Reviews
Arnold's book movingly shows people coming to grasp the power of Christian hope in their encounter with death. It prepares us for that same encounter., Fans of Arnold's perceptive, bold and profoundly spiritual writing will not be disappointed in this book, which dares to ask why humans are so afraid of death...The writing here is superb and the emotions fiercely real., This is a beautiful book of surpassing dignity and tenderness. Although written with great simplicity of style, it is nonetheless a work of moral mystery...a small treasure, unpretentious and transcendent., I have read many books about dying, but this is the one I would give to someone approaching death or facing bereavement. From start to finish it shines with hope.
Synopsis
Fear of accidents or acts of terror, illness or dying, loneliness or grief - if you're like most people such anxieties may be robbing you of the peace that could be yours. In Be Not Afraid, Johann Christoph Arnold, a seasoned pastoral counselor who has accompanied many people to death's door, tells how ordinary men, women and children found the strength to conquer their deepest fears. Drawing on stories of people he has known as pastor, relative or friend, Arnold shows how suffering can be given meaning, and despair overcome. Interspersed with anecdotes from such wise teachers as Mother Teresa, Henri Nouwen, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Arnold's words offer the assurance that even in an age of anxiety, you can live life to the full and meet death with confidence., In Be Not Afraid, Arnold addresses fears that every person faces - fear of illness, aging, death, and loss, fear of vulnerability, and fear of suffering. A pastoral councelor who has worked with the dying for three decades, Arnold knows that the biggest challenges in life are the ones that won't fit the script, and which each of us therefore has to deal with in our own unique way. All the same he is convinced that there are plenty of common truths worth holding to the light., Fear of accidents or acts of terror, illness or dying, loneliness or grief - if you're like most people such anxieties may be robbing you of the peace that could be yours. In Be Not Afraid , Johann Christoph Arnold, a seasoned pastoral counselor who has accompanied many people to death's door, tells how ordinary men, women and children found the strength to conquer their deepest fears. Drawing on stories of people he has known as pastor, relative or friend, Arnold shows how suffering can be given meaning, and despair overcome. Interspersed with anecdotes from such wise teachers as Mother Teresa, Henri Nouwen, Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Arnold's words offer the assurance that even in an age of anxiety, you can live life to the full and meet death with confidence., In this hope-filled book, stories of real men and women offer insights on dealing with uncertainty, loss, grief, and the fear of death.
