The Cost of Discipleship

Read this more than 35 years ago and never forgot it. Thought I was due to read it again and starting with the first Chapter on the topic of Cheap Grace that Bonhoeffer thought was killing the Church when he was alive, well, it seems that these words are once again as timely as they have ever been, first of all for ME!!! So while I refused to pay the new price in my current unemployed state, it is actually worth whatever price you have to pay to read these pearls of wisdom and character from the man who took his Lord seriously enough to live his life as if Jesus WAS Lord. GREAT BOOK!

The soteriology of Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) is an honest reaction to the context of his world under Nazism. This reaction can be summarized as “Christ against culture” according to famous Christian worldview distinction (cf., H. Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture). As Bonhoeffer himself exemplified with his life and death, for him salvation is a process before the entrance into God’s eternity rather than one time event, and this salvation is inherently joined with ecclesiastical and social life of Christian.Salvation is, for Bonhoeffer, a calling for righteousness rather than an invitation for propitiation. It is a calling for sinners to die daily until they reach physical death, yet while living they are only “invited” to imitate sufferings of Christ—denying themselves daily and taking up His cross daily. On 9 April 1945 he gave his last words before execusion, “This is the end—for me the beginning of life,” but during his life Bonhoeffer also said, “Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes” (69). He argues that since “the disciple is not above his master” suffering is a mandatory, if not actively voluntary (100). Thus his emphasis on voluntary suffering was an honorable duty for all Christians, and this makes his definition of salvation [redemption] almost a requirement for earthly missions before the heavenly union with Christ—namely, “costly grace” (45ff, 130f). He is a German theologian even though not quite a Lutheran. Instead, strong influence of Barth is visible from where he departs liberalism but adheres to neo-orthodox with an emphasis of living out faith. His focus on discipleship is a natural outcome of his anti-nominal—neo-orthodox—ecclesiastical—social-reforming—soteriology (61ff). Consequently for Bonhoeffer “faith” seems to lose its strong aspect of grace and gift because sinner have to choose to follow Christ through discipleship and faith becomes something other than given freely from God as gift, but strict choice of man (cf., 66f). As the church throughout its history struggled balancing between purity and unity Bonhoeffer seems to have trouble reconciling between his anthropology and soteriology; on the one hand he condemns sinners but on the other hand he calls for their active participation in salvation process. It seems the only possible way to succeed in this process is partaking with Christ, but Bonhoeffer almost sounds like a sacrametalist, if not ritualist, when he tells that is only possible through baptism and Lord’s Supper (267). Therefore, despite the fact that his theology is so practical reads like devotion, because he uses theological terms differently it troubles him to express their associated meanings. For example Bonhoeffer had little option but to use terms like “better law” and “better righteousness” in order to distinguish what he meant from what others usually meant (137). Because of his overemphasis on discipleship and dying for Christ his definition on redemption ended up meaning “dying man” rather than “living man” through Christ’s sacrifice, and because his definition of “calling” is ambiguous it ended up meaning “having union with Christ” which he also used for glorification (141). After all if all Christians are to suffer just like Christ and die just like Him to imitate Him where is the victory and joy of salvation that Christ bestowed us through His grace. Bonheoffer may answer this “in heaven” but it is something none should sell as reward.

After reading Doetrich Bonhoeffer's biography, by Eric Metaxas, I couldn't resist the desire to know more about this German theologian, whose passion for Christ led him to stand against the Nazi government. Bonhoeffer paid the ultimate price in following Christ, and one thing that caused him to do so was his upbring. He grew up, not as a Lutheran, but more after the faith of the Count Ludwig van Zinzendorf, and his Moravian community. Bonhoeffer followed a devotional life which centered on Christ and on His Word, making emphases on dedicated meditation of Bible verses, rather than just a daily reading. The cost of discipleship for him was imprisonment and execution.

Best book for me after the Bible for understanding Jesus call to discipleship and avoiding the pitfalls of 'cheap grace'. Bonhoeffer's life was truly an example of faith and love in action during one of the most confusing and dangerous periods in world history.

I had heard about Bonhoffer for the past few years and I finally decided to read one of his writings. Wow. A must read for all American Christians today.

Bought as a replace book for one I loaned out and it never returned. It is an important part of my reference library.

Good reading from the Lutheran point of view. Great detail into just what the cost of discipleship meansfrom scriptural point of view and personal sacrifice. interesting concept into the 1939 point of view.

A good read regarding the commitment for Christ.

essential for all serious Christians, I have read it twice, and am trying to obtain copies for my friends

good value

Inspiring

Great book

great condition