2014 Reprint of 1946 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "Fear and Trembling" first published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio (John of the Silence), is one of Kierkegaard's most influential works. The title is a reference to a line from Philippians 2:12, "... continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. " - itself a probable reference to Psalms 55:5, "Fear and trembling came upon me... " Kierkegaard wanted to understand the anxiety that must have been present in Abraham when "God tested [him] and said to him, take Isaac, your only son, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on the mountain that I shall show you. " Critics have universally praised the book as one of the lynchpins of the existentialist movement.