-centered philosophy and theology of thinkers like Kant, Hegel, and Schleiermacher, the realm of transcendence is either closed off or reduced to a vague hypothesis. Kierkegaard, however, answers that transcendence—the eternal and absolute God—can be known 'through faith alone.' So doesn't the title of this book, "The Rationality of Faith," seem to contradict Kierkegaard's own position? Most people understand Kierkegaard as asserting an absolute distinction between faith and reason—and in an absolute sense, this is true. However, by analyzing the position of Climacus (Kierkegaard's pseudonymous author) on the relationship between faith and reason as presented in Philosophical Fragments, this book argues that the close connection between faith and reason becomes evident. Kierkegaard maintained that reason, to a certain extent, does carry out the task of affirming the existence of the transcendent. In other words, his declaration that "reason is discharged" means that within faith, prideful reason is dethroned, and through repentance, a regenerated reason is restored to its proper role as a faithful servant that helps bring faith to completion. Put differently, this book will demonstrate that Kierkegaard argued reason does not negate faith, but rather is a gift from God that completes faith. ◆ Kierkegaard as a Christian Thinker Kierkegaard was a genuine Christian who criticized the Christianity of his time for having doctrine without the passion and reverence for truth, seeking to awaken people to the true essence of Christianity. However, since the mid-20th century, his thought has been appropriated by various philosophers, and he has become widely known as a forerunner of existentialism. This book seeks to reveal his true character by examining his work through the lens of faith, shedding new light on Kierkegaard as a Christian thinker.