The Cost of Discipleship
Dietrich Bonhoeffer · a chapter-by-chapter study companion on costly grace and the call to follow Christ
About this book
The Cost of Discipleship (German: Nachfolge, "Following After")
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's best-known book grew out of lectures he gave at the underground Confessing Church seminary he directed at Finkenwalde in the mid-1930s, as the German church wrestled with the demands of the Nazi state. First published in Germany in 1937, it is a sustained, chapter-by-chapter meditation on the Sermon on the Mount and the New Testament's call to follow Jesus — built around Bonhoeffer's famous distinction between "cheap grace," which asks nothing of the believer, and "costly grace," which calls a person to follow Christ at whatever the cost. Bonhoeffer himself was executed by the Nazi regime at Flossenbürg in April 1945, three weeks before the war's end in Europe.
Author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)
Translated by R. H. Fuller, revised by Irmgard Booth
First German edition: 1937 · First English edition: 1949 · This Revised and Unabridged Edition: SCM Press © 1959
- 32 chapters
- 4 parts
- 33 study pages
- 99 discussion questions
- English
How to use this study companion
This is a guide to Bonhoeffer's book, not a copy of it. The Cost of Discipleship remains in copyright, so its text is not reproduced here; what you will find for each of its 32 chapters (plus Bonhoeffer's own Introduction) is the chapter's heading Scripture, where the book prints one (King James Version), an original UECF.NET summary of its argument, its key points, related Scripture references and three questions for personal reflection or group discussion. Read the chapter in the book itself, then use the page here to review, discuss and apply it.
Every page has Previous / Next links, the full table of contents, adjustable text size, dark mode, bookmarks, and search across the whole companion (press Ctrl K). Your reading position and bookmarks are saved in this browser only.
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Contents
Front Matter
Part I — Grace and Discipleship
pp. 45–602The Call to Discipleship
Mark 2:14 · pp. 61–863Single-Minded Obedience
pp. 87–944Discipleship and the Cross
Mark 8:31–38 · pp. 95–1045Discipleship and the Individual
Luke 14:26 · pp. 105–114
Part II — The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:1–12 · pp. 117–1287The Visible Community
Matthew 5:13–16 · pp. 129–1348The Righteousness of Christ
Matthew 5:17–20 · pp. 135–1419The Brother
Matthew 5:21–26 · pp. 142–14610Woman
Matthew 5:27–32 · pp. 147–15011Truthfulness
Matthew 5:33–37 · pp. 151–15512Revenge
Matthew 5:38–42 · pp. 156–16113The Enemy — the “Extraordinary”
Matthew 5:43–48 · pp. 162–17114The Hidden Righteousness
Matthew 6:1–4 · pp. 172–17915The Hiddenness of Prayer
Matthew 6:5–8 · pp. 180–18716The Hiddenness of the Devout Life
Matthew 6:16–18 · pp. 188–19117The Simplicity of the Carefree Life
Matthew 6:19–24, 25–34 · pp. 192–20118The Disciple and Unbelievers
Matthew 7:1–12 · pp. 202–20919The Great Divide
Matthew 7:13–23 · pp. 210–21720The Conclusion
Matthew 7:24–29 · pp. 218–220
Part III — The Messengers
Matthew 9:35–38 · pp. 223–22522The Apostles
Matthew 10:1–4 · pp. 226–22723The Work
Matthew 10:5–15 · pp. 228–23524The Suffering of the Messengers
Matthew 10:16–25 · pp. 236–24025The Decision
Matthew 10:26–39 · pp. 241–24426The Fruit
Matthew 10:40–42 · pp. 245–247
Part IV — The Church of Jesus Christ and the Life of Discipleship
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