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Summary: How To Practise Your Christianity Like A Buddhist!
Review: I was introduced to this book by many Christian leaders from my local church many years back. Many Christian leaders and publications continue to advocate the reading of this book and the application of the principles in it. With this "20th Anniversary Edition", this book has been elevated to a "Classic" status among modern Christian works.Granted, every generation of Christians are reminded by sincere, Bible-believing folks to seek the "deeper Christian life". Richard Forter's "Celebration of Discipline" seeks to meet that need by reexamining Christian practices and reapplying them to the needs and contexts of the modern Christian. However, Foster's theology seems suspect when he starts talking about the practice of "confession" and "meditation" (that smacks of idolatrous vain-imaginings and very un-Christian hallucinatory "mind-trips" - Foster goes to the extent of even recommending the "Lotus-position" for meditation!). All in all, a Christian's deeper-life is in his daily walk with God. It's in the surrendering of self to Christ and in putting on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6). Application of pseudo-spiritual "disciplines" does little to help a growing Christian; and in fact encourages a feeling of "spiritual superiority" that the Bible clearly warn us to stay away from. Christianity is not about formulaes and ritualistic, pseuso-spirituality. The true discipline of being Christian is genuine pursuit of holiness and practice of godliness. I recommend the works of A.W. Tozer ("Pursuit of God", "Knowledge of the Holy", "The Divine Conquest", "Root of the Righteous", etc.) and even Jerry Bridges ("Pursuit of Holiness" and "Practice of Godliness") in place of this work. Also, check out Dave Hunt's "Seduction of Christianity" and "Beyond Seduction" for a closer examination of some of the dangerous ideas presented in this book (and in other works by many "popular" teachers today).
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Summary: Essential For all Followers of Christ
Review: If you are in search for true spiritual meaning, read this book. It takes you through a world uncharted by many Christians, but should be experienced by us all. This is not a "how to" book, it is much more than that.
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Summary: Fertile Prayers
Review: With all the barren women in the Bible, I am surprised there wasn't more on the first directive God gave his people, to go forth and multiply, and what that meant to most of the women who gave birth to the special men in the Bible.
Charlotte Fairchild, author of Fertile Prayers
www.fertilityfair.com
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Summary: True classic! Essential for any christian's spiritual growth
Review: The pastors serving my church always quote this book in their sermons. So, blame it on my pride and stupidity, I had neglected it for long. I had been very wrong. Though it's just about 200 pages, it is the most concentrated (think of Uranium 235) spiritual dose I had ever taken. With no nonsense, the 3 parts (Inward/Outward/Corporate Disciplines) of 12 topics including Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, Study, Simplicity, Solitude, Submission, Service, Confession, Worship, Guidance and Celebration, simply (in my opinion as a baptised Christian for over 2 decades and somebody who read tens of Christian books) give every Christian the essential armor or weaponry to fight their spiritual wars on earth. It's the best combination of simple words, great teachings and excellent writing skill. In short, a must read.
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Summary: Great Guidebook on Discipline
Review: Foster provides an excellent overview of 12 spiritual disciplines (in 3 categories), along with practical tips on how to implement them in our lives. Of course, there is a great challenge here presented: actually doing it! As Foster notes, many of the disciplines have fallen out of favor in our day. (Fasting, in particular, is a rare occurence in many Christian communities.)
Foster also does an excellent job emphasizing that the Disciplines are instrumental in the walk of faith. They are not to be made into spiritual "laws", but rather are to be freely chosen for the purpose of spiritual growth (that is, growing in one's relationship with God).
If you want a very easy to read, practical book about how you can begin forming habits that will help you grow in your love relationship with God and man, this is a great place to look.
Rating: 
Summary: Balance in Christian Thinking Is Elusive
Review: Richard Foster's work inspirationally motivates the reader to consider disciplines as a means to draw into a closer relationship with God. In an age of overwhelming materialism, rationalized Church teachings, and reflexively dogmatic positions works dealing directly with the spiritual are rightly greeted with a genuine sense of joy and enthusiasm. A continual distraction throughout the work, however is Foster's highly assertive style. The tendency reveals itself in implicit assertions that the disciplines are in and of themselves inherently good and that their purposes are self-realized or attained experientially. If the chapter on fasting is considered, it is difficult or impossible to find a thesis for the purpose of fasting. If the chapter on prayer is considered, "personal prayer" and "prayer for others" are categorized separately; the thought is then asserted that it is appropriate to pray for ourselves in the terms, "if it be thy will" but not appropriate to do so for others. In the end, Foster's work is rightly seen as a source of strong encouragement - a conversation with a knowledgeable friend sharing thoughts and experiences. It does this well. However, it should be looked at with a more critical eye, if regarded as a source of teaching. Many assertions and ideas are left unsubstantiated and may be misleading, misguided, or wrong.
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Summary: Helpful, but some dangerous theology ...
Review: There is certainly some wisdom in this book. I first read Celebration of Discipline a number of years ago and was challenged in every facet of my spiritual walk. The spiritual disciplines are too often ignored in the church today, and Foster is right in reemphasizing them. Still, I have some serious reservations about this book. There are several places in which he seems to argue for open theism (or something that very much resembles open theism). In short, this is the proposition that God doesn't know the future, and that He can change his mind in response to the prayers and petitions of human beings. This might seem very pious, but it is clearly unscriptural. See, for example, Numbers 23:19: "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"; Malachi 3:6 "For I, the Lord, do not change"; or Psalm 139:16 where David says to God "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.' Open theism is inconsistent with the Scripture, and traditional Christian theology. If you choose to read and use Foster's book, do it with discernment. There is some helpful advice, but also some false teaching.
Rating:
Summary: Spiritual Growth / Easy to Understand
Review: The topic of the disciplines, e.g. fasting, praying, etc, is not an easy, quick fix topic like most the christian literature littering our bookstores today. Foster draws on centuries of tradition to form this wonderful book on spiritual development through the use of the disciplines. These are time honored techniques that will push you spiritually to deepen your relationship with God. This book is a great read for anyone who wants to go deeper in their faith and be pushed out of their comfort zone. Joseph Dworak
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Summary: The Book that Spawned a Genre
Review: I don't know how to encourage you to purchase this book. Look at the reviews. With the exception of one or two unusual reviews that speak for themselves, notice how overwhelmingly popular this book is. It really is a classic. Originally written in the 70's, newer versions have been updated slightly to adjust to our changing culture. MANY newer books were written upon the foundation laid in this work. Any Christian's personal library is incomplete without it.
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