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The Selfless Way of Christ: Downward Mobility and the Spiritual Life
In this beautiful work Henri Nouwen offers a penetrating reflection on the challenge of the spiritual life, especially the call to imitate Christ's example of "downward mobility." This vocation is sorely tested by the constant celebration of "upward mobility," which brings to mind the temptations Christ faced in the to be "powerful, relevant, and spectacular."
To prepare us for this path, Nouwen describes the "disciplines of spiritual formation," represented by the Church, the word of God, and the promptings of our heart.
To prepare us for this path, Nouwen describes the "disciplines of spiritual formation," represented by the Church, the word of God, and the promptings of our heart.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
43 people are currently reading
738 people want to read
About the author
Henri J.M. Nouwen
453 books2,123 followersHenri Jozef Machiel Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, psychologist, professor, and spiritual writer whose work profoundly shaped contemporary Christian spirituality. Born in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, in 1932, Nouwen pursued religious studies and was ordained a priest in 1957. His intellectual curiosity led him to study psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen and later at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, where he explored the connection between faith and mental health. Throughout his life, Nouwen remained committed to integrating pastoral care, psychology, and spiritual theology in a way that addressed the emotional and existential needs of believers.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
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April 25, 2025Dieses Buch ist sortiert nach den Punkten Berufung, Versuchung und Spiritualität.
Thematisch hat man es also mit klassischer Erbauungsliteratur zu tun.
Nouwen ist so präzise mit seiner Themenwahl und so einfühlsam mit seiner Wortwahl, dass ich sagen würde: "Christi Weg nach unten" ist ein must-read.
Allerdings merkt man insbesondere bei der Problemstellung, dass der Text im Kontext der amerikanischen 80er Jahre entstand. Ich glaube, man muss den "Weg nach oben" in den 2020er Jahren nochmal neu beobachten.
Lieblingszitat bisher:
“Irgendwo tief in unserem Herzen wissen wir bereits, dass Erfolg, Ruhm, Einfluss, Macht und Geld uns nicht die innere Freude und den inneren Frieden schenken, den wir begehren. Irgendwo können wir einen gewissen Neid auf die Menschen spüren, die alle falschen Begehrlichkeiten abgeworfen und eine tiefere Erfüllung in ihrer Beziehung mit Gott gefunden haben. Ja, manchmal können wir sogar den Geschmack dieser geheimnisvollen Freude erahnen, wenn wir auf das Lächeln derer schauen, die nichts mehr zu verlieren haben."
Thematisch hat man es also mit klassischer Erbauungsliteratur zu tun.
Nouwen ist so präzise mit seiner Themenwahl und so einfühlsam mit seiner Wortwahl, dass ich sagen würde: "Christi Weg nach unten" ist ein must-read.
Allerdings merkt man insbesondere bei der Problemstellung, dass der Text im Kontext der amerikanischen 80er Jahre entstand. Ich glaube, man muss den "Weg nach oben" in den 2020er Jahren nochmal neu beobachten.
Lieblingszitat bisher:
“Irgendwo tief in unserem Herzen wissen wir bereits, dass Erfolg, Ruhm, Einfluss, Macht und Geld uns nicht die innere Freude und den inneren Frieden schenken, den wir begehren. Irgendwo können wir einen gewissen Neid auf die Menschen spüren, die alle falschen Begehrlichkeiten abgeworfen und eine tiefere Erfüllung in ihrer Beziehung mit Gott gefunden haben. Ja, manchmal können wir sogar den Geschmack dieser geheimnisvollen Freude erahnen, wenn wir auf das Lächeln derer schauen, die nichts mehr zu verlieren haben."
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April 1, 2025The downward path is synonymous with the straight and narrow path. It strips away everything. It asks us to go deeper. So, where does the downward path lead?
From what I’ve gathered in this book, it leads to our vocation. It leads to suffering. We will meet temptation along the way and be shaped by it. And not quickly or painlessly. We will be formed as we tread on its ground.
But ultimately, the downward path leads to glory! It leads to the inward place where we can finally cry, wail, “Abba, Father.” It leads to the place where the answers are—not the ones we demand, but the ones we slowly grow into, as Rilke once wrote, without even noticing it.
At first, the path feels unnatural. It fights against everything we’ve been taught to value: success, visibility, control. It's the feeling that comes when one empties oneself. It is the strange quiet of letting go. But in that quiet is the beginning of transformation. Rich Mullins once said, "I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want, then take what You give that I need." This downward path, this straight and narrow, leads us to our necessity.
It is a road of selflessness, service, solitude, silence. Of listening, not striving. Of becoming less, and in that, becoming whole.
Henri Nouwen doesn’t argue or explain the downward path—he reveals it. He shows us what it looks like in the life of Christ and invites us, gently but urgently, to follow- the same way our Christ invites us.
Abba, Father, put me on the downward path this Lenten season and forevermore.
From what I’ve gathered in this book, it leads to our vocation. It leads to suffering. We will meet temptation along the way and be shaped by it. And not quickly or painlessly. We will be formed as we tread on its ground.
But ultimately, the downward path leads to glory! It leads to the inward place where we can finally cry, wail, “Abba, Father.” It leads to the place where the answers are—not the ones we demand, but the ones we slowly grow into, as Rilke once wrote, without even noticing it.
At first, the path feels unnatural. It fights against everything we’ve been taught to value: success, visibility, control. It's the feeling that comes when one empties oneself. It is the strange quiet of letting go. But in that quiet is the beginning of transformation. Rich Mullins once said, "I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want, then take what You give that I need." This downward path, this straight and narrow, leads us to our necessity.
It is a road of selflessness, service, solitude, silence. Of listening, not striving. Of becoming less, and in that, becoming whole.
Henri Nouwen doesn’t argue or explain the downward path—he reveals it. He shows us what it looks like in the life of Christ and invites us, gently but urgently, to follow- the same way our Christ invites us.
Abba, Father, put me on the downward path this Lenten season and forevermore.
September 26, 2025
A short, profound book. I have probably read more books by him than anyone else in the last 8 years--though they are all short. But they are dense and demand care and attention. As an academic it is easy to think one is escaping (all) the temptations of upwardly-mobile modern society, yet he shows how they pop up again in other ways. We certainly have our own forms of achievement. I aspire to downward mobility, and yet see that success at that aspiration is yet another trap. All I can say right now is that I am trying to rethink/re-feel.
8/23/2013 update: I just got back from a few days with my parents. My father can no longer stand up. He has suffered from Parkinson's for a dozen years. A year ago he had a fall that has left him unable to walk. A month ago he had an infection that has left him unable to stand. He can hardly articulate a complete sentence (though I think he sometimes has complete thoughts in mind). Should we simply hope for his death? Should we vigorously work with him to regain abilities--at least to be able to stand? Should we find a way to accept his downward trajectory as a spiritual gift? The first two options are upward-oriented: Give up on him b/c he is no longer upwardly mobile, or Keep trying to make him upwardly mobile. This book opens up the latter downward option.
8/23/2013 update: I just got back from a few days with my parents. My father can no longer stand up. He has suffered from Parkinson's for a dozen years. A year ago he had a fall that has left him unable to walk. A month ago he had an infection that has left him unable to stand. He can hardly articulate a complete sentence (though I think he sometimes has complete thoughts in mind). Should we simply hope for his death? Should we vigorously work with him to regain abilities--at least to be able to stand? Should we find a way to accept his downward trajectory as a spiritual gift? The first two options are upward-oriented: Give up on him b/c he is no longer upwardly mobile, or Keep trying to make him upwardly mobile. This book opens up the latter downward option.
August 11, 2016
Human Temptations:
To be Relevant: to make or do something that is needed and can be appreciated by people (49) the act of making productivity the basis of our ministry WE ARE NOT WHAT WE PRODUCE
To be Spectacular: to do something great, unusual or to attract many eyes (53) WE ARE UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED
To be Powerful: having money, connections, fame, skills, and intellectual abilities WE CONNECT WITH OTHERS IN OUR VULNERABILITY AND WEAKNESS
To be Mastered by the Holy Spirit:
Discipline of the Church (71): a life lived with the experience and concrete manifestation of Christ- Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost
Discipline of the Book (76): scripture delivers God’s word to our hearts, allowing those words to transform us, guiding, opening, removing fears, and dwelling in us.
Discipline of the Heart (82): personal prayer, time alone with God to face our tensions, animosities, frustrations, resentments
To be Relevant: to make or do something that is needed and can be appreciated by people (49) the act of making productivity the basis of our ministry WE ARE NOT WHAT WE PRODUCE
To be Spectacular: to do something great, unusual or to attract many eyes (53) WE ARE UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED
To be Powerful: having money, connections, fame, skills, and intellectual abilities WE CONNECT WITH OTHERS IN OUR VULNERABILITY AND WEAKNESS
To be Mastered by the Holy Spirit:
Discipline of the Church (71): a life lived with the experience and concrete manifestation of Christ- Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost
Discipline of the Book (76): scripture delivers God’s word to our hearts, allowing those words to transform us, guiding, opening, removing fears, and dwelling in us.
Discipline of the Heart (82): personal prayer, time alone with God to face our tensions, animosities, frustrations, resentments
January 24, 2024
short, and compact which is what u get with Nouwen but beautiful and convicting at the same time
September 2, 2023
The incarnation and the cross are invitations to the downward mobility of Christ.
“There is probably no culture in which people are so unabashedly encouraged to seek power as ours. From the moment we set out on our climb to the top we make ourselves believe that striving for power and wanting to be of service are, for all practical purposes, the same thing. This fallacy is so deeply ingrained in our whole way of living that we do not hesitate to strive for influential positions in the conviction that we do so for the good of the reign of God.”
“There is probably no culture in which people are so unabashedly encouraged to seek power as ours. From the moment we set out on our climb to the top we make ourselves believe that striving for power and wanting to be of service are, for all practical purposes, the same thing. This fallacy is so deeply ingrained in our whole way of living that we do not hesitate to strive for influential positions in the conviction that we do so for the good of the reign of God.”
December 17, 2014
I found this a thoughtful book about how to shape one's life. (I read it right after reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers about life in a life in Mumbai slum.) It discusses vocation, temptation and formation as aspects of ministry and the spiritual life.
Instead of keeping up with the Jones, he instructs one in the way of downward mobility. And in living this way we will have a spiritual life in God. There are three lures of upward mobility, desire to be: relevant, spectacular and powerful; that what we do is meaningful, have others pay attention to us/what we do, and instead of power what powerlessness does. There are three disciplines for building the foundation to overcome these: the church which illuminates Christ's life, the book and close reading of the scriptures, the heart meaning the act of personal prayer. In the heart of God, we can come to understand human suffering and through Christ and his suffering, learn to alleviate the that suffering in others.
Instead of keeping up with the Jones, he instructs one in the way of downward mobility. And in living this way we will have a spiritual life in God. There are three lures of upward mobility, desire to be: relevant, spectacular and powerful; that what we do is meaningful, have others pay attention to us/what we do, and instead of power what powerlessness does. There are three disciplines for building the foundation to overcome these: the church which illuminates Christ's life, the book and close reading of the scriptures, the heart meaning the act of personal prayer. In the heart of God, we can come to understand human suffering and through Christ and his suffering, learn to alleviate the that suffering in others.
March 6, 2008
Picked this one up at exactly the right time in my life. Read over half of it before getting over my silly aversion to marking up a nice hardback copy. But after finishing, I went back and reread the first half, being sure to leave plenty of blue ink behind.
I think Henri's approach in this book demonstrates how very metaphysical Christ's message is. Here is a quote from the opening chapter, a thesis statement I think, which the remainder of the book explains in surprisingly sensible detail:
"It is not enough to try to imitate Christ as much as possible; it is not enough to remind others of Jesus; it is not even enough to be inspired by the words and actions of Jesus Christ. No, the spiritual life presents us with a far more radical demand: to be living Christs here and now, in time and history."
I think Henri's approach in this book demonstrates how very metaphysical Christ's message is. Here is a quote from the opening chapter, a thesis statement I think, which the remainder of the book explains in surprisingly sensible detail:
"It is not enough to try to imitate Christ as much as possible; it is not enough to remind others of Jesus; it is not even enough to be inspired by the words and actions of Jesus Christ. No, the spiritual life presents us with a far more radical demand: to be living Christs here and now, in time and history."
July 7, 2011
Forgot to add this book. Read it a few months ago at my wife's recommendation. An invaluable read for any aspiring academics (though really for anyone at all). Nouwen was a highly-renowned professor of theology at Harvard and Yale before giving up his post in the early '80s and going to live and work in a community dedicated to one-on-one care for the mentally handicapped.
In this book, he challenges the pervasive mindset of "upward mobility" that infects our culture, and calls on Christians to avoid the career mentality that is always seeking advancement and a bigger platform and position of influence, even for very good and noble ends. Instead, Christ calls us to downward mobility, to serve him and change the world by taking up the lowest station, not the highest.
A short and deeply challenging read
In this book, he challenges the pervasive mindset of "upward mobility" that infects our culture, and calls on Christians to avoid the career mentality that is always seeking advancement and a bigger platform and position of influence, even for very good and noble ends. Instead, Christ calls us to downward mobility, to serve him and change the world by taking up the lowest station, not the highest.
A short and deeply challenging read
August 23, 2019
My favorite spirituality book. Have read twice, and intend to read annually. I've underlined nearly half of this book by now.
April 15, 2018
Short but powerful. Henri Nouwen has been one of my favorite spiritual reading authors for a long time. This one gets right to the point:. answering the call to holiness means the Cross and downward mobility. The temptations to be relevant, spectacular and powerful lead us in the opposite direction. In order to fight these temptations, we must follow the discipline of the Church, the discipline of the Book and the discipline of the heart.
February 8, 2022
Short and dense, like many of Henri’s. Not much of it was new to me, perhaps because I’ve read him so often, but I’d recommend this as a starter book to many friends. Much of this forms the foundations for my favorite book by him, Compassion, in that it details the ways competition have wounded our society/neighbors.
October 14, 2024
Short and profound. Ken preached a sermon many years ago on the rich young ruler and the call to downward mobility. I really appreciated Nouwen’s insights on this radical, counter cultural way of following Jesus.
August 1, 2022
Late to the party on this one. Life changing book.
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July 11, 2023Beautiful and small book that spoke all the more loudly when I read it alongside The Enchantment of Mammon.
November 11, 2023
Nouwen's profound simplicity is timeless.
November 24, 2023
Repetitive at times but a solid, short read. Part on the disciplines of spiritual formation (especially of the heart) is a gem
December 28, 2021
A fave quote:
“When we find ourselves able to continue to serve our fellow human beings even when our lives remain the same, even when few people offer us praise, and even when we have little or no power, we come to know ourselves as God knows us, as sons and daughters hidden in God’s love.”
“When we find ourselves able to continue to serve our fellow human beings even when our lives remain the same, even when few people offer us praise, and even when we have little or no power, we come to know ourselves as God knows us, as sons and daughters hidden in God’s love.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2025
Thought-provoking reflection on our vocation as Christians. There is undoubtedly an idolization of upward mobility where value is placed on climbing the ladder of success, wielding influence, and conquering knowledge. Nouwen doesn’t denigrate ambition, progress, or success but distinguishes between the false ambition for power and the true ambition to love and serve.
Who other than Jesus demonstrates the way to unreserved submission?
“His state is divine yet did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave and become as we are; and being as we are, he we humbler yet, even to accepting death on a cross” -Philippians 2:6-8
Discipleship is the life of the Spirit in us to transform us like Christ.
Who other than Jesus demonstrates the way to unreserved submission?
“His state is divine yet did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave and become as we are; and being as we are, he we humbler yet, even to accepting death on a cross” -Philippians 2:6-8
Discipleship is the life of the Spirit in us to transform us like Christ.
August 7, 2025
Wonderful little book on prioritizing a relationship with Jesus over the work of ministry. When you finish reading this, you should read Andy Crouch’s Strong and Weak.
June 10, 2016
***2016 Reading Challenge - a book you've already read at least once***
This book has a special place in my heart. I first read it in 2011 and at the time, the idea of downward mobility was mind-blowing to me. And something I had never heard before. I grew up in a mega-church that preached and valued upward mobility as a hallmark of spiritual growth, so this book was a turning point in my life of seeing the gospel in a new way. Not a gospel heavily influenced by Western values and American culture, but of Jesus Christ and the path he lived and preached. Now that I've had the chance to reflect on the idea of downward mobility for several years, I gained even more from this book upon second reading. It's a short little book for having such a powerful message, only 96 pages, so I would definitely recommend this as a must read for every Christian. I have included some direct quotes below:
"We can only call ourselves witnesses of Jesus when we have heard him with our own ears, seen him with our own eyes, and touched him with our own hands."
"Power always lusts after greater power precisely because it is an illusion. Despite our experience that power does not give us the sense of security we desire, but instead reveals our own weaknesses and limitations, we continue to make ourselves believe that more power will eventually fulfill our needs."
"But the mystery of our ministry is that we are called to serve not with our power but with our powerlessness. It is through powerlessness that we can enter into solidarity with our fellow human beings, form a community with the weak, and thus reveal the healing, guiding, and sustaining mercy of God."
"...we forget that service outside of God becomes self-seeking, and self-seeking service leads to manipulation, and manipulation to power games, and power games to violence, and violence to destruction-even when it falls under the name of ministry."
"The discipline of the Christian disciple is not to master anything, but rather to be mastered by the Spirit. True Christian discipline is the human effort to create the space in which the Spirit of Christ can transform us into his lineage."
This book has a special place in my heart. I first read it in 2011 and at the time, the idea of downward mobility was mind-blowing to me. And something I had never heard before. I grew up in a mega-church that preached and valued upward mobility as a hallmark of spiritual growth, so this book was a turning point in my life of seeing the gospel in a new way. Not a gospel heavily influenced by Western values and American culture, but of Jesus Christ and the path he lived and preached. Now that I've had the chance to reflect on the idea of downward mobility for several years, I gained even more from this book upon second reading. It's a short little book for having such a powerful message, only 96 pages, so I would definitely recommend this as a must read for every Christian. I have included some direct quotes below:
"We can only call ourselves witnesses of Jesus when we have heard him with our own ears, seen him with our own eyes, and touched him with our own hands."
"Power always lusts after greater power precisely because it is an illusion. Despite our experience that power does not give us the sense of security we desire, but instead reveals our own weaknesses and limitations, we continue to make ourselves believe that more power will eventually fulfill our needs."
"But the mystery of our ministry is that we are called to serve not with our power but with our powerlessness. It is through powerlessness that we can enter into solidarity with our fellow human beings, form a community with the weak, and thus reveal the healing, guiding, and sustaining mercy of God."
"...we forget that service outside of God becomes self-seeking, and self-seeking service leads to manipulation, and manipulation to power games, and power games to violence, and violence to destruction-even when it falls under the name of ministry."
"The discipline of the Christian disciple is not to master anything, but rather to be mastered by the Spirit. True Christian discipline is the human effort to create the space in which the Spirit of Christ can transform us into his lineage."
March 8, 2014
A beautiful little book that I wish I could fold up and store in my heart. Nouwen's insights about a life of "upward mobility" versus a life of "downward mobility" are special and should be frequently accessed as a reminder to us all who want to look like Jesus, follow Him, and love Him and our neighbors with our whole lives. This reading will certainly add depth to one's reflections on the song in Philippians 2 about imitating Christ's humility. When I began this book, my orientation was one of curiosity, willingness, and openness to Nouwen reshaping and reforming my thoughts about my own identity and concept of selfhood.
Additionally, the works of Vincent Van Gogh that were chosen and placed throughout the book are profound, and deserve time from the reader to gaze upon them and allow the image to be spoken to and impressed on the heart in terms of why Nouwen chose that specific work of art and how they add to the content of Nouwen's insights.
Additionally, the works of Vincent Van Gogh that were chosen and placed throughout the book are profound, and deserve time from the reader to gaze upon them and allow the image to be spoken to and impressed on the heart in terms of why Nouwen chose that specific work of art and how they add to the content of Nouwen's insights.
October 8, 2025
1. Vocation: we’re called to journey with Christ on the “downward path,” the path of self-emptying and the “unreserved submission ti the downward pull.”
2. Temptation: we’re tempted to abandon the downward path for upward mobility, chasing power, relevance and the spectacular.
3. Formation: to survive this tension we need to have a disciplined life of formation. Christina discipline is not about what we can accomplish, but about creating space where God can accomplish formation in us.
Quotes:
There has never been a Christian witness whose influence has not been directly related to a personal and intimate experience of the Lord.
Living a spiritual life is living in an intimate communion with the Lord. Living a life of ministry is witnessing to him in the midst of this world.
True growth is something other than the uncontrolled drive for upward mobility in which making it to the top becomes its own goal and in which ambition no longer serves a wider ideal.
Real and total freedom is only found through downward mobility.
We can even get a taste of that mysterious joy in the smile of those who have nothing to lose.
Jesus made it clear to his disciples that their ministry is possible only because they no longer belong to the world and its ways.
The temptation to be relevant is difficult to shake since it is usually not considered a temptation but a call.
The basis of all ministry is the experience of God‘s unlimited and unlimited acceptance of us as beloved children and acceptance so full, so total, and all embracing, but it sets us free from our compulsion to be seen, praised, and admired and freeze us for Christ, who leads us on the road of service. This experience of God‘s acceptance freezes us from our needy self, and thus create new space where we can pay selfless attention to others.
For most of us, it is very hard to spend a useless hour with God. It is hard precisely because by Face and Gott alone. We are also facing our own inner chaos.
2. Temptation: we’re tempted to abandon the downward path for upward mobility, chasing power, relevance and the spectacular.
3. Formation: to survive this tension we need to have a disciplined life of formation. Christina discipline is not about what we can accomplish, but about creating space where God can accomplish formation in us.
Quotes:
There has never been a Christian witness whose influence has not been directly related to a personal and intimate experience of the Lord.
Living a spiritual life is living in an intimate communion with the Lord. Living a life of ministry is witnessing to him in the midst of this world.
True growth is something other than the uncontrolled drive for upward mobility in which making it to the top becomes its own goal and in which ambition no longer serves a wider ideal.
Real and total freedom is only found through downward mobility.
We can even get a taste of that mysterious joy in the smile of those who have nothing to lose.
Jesus made it clear to his disciples that their ministry is possible only because they no longer belong to the world and its ways.
The temptation to be relevant is difficult to shake since it is usually not considered a temptation but a call.
The basis of all ministry is the experience of God‘s unlimited and unlimited acceptance of us as beloved children and acceptance so full, so total, and all embracing, but it sets us free from our compulsion to be seen, praised, and admired and freeze us for Christ, who leads us on the road of service. This experience of God‘s acceptance freezes us from our needy self, and thus create new space where we can pay selfless attention to others.
For most of us, it is very hard to spend a useless hour with God. It is hard precisely because by Face and Gott alone. We are also facing our own inner chaos.
October 2, 2020
This is a beautiful, simple, and profound little book. Nouwen is possibly one of my favourite pastoral writers; his words are nourishing, soulful, compassion-filled, but still prophetic.
His message in this book is pertinent. It’s easy for us to be possessed with the drive for power, influence, and success. But as disciples of Christ, our vocation is to resist the pull of upward mobility and seek the downward path, the path towards compassion, empathy, service and selflessness. In a church saturated by self-help preaching, power-seeking visions, and influencer-led ideas about discipleship, the message of the downward approach and nature of God is sorely needed.
Highly recommended, not just as a personal/devotional read, but also as a resource for those who are running discipleship courses.
—Tristan Sherwin, author of Living the Dream?:The Problem with Escapist, Exhibitionist, Empire-Building Christianity
His message in this book is pertinent. It’s easy for us to be possessed with the drive for power, influence, and success. But as disciples of Christ, our vocation is to resist the pull of upward mobility and seek the downward path, the path towards compassion, empathy, service and selflessness. In a church saturated by self-help preaching, power-seeking visions, and influencer-led ideas about discipleship, the message of the downward approach and nature of God is sorely needed.
Highly recommended, not just as a personal/devotional read, but also as a resource for those who are running discipleship courses.
—Tristan Sherwin, author of Living the Dream?:The Problem with Escapist, Exhibitionist, Empire-Building Christianity
April 19, 2022
I love Henri Nouwen books. I have yet to read one by him
that didn't provoke me to adjust some part of my thinking
or spiritual life. In The Selfless Way of Christ Nouwen contrasts the values of our culture and the way of Jesus. He shines a light on the many temptations we face today to
make our own way of success, influence and power apart
from the model Jesus gave us. Short but powerful book.
"Somewhere deep in our hearts we already know that
success, fame, influence, power, and money do not give us
the inner joy and peace we crave. Somewhere we can even
sense a certain envy of those who have shed all false
ambitions and found a deeper fulfillment in their
relationship with God. Yes, somewhere we can even get a
taste of that mysterious joy in the smile of those who have
nothing to lose. Then we begin to perceive that the
downward road is not the road to hell. but the road to
heaven."
that didn't provoke me to adjust some part of my thinking
or spiritual life. In The Selfless Way of Christ Nouwen contrasts the values of our culture and the way of Jesus. He shines a light on the many temptations we face today to
make our own way of success, influence and power apart
from the model Jesus gave us. Short but powerful book.
"Somewhere deep in our hearts we already know that
success, fame, influence, power, and money do not give us
the inner joy and peace we crave. Somewhere we can even
sense a certain envy of those who have shed all false
ambitions and found a deeper fulfillment in their
relationship with God. Yes, somewhere we can even get a
taste of that mysterious joy in the smile of those who have
nothing to lose. Then we begin to perceive that the
downward road is not the road to hell. but the road to
heaven."
May 12, 2017
I give this five stars because it is life changing. Originally written within the context of the yuppie eighties, Nouwen calls out what I believe are the greatest temptations for American Christians and even more so in the 21st century...the temptation to be spectacular, the temptation to be relevant and the temptation to be powerful; paralleling the three with Jesus' temptations in the desert. He then goes on to give his three practices to resist these temptations and instead live a life of downward mobility. My only criticism would be that he would have included the practice of service as well. Very short read and well worth reading again and again.
August 31, 2022
A beautiful book. This book is short but every word is intentionally chose. There’s nothing more here than what needs to be. No added fluff, no unnecessary explanation or storytelling, just beautifully written explanation, and well-formed points.
It’s a great thought to ponder. What would it actually look like to practically live like Jesus, without constantly striving to increase ourselves. How do we move from constantly giving into the desert temptations to resisting as Jesus did? Henri Nouwen really walks you through it.
This is the kind of book you take to your Sabbath, read, and reflect on all day long.
It’s a great thought to ponder. What would it actually look like to practically live like Jesus, without constantly striving to increase ourselves. How do we move from constantly giving into the desert temptations to resisting as Jesus did? Henri Nouwen really walks you through it.
This is the kind of book you take to your Sabbath, read, and reflect on all day long.
July 2, 2019
Nouwen presents the upside down kingdom of Christ in a way that is based on the love of God. While I am not on board with all of the theology presented, Nouwen presents our relationship with Christ as the basis for spiritual formation. Nouwen states transformation begins and ends with the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives but then pursues commitment to spiritual disciplines to maintain that transformation - that was disappointing. There was also some mysticism in his theology as well. Other than that, it is a very quick read with a heavy emphasis on relationship.
November 14, 2023
”Regardless of the particular shape we give to our lives, Jesus’ call to discipleship is primal, all-encompassing, all-inclusive, demanding a total commitment.”
“It is this drive for more that has brought us to the brink of a war that cannot be won.”
“Then we begin to perceive that the downward road is not the road to hell, but the road to heaven.”
“…and that we should give up some of our surplus for the man who have not made it.”
“So let us be grateful for our vocation, resist our temptation(to be relevant, spectacular and powerful)and be ever committed to a life of ongoing formation.”
“It is this drive for more that has brought us to the brink of a war that cannot be won.”
“Then we begin to perceive that the downward road is not the road to hell, but the road to heaven.”
“…and that we should give up some of our surplus for the man who have not made it.”
“So let us be grateful for our vocation, resist our temptation(to be relevant, spectacular and powerful)and be ever committed to a life of ongoing formation.”
November 23, 2024
In this book, Nouwen has reminded me that to follow Christ is to choose downward mobility, contrary to the American dream of success. I sense the Lord reminding me time and time again that my calling is to sacrificially serve others, doing what is best for others no matter what it might cost me. My job is not to teach or coach people to be "better" but to love them as they are, even though that oft times seems a difficult prospect. It's not about me. It's all about Jesus and allowing Him to make me more selfless and disinterested in "achievements" or "success."
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