Soren Kierkegaard

ter’s pending wedding. Mynster, who generally played hard to get when-
ever Kierkegaard would broach the subject of future visits, was for the most
part unusually open that day and told Kierkegaard that he was always wel-
come. They parted on the friendliest of terms: “He really does have my
devotion, though of course it would do little good for me to proclaim in
print how devoted I am to him, nor would it ever be understood.” It isn’t
that easy to love someone else.
But in the margin opposite this journal entry, Kierkegaard added some
lines that make it clear that this devotion was beginning to evaporate. For
in his marginal comment, Kierkegaard considered whether Mynster had
nonetheless in fact wanted to “affront me by placing me together with
Goldschmidt.” Indeed, at the point in the conversation when Kierkegaard
had insisted that Mynster compel Goldschmidt to recant “what he had done
in the past,” Mynster had replied that of course, in that case, he would first
have to read all of Goldschmidt’s books from cover to cover. “Yes, but
Goldschmidt’s books are not the problem!” Kierkegaard had almost wanted
to shout; he hadn’t been thinking of the books, but rather of the fact that
for six years Goldschmidt had been editor ofThe Corsairand in this capacity
had contributed to damaging Kierkegaard socially. Either Mynster had been
completely naive when he talked that nonsense about having to read all of
Goldschmidt’s books, or he was a cynic who enjoyed the fruits of power
by pretending to be sympathetic. Kierkegaard could think of no third possi-
bility, and his assessment of the situation was dramatic: “Perhaps Mynster
is counting on my being too weak to be able, singlehandedly, to attack the
entire established order. But he had better watch out....Iamnottooweak
to attack....And Iwill be able do it in such a way as to induce both
Martensen and Paulli to lean toward my side.” Though spurned, Kierke-
gaard’s devotion to Mynster retained its passion as it was transformed into
hatred: “As I now understand the situation, I must regard Bishop Mynster
as my most dangerous and most zealous opponent.”
Kierkegaard’s next visit to the episcopal residence took place on August
9, 1851. Mynster had just recently returned from a visitation journey during
which he had been able to see things for himself and get a firsthand impres-
sion of the clerical and pastoral situation of the country, which in some
places was quite dismal. Kierkegaard had sent him copies ofTwo Discourses
for the Communion on FridaysandOn My Wor kas an Author, both of which
had been published on August 7, only two days previously, and he was thus
able to make his entre ́with a pert observation: “Welcome home from your
visitation journey. Your Reverence has of course already visited me as well,
[in] the two books I have sent you.” This was a daring remark, bordering
on the saucy, but Mynsterhadin fact “visited” Kierkegaard—not theTwo