Mention Based On Books Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World

Title	:	Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World
Author	:	Richard J. Foster
Book Format	:	Paperback
Book Edition	:	First Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 272 pages
Published	:	August 30th 2005 by HarperOne (first published October 22nd 1981)
Categories	:	Christian. Nonfiction. Spirituality. Religion. Faith. Christian Living. Christianity

Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World Paperback | Pages: 272 pages

Rendition Supposing Books Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World

As far as spiritual disciplines books go, this is one of the better ones. Foster is (usually) wise enough to know that enforcing a lot of these disciplines and practices as a "law" is legalism. And he doesn't do that. His thesis is simple (no pun intended): simplicity allows us to live in freedom to God (Foster 3). Simplicity exposes our numerous "false selves."

How then should one live in simplicity? Here is where it gets tricky. Foster knows he cannot "make" any of his suggestions a law for the Christian life, otherwise he is going beyond the gospel. (Some of the earlier SoJo guys did just that, but to their credit they later retracted their Galatianism). But he does give practical suggestions and many of them are quite good.

Pros:
1. Great section on prayer and fasting.
2. Great section on the False Self (80-81).
3. He is aware that a lot of, say, Ron Sider's earlier proposals probably won't pan out and so he recommends a more balanced approach.c

Cons:
1. Like many connected with Sojourner's Magazine, he accidentally makes the mistake of using big
corporate government to fight big corporate government (181). He advocates multinational institutions to fight multinational institutions.

2. He praises the IMF as a possible rescue organization for the poor. This is ironic since many social justice people criticize the IMF's loan policy as crippling the developing world. So which is it?

3. There are problems with Adam Smith (174), but no one accused Marx and Engels of lifting 2 billion of the world's population out of poverty.

4. He makes the astute observation that spiritual principalities are behind many unjust social structures (164-165). Further, he is correct that these principalities can empower evil multinational corporations. The problem is he paints himself into a corner: he really has no way of fighting these multinational principality structures outside of appealing to something like the UN. This cure is worse than the disease. Further, he says exousiai in Romans 13 means spiritual principalities. That reading really strains the rest of the text, those his larger point holds.

Conclusion:

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. He is much more balanced than Sider et al. He writes with the wisdom of experience.

Details Books During Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World

Original Title:	Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World
ISBN:	0060759712 (ISBN13: 9780060759711)
Edition Language:	English
Literary Awards:	ECPA Christian Book Award for Contemporary Issues (1982)

Rating Based On Books Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World

Ratings: 4.18 From 2191 Users | 140 Reviews

Judgment Based On Books Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World

Simply put, this is a classic. It belongs on everyones shelf because it speaks to the feverishness by which we live our lives and the antidotes to that way of being. Simply put, simplicity. I will show so areas that were especially helpful to me. But the most helpful thing for you to do is to put away your device right now and buy this dang book. Chapter 3 - Jesus sought from the very beginning of his ministry to show that he came to be with and serve the poor. To set at liberty those who are

This is one of those books you wish you hadnt read. It challenges you in many ways about the call of Jesus. Were not called to a life of constant consumerism and wealth, but a life that singularly follows God and is focused only on things that help in that pursuit.The book progresses through the ways this is called for in Scripture to then showing the ways we practice this both inwardly and outwardly as well as within the church. Although clearly written form a biblical foundation, this book is

I was very disappointed by this book: it felt like an outdated compilation of other authors writing, with too many references discussed with far too much brevity -- as a result, the book as a whole came across as topical and almost flippant on some topics.

As far as spiritual disciplines books go, this is one of the better ones. Foster is (usually) wise enough to know that enforcing a lot of these disciplines and practices as a "law" is legalism. And he doesn't do that. His thesis is simple (no pun intended): simplicity allows us to live in freedom to God (Foster 3). Simplicity exposes our numerous "false selves."How then should one live in simplicity? Here is where it gets tricky. Foster knows he cannot "make" any of his suggestions a law for the

I am currently reading this though I have probably already read it due tom my starting midway and then restarting at the beginning. few of my friends have criticized this book based on the Author's background and while I do not agree with everything Foster says and do wish he had a more academic argument for his position nevertheless I find the book challenging.

Brilliant!!

I've had this book since I was in college (circa 15 years ago), tried to read it three different times and never got past page 3, and finally this fourth time I had enough get-up-and-go to momentum the shit out of it.Foster never specifically defines "simplicity." One can't really without putting rules on it, which he is very emphatic to say aren't necessarily rules to be followed like a checklist or a law. The things he discusses are important but take different forms for different people. Yet