Monday, November 20, 2017

Transformation in Christ

Transformation in Christ: On the Christian Attitude by Dietrich von Hildebrand, 500 pages

Dietrich von Hildebrand's masterpiece has been called a "modern day Imitation of Christ", and this is only a slight exaggeration.  This long combination of theological treatise and spiritual meditation uniquely combines psychological acuity and philosophical rigor.  Most important, however, is the transformational love of God that radiates almost visibly from the text.  Startlingly, again and again von Hildebrand reveals the superficiality of conventional wisdom falsely-so-called and unveils the profound truths it conceals, all in the service of an ever deeper and more radical conversion.

It should be noted that although Transformation in Christ is von Hildebrand's most accessible work, it remains the work of a German philosopher, and although intended for a wider audience than his other works, it will present challenges for the average reader.  Indeed, its greatness consists precisely in the challenge it poses to modern cant - its revelation of Christianity not as a matter of intellectual propositions or ethical prescriptions, but of metaphysical vision and continuous conversion.

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