A book critique on "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
The Cost of Discipleship
Before Bonhoeffer could challenge his readers, he had to convince them to "get on his bandwagon". He begins by writing about grace. Bonhoeffer categorizes grace into two groups: one is cheap grace and the other is costly grace. To Bonhoeffer, cheap grace is the denial of the living Word of God and the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. He goes so far as to say, "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession" (p. 44). Bonhoeffer even goes as far as to say that cheap grace is another word for damnation. Obviously, he isn't advocating this type of grace. The grace Bonhoeffer longs for Christians to have is costly grace. This type of grace requires action of the Christian. "Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again..." (p. 45). Bonhoeffer states that since we are called to follow it, it is costly, and because we are called to follow Christ, it is grace. "Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son..." (p.45). Any Christian with any conviction to follow Christ is almost forced to agree with Bonhoeffer, and that is exactly what he wanted. Now that you're "on the bandwagon", he can hit you with his radical ideas of what it means to follow Christ.
Now that Bonhoeffer has you, he says to just obey God, don't rationalize. We should not question God; we should just do as He says. He also points out that following God isn't a cakewalk. Discipleship means suffering, and we should not kid ourselves by believing otherwise.
Bonhoeffer then shifts to show us how we should follow Christ. He does so by thoroughly covering...
More Christianity
essays:
Christianity Outline: Historical Background, Key Principle and doctrines, Current followers, Intolerance, and Key ceremonial practices.
... A Sinner is born again to become righteous by being saved spiritually and believing in the baptism of Jesus. b) A Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth c) Some churches baptize infants, but some only baptize adults. 6) Communion, with ...
What do I understand the church to be?
... as communion is leading everyone to work for a Church that is more a home and not simply an 'ecclesiastical organisation'. (4) There's a focus on a lived, mystical experience of God. (5) An increasing feature in Christian spirituality ...
This essay explains what is done and said at the baptism of an infant and what the different rituals/acts represent for Christians.
... the word of God and carry out his will. What is said at other churches like Catholic, Methodists etc. is different in some ways from the events in an Anglican infant baptism but ...
What is the function of the Sign at Cana in John 2:1-12?
... These words of our Lady can be seen as a permanent invitation to each of us: 'in that all Christian holiness ... gift of the Holy Spirit through baptism and He is with certainty, The Son of God. Jesus is referred as the "Lamb of God" by ... the Church. "The drama of the woman, the people of God, spans ...
The Role and Function of the Holy Spirit in the book of Romans
... People of God, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. Fitzmyer, Joseph.A. Romans, New York: Doubleday, 1992 Hubbard, David.A. The Holy Spirit in Today's World, Texas: Word Books Publisher, 1973. McGrath, Alister.E. Christian Theology ...
John 3
... repentance and baptism. 5. Basically Jesus' response seems to challenge the idea that though Nicodemus has heard of the works of Jesus, spoke of them, testified of them, and even seen Jesus, he still does not believe/understand the words of ...
The way...
... a Christian. Your heart will only grow larger and larger, full of the goodness and love of God and the peace that passes understanding, and forgiveness to ...
It represents approximately 1975. It is written from a Wesleyan Pentecostal perspective and attempts to demonstrate the importance of eschatology to the movement.
... fusing of the power of God into the church through the Baptism is nothing less than a foretaste of the fullness of the glory of the ...