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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
After many long pauses and breaks I finally finished this one.
This is a highly academic explanation of Christian theology, but also an autobiography of Bonhoeffer's faith - he was putting words to his most deeply held beliefs. This was particularly interesting after reading a couple of biographies of his life and all he did to impede Nazi influence and evil. These beliefs drove his action for good in his community. If you're interested in Bonhoeffer's life, be you a Christian or not, this is an excellent deep dive into what made his faith so consuming.
This is a highly academic explanation of Christian theology, but also an autobiography of Bonhoeffer's faith - he was putting words to his most deeply held beliefs. This was particularly interesting after reading a couple of biographies of his life and all he did to impede Nazi influence and evil. These beliefs drove his action for good in his community. If you're interested in Bonhoeffer's life, be you a Christian or not, this is an excellent deep dive into what made his faith so consuming.
No wonder this is a deeply held classic of the faith- and no wonder Bonhoeffer remains a hero of Christianity even into 2021. Deeply profound, and deeply shaking- Bonhoeffer leaves no room for lukewarm Christianity in his writing. Cut throat and yet encouraging, this book is a must read for any Christians serious about their faith; more so serious about discipleship.
Considering this book is over 60 years old, the writing can be a bit hard to properly grasp- take into account it is dense in theological reflection and formation, it is definitely not a "light summer reading" kind of book, and is best to read it in pairing with a have a light hearted fictional book; to balance out the heaviness and intellectual draining that will occur while reading.
All in all a truly classic piece of writing for the faith, that stands the test of time, and is now more than ever relevant in exploring what the true cost of discipleship is for followers of Jesus.
Considering this book is over 60 years old, the writing can be a bit hard to properly grasp- take into account it is dense in theological reflection and formation, it is definitely not a "light summer reading" kind of book, and is best to read it in pairing with a have a light hearted fictional book; to balance out the heaviness and intellectual draining that will occur while reading.
All in all a truly classic piece of writing for the faith, that stands the test of time, and is now more than ever relevant in exploring what the true cost of discipleship is for followers of Jesus.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who is looking to take their relationship with Christ to a new level. The main focus of this book was the Sermon on the Mount and Bonhoeffer does a great job of explaining the scripture and its relation to the role of discipleship. This book certainly opened new avenues of thought about my role as a Christian in a modern society. I particularly enjoyed his discussion on cheap grace and costly grace. The end of the book started to drag a little and was just a reiteration of many principles he discussed in earlier chapters. However, a great read and something I am sure I will look back to throughout the course of my life.
Extremely tough read... but there are many nuggets of wisdom!
It took me about two years to read this one. I would pick it up, pause to meditate on a profound line, misplace the book, find it weeks later, read a little more, pause to mediate, lose it again...
I'm not used to reading books I cannot zip through. But this one seriously challenged me. I couldn't rush through it. I needed to stop and think about what it actually meant.
Words to describe it: Profound. Thought-provoking. Challenging. Encouraging. Motivating.
I forgot how much I missed doctrine. It was like a breath of fresh air.
The downside of taking such a long time to read it is that I'm not sure I can pin-point what all impacted me or which quotes I liked best. It did it gradually and I fell in love with them all.
I guess this just means I need to read it again!
I'm not used to reading books I cannot zip through. But this one seriously challenged me. I couldn't rush through it. I needed to stop and think about what it actually meant.
Words to describe it: Profound. Thought-provoking. Challenging. Encouraging. Motivating.
I forgot how much I missed doctrine. It was like a breath of fresh air.
The downside of taking such a long time to read it is that I'm not sure I can pin-point what all impacted me or which quotes I liked best. It did it gradually and I fell in love with them all.
I guess this just means I need to read it again!
8/11/21 reading:
Read in the process of recording an audiobook for personal use. DBW translation.
The theme of obedience and uncompromising devotion is the much lauded quality about Bonhoeffer's opus Discipleship. What is misunderstood fairly often is that he is not urging Christians to "be better disciples," or to "be more committed," or to change something about themselves internally. He is not encouraging zeal. He actually strikes down the idea of our zeal as if it had any special virtue or power.
What he is doing here is re-orienting what it means to be a Christian, in the teeth of the distortions of his (and our) time. Namely the distortion that Christianity exists in merely "believing" things in the mind or heart, that it stands on a confession or a cognition. Instead, DB is equating salvation with discipleship, with allegiance to Jesus. He is showing that faith depends on externalities in a way protestantism has long denied. The simple obedience of the disciple is what is required. Only by putting oneself in the presence of Jesus, that is by getting up and following when he calls (and not without the call!), can one get into a position in which faith is possible. Only the believer obeys and only the obedient believe.
Bohoeffer is also laying forth a phenomenally intricate, and important, ecclesiology -- a view of the church -- without which his teaching on discipleship fail. Not everyone who says "Bonhoeffer, Bonhoeffer" will hear his teaching on discipleship, but he who recognizes Bonhoeffer's view of the church.
First reading:
My favorite is when people ask if Bonhoeffer was orthodox in his faith.
You do not ask if Bonhoeffer was orthodox. Bonhoeffer asks if you are orthodox.
Read in the process of recording an audiobook for personal use. DBW translation.
The theme of obedience and uncompromising devotion is the much lauded quality about Bonhoeffer's opus Discipleship. What is misunderstood fairly often is that he is not urging Christians to "be better disciples," or to "be more committed," or to change something about themselves internally. He is not encouraging zeal. He actually strikes down the idea of our zeal as if it had any special virtue or power.
What he is doing here is re-orienting what it means to be a Christian, in the teeth of the distortions of his (and our) time. Namely the distortion that Christianity exists in merely "believing" things in the mind or heart, that it stands on a confession or a cognition. Instead, DB is equating salvation with discipleship, with allegiance to Jesus. He is showing that faith depends on externalities in a way protestantism has long denied. The simple obedience of the disciple is what is required. Only by putting oneself in the presence of Jesus, that is by getting up and following when he calls (and not without the call!), can one get into a position in which faith is possible. Only the believer obeys and only the obedient believe.
Bohoeffer is also laying forth a phenomenally intricate, and important, ecclesiology -- a view of the church -- without which his teaching on discipleship fail. Not everyone who says "Bonhoeffer, Bonhoeffer" will hear his teaching on discipleship, but he who recognizes Bonhoeffer's view of the church.
First reading:
My favorite is when people ask if Bonhoeffer was orthodox in his faith.
You do not ask if Bonhoeffer was orthodox. Bonhoeffer asks if you are orthodox.
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
The classic work on Christian discipleship by Bonhoeffer, who died in a Nazi concentration camp for attempting to assassinate Hitler. Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor, theologian, author, and founding member of the Confessing Church. This is one of his seminal works on being a Christian disciple. The book walks through passages of Scripture and breaks them down in Bonhoeffer's thorough way. A must read for all Christians.
I read half this book as a teenager and it profoundly affected me. About a decade later I actually finished it, and it was the other half that moved me. Not the easiest to read, but worthwhile coming back to again and again to plumb it's depths.
This is a tough read. It was worth pushing on through to gather some good chunks of Bonhoeffer's writing and perspective but his writing takes some time to get used to and is by no means a "quick read."
A mentor suggested reading this book to get a perspective on how to handle someone who is openly going against what they believe and refuses to turn their ways. I did like what Bonhoeffer had to say in regards to this subject throughout the book and the loving ways that you can guide a person in that type of situation.
Overall, the focus of the book is how one can give up their lives to live as a disciple, focused on the things of God only. It's a deep, academic, reflection and a very honest and clear cut view.
Some of my favorite parts:
-Costly grace is the only pure grace, which really forgives sins and gives freedom to the sinner.
-Worldly possessions tend to turn the hearts of the disciples away from Jesus. What are we really devoted to? That is the question.
-Is there some part of your life which you are refusing to surrender at his behest, some sinful passion, maybe, or some animosity, some hope, perhaps your ambition or your reason? If so, you must not be surprised that you have no received the Holy Spirit, that prayer is difficult, or that your request for faith remains unanswered. Go rather and be reconciled with your brother, renounce the sin which holds you fast - and then you will recover your faith!
-Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.
A mentor suggested reading this book to get a perspective on how to handle someone who is openly going against what they believe and refuses to turn their ways. I did like what Bonhoeffer had to say in regards to this subject throughout the book and the loving ways that you can guide a person in that type of situation.
Overall, the focus of the book is how one can give up their lives to live as a disciple, focused on the things of God only. It's a deep, academic, reflection and a very honest and clear cut view.
Some of my favorite parts:
-Costly grace is the only pure grace, which really forgives sins and gives freedom to the sinner.
-Worldly possessions tend to turn the hearts of the disciples away from Jesus. What are we really devoted to? That is the question.
-Is there some part of your life which you are refusing to surrender at his behest, some sinful passion, maybe, or some animosity, some hope, perhaps your ambition or your reason? If so, you must not be surprised that you have no received the Holy Spirit, that prayer is difficult, or that your request for faith remains unanswered. Go rather and be reconciled with your brother, renounce the sin which holds you fast - and then you will recover your faith!
-Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.