Fear and Trembling

In his famous treatise Fear and Trembling, Soren Kierkegaard distinguishes between what he terms 'ethical norms' and 'the teleological [i.e. for a purpose] suspension of the ethical'. In any other context, Abraham's act would be considered murder; mere ethics, though, are suspended when we are directly commanded by God to act towards a cosmic goal. Obedience to the divine command, no matter how irrational, is the only matter of any relevance. Through submission to God's will, man is transformed into a knight of faith, and thereby forges his spiritual self.