Customer Reviews

Reverence for Life: Sermons 1900-1919

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In a marvellously inspiring way, Albert Schweizer's sermons address issues such as how to deal with suffering in the world, how to treat animals, and how to treat the people around you.

This book is a cornerstone in my collection on Christianity and ethics.

This was my introduction to Albert Schweitzer's work, and I wasn't much impressed. The book contains 15 very, very short sermons that he preached to his congregation at his church in Africa, where he was a missionary. As sermons go these are pretty good -- there is a minumum of dogmatism and a great deal of ethics, as might be expected based upn Schweitzer's life, but although they did seem very genuine, they also seemd dull and not particularly original. In general, sermons have never impressed me very much, as I have always favoured vital religious experience and action to empty words, but Schweitzer -- to his credit -- was one of the few who actually lived what he preached, which is a welcome contrast to this day of Swaggart's and Graham's who spend their time waggling their fingers at us without lifting a finger to help their fellow human beings. Like most Christians, Schweitzer has an absurd notion that Christianity is superior to all other religions and thus he has no problems in trying to convert others without looking to find the beauty or truth in the native religions, but due to the nature of his faith, that is perhaps unavoidable even if it is deplorable. The sermons are very low-brow, leading one to think that he was inclined to try to reach the "common man" than to push his theology. He steers clear of superstition, which is also a welcome plus, but this collection still left me cold. Might be good for devotional reading, but there is little of lasting intellectual value here.