What does it really mean to have faith?

In this episode of The TAC Podcast: Great Books and First Principles, John Finley and Chris Decaen explore Søren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling and one of the most unsettling passages in all of Scripture: God's command that Abraham sacrifice Isaac.

Drawing from Kierkegaard's famous "four vignettes," they examine why Abraham is called the father of faith, why faith cannot simply be reduced to reason, and why this story continues to challenge believers and skeptics alike.

Together they discuss:

Why Kierkegaard believed you cannot "go beyond faith"
The challenge Hegel posed to Christianity
Abraham, Isaac, and the test on Mount Moriah
The relationship between faith and reason
Why Kierkegaard's imagined versions of the story ultimately fail to explain Abraham
The meaning of paradox in the Christian life
What Abraham teaches us about trust, suffering, and obedience to God
Whether you're interested in philosophy, theology, the Great Books, or the Bible, this conversation offers a thoughtful introduction to one of the most influential works of Christian existentialism and one of the greatest meditations ever written on faith.
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