Mark from New MexicoMore than Surface Christianity The Cost of Discipleship covers several topics, all of which touch on basic Christian doctrine. It centralizes around whom Jesus is and his relation to us. The book begins with a chapter on the difference between cheap and costly grace. This chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book. Bonhoeffer realized that once given to Christ, an individual must do more than just claim religion and attend Sunday church services. He describes the call to discipleship and how we are to relate to Christ after becoming Christian disciples. A hint of an existential perspective can be sensed as the book progresses. Bonhoeffer gives his insights into scripture as he goes through the Sermon on the Mount. The book also relates the purpose of the church and the individual within the church. Bonhoeffer?s tone has a preachy quality to it as though one is reading a long sermon. Throughout his book, he inserts Latin and Greek words which may mean more to the scholar, but do not do much good for the layman. However, this does not detract from Bonhoeffer?s points, and the book is not too terribly hard to understand. There is a detailed but brief biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer?s life at the beginning of the book. Reading through this helps to put the rest of the work in perspective.