You can believe a man is committed to a cause when he is willing to lay down his life — literally, willing to die — for the cause’s sake. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran theologian who was martyred during World War II in Germany for the sake of Christianity and the German people. His story is movingly told in the video Hanged on a Twisted Cross. (There is also a dramatized version, Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace, which I have not seen yet.)

Bonhoeffer wrote a number of books. The one I’m reviewing here is The Cost of Discipleship, one of his best-loved classics.

Overview

At some point those of us who call ourselves Christians face the question of what being a Christian is all about. Is it living for ideas, doctrines, and theologies, and defending them against skeptics and other proselytizers? Is it understanding conspiracies, prophecies, and hidden knowledge? Is it feeling good about ourselves? Is it a moral, ethical, or holistic lifestyle? Is it ministering, witnessing, caring, or doing good deeds? Is it simply a ticket to heaven when we reach the end of the road? At times Christianity may take the form of any of these things, and sometimes it can be confusing to sort it all out. Is there a unifying view that brings it all together?

In The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer takes up the task of showing what Christianity really is at its foundation, and how that affects the various ways we live out our Christian lives.

In a nutshell, Bonhoeffer shows that Christianity is all about discipleship — and not merely the church or fellow Christians discipling one another, but being discipled by Jesus Christ Himself. It is a teacher–student (master–disciple) relationship between Christ and each believer. Of course, this idea may seem unsettling to some, perhaps a little too personal or ultra-spiritual. But if there’s one thing this book does, it is showing that true Christianity can be no less than that. Mere cultural Christianity is worthless, and better discarded sooner than later.

The book is divided into four sections:

1. Grace and Discipleship (five chapters)
2. The Sermon on the Mount (fifteen chapters)
3. The Messengers (six chapters)
4. The Church of Jesus Christ and the Life of Discipleship (six chapters)

The first section, “Grace and Discipleship,” deals with what it means to be a follower of Christ in the first place. Who is called, and how? And what does it mean to accept the call? This section is powerful and practical.

The second section is by far the longest, and it is very rich. Bonhoeffer takes on each section of the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew chapters 5–7, with practical insight. In his view, the Sermon on the Mount defines much of the day-to-day walk of a Christian-disciple’s life.

Part three, “The Messengers,” deals with the evangelistic aspect of discipleship. Bonhoeffer does not fear to tell his readers that spreading the Good News could be very costly — it might even cost their lives. Yet he reminds us that the reward of soul-winning is well worth the cost.

The final part deals with various miscellaneous questions of baptism, church order, and growing into the image of Christ.

Conclusions

This is one of my favorite Christian books.

I have not yet found a modern book with a better explanation of the interrelationship between grace, faith, works, and obedience. Perhaps you’ve heard the expression “cheap grace”; according to various sources, Bonhoeffer is the one who coined the term. In this book he presents the alternative to this counterfeit grace, which he calls “costly grace.” And this costly grace is what gives the book its title, The Cost of Discipleship. If you want clear statements about why obedience is necessary — even though we are saved by grace through faith — then Chapter 2, “The Call to Discipleship,” is worth the cost of the book. It is really that good. In fact, the whole first section is excellent.

I found the “Memoir” section at the front of the book, before the “Introduction,” to be a bit long and dry. However, being the kind of person who tries to read books cover-to-cover, I did read it. It has some interesting parts, but if you find yourself dozing off, you may want to skip it. (It does contain a few examples of Bonhoeffer’s sublime and evocative poetry.)

The book does have some difficult passages. In general, I found it clear and presented in laymen’s terms. However, Bonhoeffer does not hesitate to throw in some Greek here and there. There are sections that are not exactly light reading. But persistence pays off, and in the end the committed reader is rewarded.

I must say that as a Seventh-day Adventist, there were some doctrinal statements peculiar to Lutheranism that I disagreed with. But I do not consider them major problems, nor were they a significant part of the book.

Because so much of this book is about the Sermon on the Mount, I would recommend it as a good companion study book for Ellen White’s Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing.

I must confess that I do not feel I have reached the standard of Christianity described in this book; nevertheless, I feel it is an accurate and vivid picture of what Christian faith is meant to be.