Works of Love, the midpoint in the series, is also the monumental high point, because of its penetrating, illuminating analysis of the forms and sources of love. Love as feeling and mood is distinguished from works of love, love of the lovable from love of the unlovely, preferential love from love as the royal law, love as mutual egotism from triangular love, and erotic love from self-giving love.This work is marked by Kierkegaard's Socratic awareness of the reader, both as the center of awakened understanding and as the initiator of action. Written to be read aloud, the book conveys a keenness of thought and an insightful, poetic imagination that make such an attentive approach richly rewarding. Works of Love not only serves as an excellent place to begin exploring the writings of Kierkegaard, but also rewards many rereadings.

    Anyone who really wants to understand Kierkegaard does well to begin with it." These discourses, composed after Kierkegaard had initially intended to end his public writing career, constitute the first work of his "second authorship." Characterized by Kierkegaard as ethical-ironic, Part One, on the theme of "Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing, " offers a penetrating discussion of double-mindedness and ethical integrity; the irony lies in the relation between factuality and ideality. Part Two, "What We Learn from the Lilies in the Field and from the Birds of the Air, " is humorous for Kierkegaard in that it exposes an inverted qualitative difference between the learner and the teacher. In Part Three, "The Gospel of Sufferings, Christian Discourses, " the philosopher explores the theme of joy, as in "The Joy of It That the School of Sufferings Educates for Eternity."

    Many of its statements are short explanations of a profound doctrine that needs to be unpacked. The classic explanation of the confession provides a thorough theological grounding.This book is completely re-typeset for this 5th reprint by Christian Focus Publications.