Alexander Jech, professor of the practice in Notre Dame's department of philosophy and faculty affiliate at the History of Philosophy Forum, has published a new translation of the Søren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling: Dialectical Lyric with Hackett Publishing. An extended meditation upon the nature of faith as exemplified in the biblical story of Abraham's binding of Isaac, the text is perhaps the nineteenth-century Danish philosopher's most renowned work, anticipating existentialist thought of the twentieth century and influencing scores of philosophers, theologians, and artists the world over. Although Kierkegaard drew upon philosophy and literature written in various European languages in his works, he himself wrote in his native Danish, whose relative paucity of speakers globally has meant that Kierkegaard is largely known exclusively through translation.
The new English edition prepared by Jech shows a particular attentiveness to Kierkegaard's philosophical acuity, communicated both through the precise rendering of Kierkegaard's philosophical vocabulary and through an orienting introduction, notes, and a historical glossary that elucidates key Kierkegaardian terms by referring to his broader corpus. Daniel Conway, professor of philosophy and humanities at Texas A&M University, notes that Jech's translation, "displays an unusual sensitivity not only to the literary/linguistic qualities of Kierkegaard’s prose, but also to his (often realized) aspirations to philosophical precision. As presented by Jech, Kierkegaard is not simply a gifted writer and speculative theologian dabbling in philosophy, but a philosopher concerned to limn the optimal role of philosophical reflection, and to do so experimentally, especially with respect to matters of morality and faith."
Other scholars of Kierkegaard have noted how this translation makes a unique contribution to the field. Rick Anthony Furtak, associate professor of philosophy at Colorado College, has drawn attention to the enormous value of the historical glossary of key terms, writing that, "because Fear and Trembling cannot be understood apart from the rest of Kierkegaard's writings, this feature will be exceedingly valuable to all readers." Likewise, Megan Fritts, assistant professor of philosophy at University of Arkansas, Little Rock, has hailed Jech's edition as, "an unprecedented resource," and, "way more than a new translation." The book is available for pre-order and forthcoming September 2024.