Looking at the churches in Denmark in his day, Kierkegaard decided that their pastors must not believe what they were teaching. After all, they were preaching the most revolutionary and transformative message human ears had ever heard—the gospel. But the church looked lifeless, and its pastors seemed to be going through the motions. The churches had fine stained glass and beautiful music, but Kierkegaard declared that they lacked the one thing most necessary—passion.
