ABSTRACT
Louis Dupre gave the Kierkegaardian research program a marvelous gift in his book on Kierkegaard as a theologian. The profundity of one’s interpretation of a great thinker depends upon the depth and scope of the interpreter’s humanity. Dupre’s expansive humanity enables him to offer people an insightful view of Kierkegaard’s contributions as a theologian. The author was writing at a time when documents were being prepared for the Second Vatican Council. The theme of ecumenicity was in the air and questions about the relation of Roman Catholics to Protestants were being considered. In his Introduction, Dupre asks whether Kierkegaard was operating in the Protestant or Catholic tradition. Kierkegaard’s context was Lutheran, but his harsh criticisms of Protestantism resonated with elements of Catholic doctrine. Dupre’s knowledge of Hegel and Kant affords him the vantage point for grasping fine points of Kierkegaard’s dialectical anthropology, at the center of which is sin.
