Freedom of Simplicity (Mass Market Paperback)

by Richard J. Foster (Author) "Contemporary culture is plagued by the passion to possess..." (more)
Key Phrases: prophetic simplicity, inward simplicity, exterior simplicity, Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ, New Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This book will become a challenging and formative part of your spiritual life." -- Lauren Winner, author of Girl Meets God and Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review
"Foster's personal honesty, forthrightness, and literary courage are compelling." (Ted Engstrom, president emeritus, World Vision )

"A stirring and timely message to Christians specifically and to humanity generally." (Mark Hatfield, senator from Oregon )

"Belongs in the hearts and hands of all who call themselves Christ's followers." (David Allan Hubbard, president and professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary )

"If everybody in this country could read-and heed-this book, what a difference it would make to the planet." (Madeleine L'Engle )

"This book will become a challenging and formative part of your spiritual life." (Lauren Winner, author of Girl Meets God and Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (November 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061043850
• ISBN-13: 978-0061043857
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #164,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breaking free and finding peace, December 14, 1999

By	Jackie St Hilaire "Memere Jackie" (Manchester, NH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's not an easy task to let go of the known and go into the unknown.

To let go of possessions, relationships and to live simply one day at a time. To let go of controlling people you live with, work with, play with, to be and to trust.

It is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself and others, it brings peace and fulfillment not to rush and accomplish but to do one thing at a time, whether it's eating, vacuuming, telephone calling, working at the office or being with the kids or grandkids.

One thing at a time done with simple awareness is worth doing many, many things without awareness. Richard Foster shows us how to live this lifestyle in his books Freedom of Simplicity and Celebration of Discipline. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

Once you let go, you don't have to prove anything to anyone, you lose that competition drive, status quo, you don't have to live on the edge, you become more compassionate, more centered, more intuitive, more alive to yourself and others.

You worry less and love more, you fear less and trust more, you live for the moment, because that's all you have. You make less mistakes and better decisions. You need less and enjoy more. Live simply so that others may simply live

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Christian case against me-ism and more-ism., April 14, 2002

By	Wesley L. Janssen (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Foster wonders if he is the right person to write this book, and indeed who would be. (It seems clear that he was exactly the right person.) Our culture is at war with simplicity. Material neediness is almost demanded of us. We need new stuff -- techno-toys, fashions, cars, amazing new whatnot. Says Foster: "Stress the quality of life above the quantity of life. Refuse to be seduced into defining life in terms of having rather than being. Cultivate solitude and silence. Learn to 'listen to God's speech in his wondrous, terrible, gentle, loving, all-embracing silence'... Value music, art, books, significant travel. If you are too busy to read, you are too busy... Learn the wonderful truth that to increase the quality of life means to decrease material desire..." Foster leads the reader to understand that Christian simplicity is not merely a reinvention of self focus, a stripped-down version of self indulgence. It is both carefully inward-looking and thoughtfully outward-looking, always seeking to need only One. This is not the Christianity that the skeptic will find easy to assail, but rather the type of human concerns illuminated by Christ: "A million hogs in Indiana have superior housing to a billion humans on this planet."

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Challenging Than I Thought, February 27, 2002

By	Baysuite "Baysuite" (United States) - See all my reviews

This was a good book on voluntary simplicity. I've read enough of such books, but this one offered more of a biblical perspective than I've seen in a lot. The first couple of chapters are really great, as they offered some great insights about how God views wealth and our responsibility to others. It's good information, too, because in our society, we are mostly concerned about how we can get more money to take better care of SELF, not others. Other countries are a lot more community oriented.
In later chapters, though, the book shifts gears a bit and shows us some things we can do to embrace simplicity outwardly and inwardly. Because of these chapters, I don't think that this is exactly the book for simplicity beginners. It gets pretty challenging, and not that this is a bad thing, but it can be a little intimidating and feel a bit "burdensome". The wise reader, however, will know what to apply, and what is fitting for his or her life, and the direction God is leading him or her in. It is a good book, though, and I would recommend it.