What was Attack upon Christendom about?

Attack upon Christendom refers to a series of polemical writings published by Søren Kierkegaard between 1854 and 1855, in which he launched a fierce critique against the Church of Denmark and its leadership.12

The core of this "attack" was Kierkegaard’s conviction that the established church had reduced Christianity to a form of "leniency" and empty cultural conformity. He argued that what passed for faith in Denmark was actually counterfeit, as it lacked the radical commitment and personal struggle required by true Christian existence.12

The conflict intensified after Bishop H.L. Martensen eulogized his predecessor, J.P. Mynster, as a "witness to the truth." Kierkegaard viewed this as a profound distortion of the faith, prompting him to publish dozens of short, sharp pieces intended to expose the hypocrisy of the religious establishment and to "again introduce Christianity into Christendom". Through these writings, he sought to challenge the ethical complacency of his contemporaries and defend the integrity of the religion from what he perceived as its capture by the state and society.12