Being before God

Being before God offers a thorough account of Cornelio Fabro’s Thomistic reading of Søren Kierkegaard’s theology, speaking both to systematic theology and Kierkegaard studies.

Italian Stigmatine priest and Thomist philosopher Cornelio Fabro is well known for his work on the metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas. Yet despite also authoring many studies on Søren Kierkegaard, Fabro remains virtually unknown among Kierkegaard scholars outside of Italy. Being before God sheds light on the influence of Kierkegaard’s writings on Fabro’s Thomism and provides a detailed historical account of Fabro’s contributions to Kierkegaard studies and systematic theology. Drawing upon rare archival material, including materials that have never been translated into English, Joshua Furnal speaks to Kierkegaard’s relationship to Catholic theology, the Kierkegaardian aspects of Fabro’s Thomism, and Fabro’s Thomistic approach to Kierkegaard in turn. Being before God also highlights how Fabro’s work brings together ideas from both Aquinas and Kierkegaard to broaden the horizon of contemporary theology.

Through his meticulous research, Furnal contends that, despite his lack of modern recognition, Fabro remains one of the most important European interpreters of Kierkegaard in the twentieth century.