Retrieving Humility

Christians throughout the ages have recognized the centrality of humility for all who would follow Jesus. From the earliest centuries, Christian communities have been known as places where all are called to imitate the humble Christ. Yet humility also confronts us with serious challenges. For example, how should we think about being both humble and confident about our faith when we talk to people from other faith traditions? And how can we speak of being humble while also cultivating courage and self-assurance—traits that are clearly important, especially for resisting patterns of oppression and abuse?

This book tackles these questions and others by turning to Scripture and early Christian writers. There, we find a rich vision of humility far better than the feeble counterfeits of the virtue that have become prevalent in recent centuries. Christ-shaped humility has powerful implications for all aspects of modern life—from how we think about self-esteem to the information overload that marks our present age. Throughout, readers will learn from previous generations of Christians who dealt with similar questions and discover the strategies they used to fight pride and walk the way of Jesus.

Stephen T. Pardue directs the ThM/PhD in Theological Studies at the Asia Graduate School of Theology and teaches theology at the International Graduate School of Leadership in Manila, Philippines. He is the author of The Mind of Christ: Humility and the Intellect in Early Christian Theology, and most recently, Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church.