Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 4: Discipleship

by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Publisher:

Fortress Press

, 2003

Overview

“Cheap grace is the mortal enemy of our church. Our struggle today is for costly grace.” And with that sharp warning to his own church, which was engaged in bitter conflict with the official nazified state church, Dietrich Bonhoeffer began his book Discipleship (formerly titled The Cost of Discipleship). Originally published in 1937, it soon became a classic exposition of what it means to follow Christ in a modern world beset by a dangerous and criminal government. At its center stands an interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount: what Jesus demanded of his followers—and how the life of discipleship is to be continued in all ages of the post-resurrection church.

“Every call of Jesus is a call to death,” Bonhoeffer wrote. His own life ended in martyrdom on April 9, 1945. Freshly translated from the German critical edition, Discipleship provides a more accurate rendering of the text and extensive aids and commentary to clarify the meaning, context, and reception of this work and its attempt to resist the Nazi ideology then infecting German Christian churches.

In the Logos edition, this valuable volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Examines what Christ desired of Christians rather than what church leaders wanted for Christians, in the time of World War II
• Presents the most influential work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s career
• Challenges readers to be “Christlike” Christians

Contents

• Part One
  • Costly Grace
  • The Call to Discipleship
  • Simple Obedience
  • Discipleship and the Cross
  • Discipleship and the Individual
  • The Sermon on the Mount (An Interpretation)
  • The Messengers (An Interpretation of Matthew 10)
• Part Two: The Church of Jesus Christ and Discipleship
  • Preliminary Questions
  • Baptism
  • The Body of Christ
  • The Visible Church-Community
  • The Saints
  • The Image of Christ

Product Details

• Title: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, vol. 4: Discipleship
• Author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Translators: Barbara Green and Reinhard Krauss
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress
• Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 354

About Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945) a German theologian, pastor, and ecumenist, was a professor in Berlin, an uncompromising teacher in the Confessing Church, and a consistent opponent of National Socialism. Executed by Hitler at the end of World War II, his influence continues today as one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Rather, the mistake was that monasticism essentially distanced itself from what is Christian by permitting its way to become the extraordinary achievement of a few, thereby claiming a special meritoriousness for itself.” (Page 47)

“Following Christ means taking certain steps. The first step, which responds to the call, separates the followers from their previous existence. A call to discipleship thus immediately creates a new situation.^[13] Staying in the old situation and following Christ mutually exclude each other.” (Pages 61–62)

“The justification of the sinner in the world became the justification of sin and the world. Without discipleship, costly grace would become cheap grace.” (Page 50)

“Under no circumstances is anything permitted to come between Jesus and the one called, even that which is greatest and holiest, even the law.” (Page 60)

“The call goes out, and without any further ado the obedient deed of the one called follows. The disciple’s answer is not a spoken confession of faith in Jesus. Instead, it is the obedient deed.” (Page 57)

Product Details

• Title: Discipleship
• Author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Series: Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works
• Volume: 4
• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Print Publication Date: 2003
• Logos Release Date: 2012
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Sermon on the Mount
• ISBNs: 9780800683245, 0800683242
• Resource ID: LLS:DBW04
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:12:38Z

About Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945), a German theologian, pastor, and ecumenist, was a professor in Berlin, an uncompromising teacher in the Confessing Church, and a consistent opponent of National Socialism. Executed by Hitler at the end of World War II, his influence continues today as one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century. Bonhoeffer penned countless letters, portions of fiction, and several works on theology and ethics that have shaped modern religious thought. Life Together and The Cost of Discipleship are two examples of this modern martyr’s enduring legacy.