Discipleship : Living for Christ in the Daily Grind [Paperback]

J. Heinrich Arnold (Author), Henri J.M. Nouwen (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1994

Perhaps the hardest thing about following Christ is translating our good intentions into deeds. Christ calls us, and we yearn to answer him, but time and again we lose resolve. Is discipleship possible amid the stresses of modern life? Can Christ bring about lasting change in our lives? How can we be centred on him, when everything seems to pull us apart? This book offers hard-won insights into the challenges of living for Christ in the nitty-gritty of daily life. Many of the selections offer answers to specific needs or problems. Others grapple with broader themes such as the importance of community. All of them pulsate with conviction and compassion, and all of them readiate hope.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Arnold is a wise guide with a map to a difficult but rewarding spiritual journey. This book addresses the issues facing committed Christians with understanding, generosity, and vision.

Review

"Discipleship" helps us to understand what spiritual goodness is all aboutreading it provides a mystic nurturing of the soul that will translate into social action-action that makes for justice in the world. -- Anthony Campolo, Eastern College

Discipleship is not simply a book. It is a cry from the heart of a man passionately alive for God and the work of God. Arnold's words blow on the simmering coals of our hearts and set us on fire for Christ. -- Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking

Anyone interested in union with God in his daily life will find "Discipleship" valuable. Along with "The Imitation of Christ" and the sacred Scriptures themselves, Arnold's writings are a treasure from which flows a spring of living water to nourish the soul. -- Richard T. McSorley, S.J., Georgetown University

I pray for all who read this book that they may come to follow Jesus more closely in their whole lives. He has not called us to be successful, but to be faithful. -- Mother Teresa of Calcutta

In a masterful way, J. Heinrich Arnold brings together the evangelical offer of God's forgiving mercy and the radical claims of Jesus for total self-giving in discipleship. Arnold writes that "the greatest gift is a burning love to Christ." That love pervades this book. -- Dale Aukerman, author, Reckoning with Apocalypse

Reading Discipleship is like panning for gold near the mother lode; there are nuggets everywhere What strikes me over and over is the sense of down-to-earth authenticity that shines through Arnold's words. These words obviously come from a storehouse full of experiences. There is nothing tentative or theoretical about them. And they are full of love. -- Don Mosley, Jubilee Partners

Written over a span of several decades, Discipleship offers hard-won insights into the challenges of following Christ in the nitty-gritty of modern daily life. Many of the 300 short excerpts are down-to-earth answers to specific needs or problems. Still others address basic questions of Christian practice and belief, while still others grapple with broader themes such as world suffering, salvation, and the coming of the Kingdom of God. And all of them, no matter how uncompromising, are marked by the spirit of quiet certainty and compassion, and all of them will give fresh hope to any who find themselves lonely or disheartened in the daily search to follow Christ. -- Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: Plough Publishing House (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874860660
• ISBN-13: 978-0874860665
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,215,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J. Heinrich Arnold(1913-1982)

Heini Arnold was a author and pastor of the Bruderhof, a communal movement started in Germany by his father, Eberhard Arnold. For more on Heini Arnold, visit http://www.heiniarnold.com.
In his words:
What a great gift it would be if we could see a little of the great vision of Jesus - if we could see beyond our small lives! Certainly our view is very limited. But we can at least ask him to call us out of our small worlds and our self-centeredness, and we can at least ask to feel the challenge of the great harvest that must be gathered - the harvest of all nations and all people, including the generations of the future.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging and Inspiring - A great resource, June 16, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Discipleship : Living for Christ in the Daily Grind (Paperback)

I bought this book based solely on the publisher's reviews. I was looking for a book on Discipleship that would challenge my Christian walk, and also give solid answers to theological questions. In a personal, sharp way, Arnold does this. This book is a compilation of letters and notes that were put together by his community after his death. This makes the book great because there is no filler - it's packed with to-the-point insights. I recommend it to anyone. The only reason I give it a 9 instead of 10 is because only the Bible gets a 10! :

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an absolute necessity, March 20, 2005

By 

S. Nelson "Shanni" (Sountern Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Discipleship : Living for Christ in the Daily Grind (Paperback)

This is one of those books that you get and wonder how you ever lived without it. I struggle in my walk with Christ, but this book is something that I am continually coming back to for wisdom and insight. My copy is about 5 years old and has notes scrawled all over the margins, yet I'm constantly gaining new ideas each time I reread a section. With every read, whether it's the first or the 40th, you experience something fresh. One of the best things about this book is the spectrum of topics covered--no matter your age or experience as a Christ follower, this is a book you really need to read.

And while you're at it, check out Seeking Peace: Thoughts and Conversations Along the Way. It was written by J. Heinrich Arnold's grandson, Johann Christoph Arnold. Mind blowing writing seems to run in the family...

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It changed the life of Cassie Bernall, April 5, 2000

By 

"joemck" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discipleship : Living for Christ in the Daily Grind (Paperback)

Friends of mine from Littleton Colorado told me that this book helped change the life of Columbine martyr Cassie Bernall. It is specifically mentioned in her life story "She Said Yes". This would have brought great joy to the author, Heinrich Arnold, who died in the same year that Cassie was born. A book like this is an amazing thing. The spirit that is captured in its pages waits quietly until discovered by a future generation who is then frees it for a blessing on their life.