Joakim Garff

Joakim Garff (born February 25, 1960, in London) is an Associate Professor and current leader of the Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Theology since 2016. He co-edited the 55-volume critical edition Søren Kierkegaards Skrifter and authored the internationally acclaimed biography SAK, translated into multiple languages including English as Søren Kierkegaard: A Biography (Princeton University Press, 2005).

Education:

• Licentiate in Theology (1991), University of Copenhagen
• Candidate of Theology (1986), University of Copenhagen
• Pastoralseminaret (1987)

Garff's research centers on Kierkegaard Studies, the Danish Golden Age, Aesthetics, Biography, and Hermeneutics. His current project Nisus formativus examines Kierkegaard's concept of self-identity and cultural criticism, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach bridging philosophy, theology, and literary analysis. His scholarship consistently explores formation, existential identity, and 19th-century intellectual history.

His 193 research outputs—including 92 books, 48 journal articles, and 45 book chapters—demonstrate sustained focus on Kierkegaard's legacy and the Danish Golden Age. Publications reveal evolving engagement with biography, cultural critique, and hermeneutics, with recent works like Regines gåde (2013) extending analysis to gender and romantic relationships.

Scientific Awards:

• Georg Brandes Prize (2001)
• Weekendavisens Literature Prize (2001)

Garff served as Chair of the Danish Kierkegaard Society (1992-1999) and co-organizes the annual SKC conference (2024-2025). His editorial leadership includes Søren Kierkegaards Skrifter (1994-2012) and Kierkegaardiana (1989-1999). He taught at Danmarks Biblioteksskole (1985-1995) and Folkeuniversitetet (1985-2017), where he was study leader (2012-2017), though doctoral advisees aren't specified.

As Centre leader, Garff directs international Kierkegaard scholarship through the Research Centre and its conferences, fostering global academic collaboration while advancing critical editions and interdisciplinary studies of Kierkegaard's work.