Learning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue

Written by Richard J. Foster

Narrated by Richard J. Foster

In a society where raging narcissism dominates the moral landscape, the virtue of humility is often dismissed as irrelevant. Not only is humility vanishing from contemporary culture, but we are also witnessing how destructive a lack of humility has become among our churches and ministry leaders. And yet, Richard Foster, the founder of Renovare, insists that humility is central to the journey toward character formation and spiritual transformation. For this reason he decided to spend a year studying the virtue of humility.

Using the Lakota calendar as a framework, Foster provides us with a look into the insights he gathered from sources ranging from Native American culture to Julian of Norwich to Scripture to personal friends. By engaging with both the spiritual classics and Foster's own experiences, Learning Humility provides profound insight into what humility can look like in our current cultural climate.

Join Richard Foster on the journey toward a life of humility, which he says leads us into "freedom, joy, and holy hilarity."

• Language: English
• Publisher: ChristianAudio.com
• Release date: Dec 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781545922682

Richard J. Foster

Richard J. Foster is the author of several bestselling books, including Celebration of Discipline, Streams of Living Water, Life with God, and Prayer, which was Christianity Today's Book of the Year and the winner of the Gold Medallion Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He is the founder of Renovaré, an organization and a movement committed to the renewal of the church of Jesus Christ in all its multifaceted expressions, and the editor of The Life with God Bible.

Reviews for Learning Humility

[cannonmad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Foster's latest book is a journal detailing his reflections and explorations on the subject of humility. The book is not a systematic treatment of the subject but rather a meandering journey. However, the method seems especially suited to his subject. Foster juxtaposes the insights on humility that he learns with reflections on the Lakota people (both their rich spiritual resources and the injustices they experience). In a way, it reveals a humble people's experience facing the evil of arrogance and pride. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to consider the value of humility in their own lives, as well as the importance many historic voices of the church place on the virtue. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions in this review are my own.

[raucousrain · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was far more rambling than I expected. And I am not saying that's a bad thing at all. In many ways, it is precisely why I enjoyed meandering through its pages -- especially when a quote or an anecdote sparked a long forgotten memory from my youth. Whether it was a quote from Thomas Acquinas or a memory of Christmas Eves long ago... what I got from reading it, was a sense of some treasured remembrances of my own earlier years. I also enjoyed the Native American background, and felt much human connection there as well. Joys, sadness, smiles, tears... all part of everyone's life. Yes, a tad unusual a book, yet I found it to be a rewarding one to enjoy at a slower than expected pace.

[bunnyslippers_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think I may have enjoyed this author (though well known in Christian world, new to me) more than the content itself. He seems to be a very nice man, one I'd like to have in my friend group. I was not aware this author/book would delve into this issue with such a Christian lens. I thought the book would take a look at humility through the predominant world religions (Buddhist, Baha'i, etc.), so I was disappointed. I enjoyed the Lakota writings the best and thank the author for the selections he added at the end for further reading. The problem for me is that I find the Christian religions so lacking in humility, that I left the Christian church. Perhaps if the Christian community would read Mr. Foster's book...

[priscillaking · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Three main things readers need to know about this book:1. Richard J. Foster is the same author who wrote "Celebration of Discipline." He's known for offering "strong meat" thoughts for "mature" Christians.2. Though his own ancestors were Anishinaabe, in this book he's reading Lakota history along with several Christian books that mention humility, from Benedict or Nursia to Philip Yancey. The juxtaposition makes more than one strong political statement if you think about it, not only because it's humbling (if not humiliating) to consider some incidents in Lakota history, but because the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people who greeted everyone by identifying themselves as a "kota" (or kola or koda) were thereby practicing a kind of humility that had nothing to do with "worm theology." (Most of my generation have read some dreadful, exploitative, syncretistic drivel about Lakota or Dakota spirituality, probably between 1985 and 1995. I mention that sort of books because "Learning Humility" is not one of them.)3. As explained in the text, when he was younger Foster wrote tightly structured, information-packed, long books by studying, writing, and revising fourteen hours a day. This book, written at age 80, is a personal journal consisting of short, loosely connected, blog-post-type reflections. Often he says, in a very Quakerish tone, "I'll think about this," but doesn't mention the idea or book again. A younger writer might be told that "Learning Humility" is a batch of notes toward a future book. The fruit of a well-spent writing life is that Foster has fans who will love this book just the way it is. If you think about it, this book makes philosophical, political, and psychological statements as important as its devotional ones.