ABSTRACT
The acquaintance of Søren Kierkegaard with the Baroque Catholic writer Abraham a Sancta Clara may seem surprising at first glance. The German religious writer was for many decades practically unknown in the Protestant world, but his literary talent, peculiar style, and unique combination of humor and satire with Christian moral pedagogy ensured him a lasting, albeit fluctuating, popularity. Kierkegaard was a long-time reader of Abraham a Sancta Clara, gradually purchasing all of Abraham’s works and quoting them both in his published and unpublished writings. It is therefore relevant to examine what attracted Kierkegaard to the Baroque author and why Kierkegaard’s reception of Abraham a Sancta Clara differed from that of many other thinkers of his time.
