released 5/29/2026

Playwright Tim McIntosh (My Name Is Søren Kierkegaard) discusses his interest in Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1836), whose life has not — until now — been the subject of any major dramatic artistic work. McIntosh’s self-described obsession with Kierkegaard evolved over time from hero worship to a more complex admiration for the philosopher’s unique contributions to theology. Kierkegaard’s intense focus on the “hidden interiority” of each person’s experience of Christianity and faith continues to cause controversy: some fear that it denies or contradicts the existence of objective truth. McIntosh acknowledges how Kierkegaard’s complexity — often resulting from the multiple voices and even divided perspectives in his written works — fuels this controversy. However, he argues that his insights into “the knowing self” — that is, personal knowledge — are helpful and are reflected in the work of other Christian thinkers and artists as diverse as Michael Polanyi, Karl Barth, and filmmaker Terrence Malik. McIntosh describes his process in writing the play and plans for its production.

The first full production of My Name Is Søren Kierkegaard will be staged July 23–26, 2026, at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga’s Black Box Theatre. It is directed by Frank Mihelich and presented by the New Threads Theatre Company. To learn more about this upcoming production, visit the play’s website.

Interested listeners might enjoy McIntosh’s podcast, The Play’s the Thing.

21 minutes

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duration 20:55

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