<p><b>A tough, prophetic book</b> in a time in which few people dare to speak unpopular but truly healing words. <b>—Henri J. M. Nouwen</b></p>
Impressive…Arnold is thoroughly scriptural and very practical. This book is right down my alley. —Elisabeth Elliot
<b>I have found <i>Discipleship</i></b><i> </i>to be an incisive and inspirational Christian guidebook. It is a clear call to higher religious ideals. <b>—Jimmy Carter</b>
<b>I have not experienced a book</b> like this except when reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Christoph Blumhardt. Arnold sees beyond the present into the wonderful future of God’s kingdom. <b>—Jürgen Moltmann</b>
<b><em>Discipleship</em> is not simply a book.</b> It is a cry from the heart of a man passionately alive for God. Arnold's words blow on the simmering coals of our hearts and set us on fire for Christ. <b>—Helen Prejean, CSJ</b>
<p><b>Arnold writes with a refreshing candor</b> and forthrightness. Specifically, he can be downright blunt. Yet this always is shaped by a shepherd’s tough and tender love. …While I wish I had this book as a young man (or Arnold in person!), I’m glad I have it now. Arnold’s writing challenges and encourages young and old alike, beginners and leaders. Sometimes his incisive words are the faithful wounds of a friend that heal. At other times, his word offer spiritual and moral clarity needed in our murky times. And always he keeps central the main thing of Christ, his cross, his kingdom, and our future hope. —<b>Bob Trube, </b><em><b>Bob on Books</b></em></p>
Sometimes provocative but always encouraging, a pastor offers sage advice for leading Christ-like lives amid the stresses of modern life.
Perhaps the hardest thing about following Christ is translating our good intentions into deeds. Christ calls us, and we want to answer him, but time and again we lose resolve. Many of the selections in this book offer answers to specific problems. Others grapple with broader themes such as world suffering, salvation, and the coming of the kingdom of God. All of them pulsate with conviction and compassion, giving fresh hope to those who find themselves lonely or disheartened in the daily effort to follow Christ. Discipleship contains writings, letters, and talks from J. Heinrich Arnold’s forty years of service as a pastor in the Bruderhof Communities. In the tradition of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship and C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, Arnold makes the challenges and rewards of the Christian life accessible to people regardless of their religious background.
This elegant 30th-anniversary edition, with marginal bible references, introduces this Christian classic to another generation.
Introduction
The Disciple
The Inner Life
Repentance
Conversion
Faith
Dogmatism
Commitment
The Lower Nature
Purity
Trust
Reverence
Surrender
Sincerity
The Church
Church Community
Leadership
Gifts
Forgiveness
Unity
Church Discipline
Baptism
The Lord’s Supper
Love and Marriage
Family Life
Illness and Death
Evil and Darkness
The Fight
World Suffering
Mission
The Kingdom of God
Jesus
The Living Word
The Cross
Salvation
The Holy Spirit
The Kingdom of God
Index of Bible References