false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173715098m/316796.jpg 316796 8 <I>Out of My Life and Thought</I> is the autobiography of Albert Schweitzer, the theologian, musician, scientist, and medical missionary who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 (and donated his prize to build a leper colony). Schweitzer's autobiography is a masterful and motley blend of confession, narrative, adventure, and philosophy. The chapters about how he came to write <I>The Quest for the Historical Jesus</I> and <I>The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle</I> are indispensable summaries of and apologies for those books; the chapter called "I Resolve to Become a Jungle Doctor" is a model of Rilke-style life-changing decision; and the chapters on Bach and on organs are full of fascinating historical and mechanical detail. For contemporary readers, <I>Out of My Life and Thought</I> may be most compelling for its epilogue, which describes the ethical mysticism that Schweitzer called "Reverence for Life," which he achieved in his later years. The epilogue is full of stirringly Germanic passages such as the following: "Once man begins to think about the mystery of his life and the links connecting him with the life that fills the world, he cannot but accept, for his own life and all other life that surrounds him, the principle of Reverence for Life. He will act according to this principle of the ethical affirmation of life in everything he does. His life will become in every respect more difficult than if he lived for himself, but at the same time it will be richer, more beautiful, and happier. It will become, instead of mere living, a genuine experience of life." Because Schweitzer believed Christianity implied such world-encompassing reverence, he had the confidence and faith to "demand from Christianity that it reform itself in the spirit of sincerity and with thoughtfulness, so it may become conscious of its true nature." <I>--Michael Joseph Gross</I> 307617 book 1953 Out of My Life and Thought (The Albert Schweitzer Library) total:40|5:16|4:18|3:6|2:0|1:0| 40 170 81 7 4 0 false false Mon May 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 18:44:23 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 18:47:50 -0700 2009
What grew on me as I read this book was a realization that the traits I most downplay in myself were actually Albert's greatest strengths. H...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 12 12:15:58 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 12 12:25:16 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 22:34:24 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 22:38:17 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Mar 15 21:52:19 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 15 21:53:53 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Mon Jun 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 04 09:26:39 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 15 09:53:53 -0700 2009 It wasn't an easy read because of his philosophical/theological ideas. It was hard to totally understand what he was saying. But he was an amazing man and it was worth the effort. ]]> 4 0 false false Sun Nov 18 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 28 20:38:03 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 13 15:10:09 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Sun Apr 27 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 14 16:12:38 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 27 18:30:37 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Tue Nov 10 05:50:14 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 05:50:14 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Oct 28 17:17:52 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 17:17:58 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Oct 25 16:22:43 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 16:22:43 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Oct 25 11:34:49 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 11:34:49 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Oct 16 19:37:25 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 16 19:37:25 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Oct 11 20:18:52 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 11 20:18:52 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Oct 10 09:50:22 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 10 09:50:22 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Oct 06 12:17:37 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 06 12:17:37 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Oct 03 20:40:23 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 03 20:40:23 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Sep 22 20:03:24 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 22 20:03:24 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Aug 24 10:33:31 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 24 10:33:31 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Aug 23 17:26:18 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 23 17:26:18 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Aug 17 19:56:52 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 19:56:52 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=316796