to make use of the Pauline opposition between sin and grace, which most
people are notmature enough to appropriate. Rather, hefelt that we should
try to make thorough use of the epistle of James.” This sounds plausible,
because it was precisely that epistle’s exhortation that we be not merely
“hearers” but “doers” of the Word that was indeed one of the passages to
which Kierkegaard repeatedly returned. Martensen was thus quite able to
follow Kierkegaard, but he did not have the energy to “argue,” to put it
plainly, “because if there is anything to argue about here, there are certainly
other and larger issues.” In retrospect, however, it was clear to Martensen
that on that day he had missed an opportunity to get closer to Kierkegaard.
But, he conceded, “I was so opposed to his essential being—experimenting
and self-enclosed as it was—which seemed to me to be unavoidably linked
to the danger of some inner falsity in his character, that I was unable to feel
any desire for a closer relationship....Iwasunable to come to any confi-
dence in him and had to stick to the view that everyone must hold to his
own ideas.”
Rasmus Nielsen
During these years a new name began to appear in the journals, that of
Rasmus Nielsen. Kierkegaard’s personal connection to him was quite re-
cent, dating from the early summer of 1848, when the two had passed each
other on the street. The situation was about as symbolic as could be: The
two men were on opposite sides of the street, each on his own sidewalk,
and walking in opposite directions. But Kierkegaard waved to Nielsen, in-
dicating that he should come over to his side so that they could have a
bit of conversation, and then he invited him for a private visit. This latter
circumstance in particular must have made an overwhelming impression on
Nielsen, who knew how cautious the magister was about inviting outsiders
into his home. And Kierkegaard’s retrospective account of the event makes
it clear that he, too, had found it remarkable: “Most likely he had only
thought that he would sort of knock on my door and that then I would
sort of open it a crack or not even that much; instead the double doors were
flung open and he was invited to come in. That was more than a person
could ask.”
It is unclear what they spoke of that day, but it must have gone fairly
well because shortly thereafter Kierkegaard mentioned Nielsen as the most
suitable candidate to “publish my posthumous papers” when it became nec-
essary. “Assume I died tomorrow—there would be no account of my life,”
Kierkegaard (according to Kierkegaard) suddenly mumbled half audibly