faith. But to Kierkegaard, faith is not a mental conviction about doctrine, nor positive religious feelings, but a passionate commitment to God in the face of uncertainty. Faith is a risk (the “leap of faith”), an adventure that requires the denial of oneself. To choose faith is what brings authentic human existence. This is the “existentialism” that Kierkegaard is considered the founder of—though later existentialists had significantly different agendas than his.