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Letters from the physician, theologian, musician, and Nobel laureate to such influential friends as Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, John F. Kennedy, Herman Hesse, and others reveal the details of his beliefs, accomplishments, frustrations, and life's work. ... Read more

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Thoughts well written from a life well lived.
Clearly Albert Schweitzer is a disciple of Jesus Christ.Words are powerful when they are lived out. I am interested in the conection, if any between A.S. and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's more conservative theology and evenmore radical martyrdom. ... Read more

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Days with Albert Schweitzer
The book arrived promptly and was in very good condition, as promised.I'm grateful to a business that offered such a fine out-of-print book. ... Read more

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Examines the life of the humanitarian who pursued medical missionary work in the jungles of Africa while developing his spiritual beliefs about the value of all life. ... Read more

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Examines the life of the humanitarian who pursued medical missionary work in the jungles of Africa while developing his spiritual beliefs about the value of all life. ... Read more

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In 1952, Dr. Albert Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a medical missionary in Africa.At that point, his career included--as well as medicine--theology, music and philosophy.His final quest was to wake the public to the dangers of nuclear war.

Norman Cousins visited Schweitzer in Africa.The friendship that grew from this meeting gave rise to a rich correspondence, most of it dealing with the arms race.

That correspondence forms the core of this volume, though letters from Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jawaharlal Nehru and Nikita Kruschev are included.

"The body of letters is deeply revealing, intrinsically interesting and of profound historical significance." (Publisher's Source) ... Read more

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The philosophy of Albert Schweitzer has proved widely influential in modern thinking, especially in the field of ethics.His leading ethical idea can be summarized in the phrase "reverence for life" - namely, that good consists in maintaining and perfecting life, and evil consists in destroying and obstructing life. For Schweitzer, all life is sacred.Ethics thus deals with human attitudes and behavior toward all living beings.
Unlike many moral philosophers, Schweitzer argues that knowledge of human nature does not provide a sufficient foundation for any adequate moral theory. That is why he bases his ethics on much broader foundations, articulated in his philosophy of civilization and the philosophy of religion. Schweitzer argues that the material aspect of our civilization has become far more important than its spiritual counterpart.Even organized religion has put itself in the service of politics and economy, thereby losing its vitality and moral authority.
Schweitzer's ethics of reverence for life, argues Predrag Cicovacki, offers a viable alternative at a time when traditional ethical theories are found inadequate. Schweitzer's robust and un-dogmatic idealism may offer the best antidote to the prevailing relativism and nihilism of the postmodern epoch.His ethical vision directs us toward a new way of building a more just and more peaceful world.Collecting sixteen of Schweitzer's most effective essays, this volume serves as a compelling introduction to this remarkable thinker and humanist.
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An anthology of the philosophical writings by one of the finest humanitarians and thinkers of the twentieth century includes essays on nature, the mystery of life, the will to live, respect for life, and the work of such artists as Bach and Goethe. ... Read more

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"Though I was well aware that Albert Schweitzer preached a great deal both before and after he became a physician, I never encountered any of his sermons until I was privileged to read the present collection prior to publication. What I find in this increases my sense of wonder, though it does not increase my surprise. It pleases me to find that like other speakers and writers, the famous missionary doctor preached many of his ideas before they were cast into essay form, thus following the experimental method...On the whole the sermons seem contemporary...Very early in the twentieth century, he understood that Christianity is not a merely spiritual religion and that the popular arguments against missions are superficial ones...What pleases me most about the new publication is its revelation of the author's deep personal piety..." -- D Elton Trueblood (from the Foreword). ... Read more

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Essential reading!
In a marvellously inspiring way, Albert Schweizer's sermons address issues such as how to deal with suffering in the world, how to treat animals, and how to treat the people around you.

This book is a cornerstone in my collection on Christianity and ethics.

Genuine But Dull
This was my introduction to Albert Schweitzer's work, and I wasn't muchimpressed. The book contains 15 very, very short sermons that he preachedto his congregation at his church in Africa, where he was a missionary. Assermons go these are pretty good -- there is a minumum of dogmatism and agreat deal of ethics, as might be expected based upn Schweitzer's life, butalthough they did seem very genuine, they also seemd dull and notparticularly original. In general, sermons have never impressed me verymuch, as I have always favoured vital religious experience and action toempty words, but Schweitzer -- to his credit -- was one of the few whoactually lived what he preached, which is a welcome contrast to this day ofSwaggart's and Graham's who spend their time waggling their fingers at uswithout lifting a finger to help their fellow human beings. Like mostChristians, Schweitzer has an absurd notion that Christianity is superiorto all other religions and thus he has no problems in trying to convertothers without looking to find the beauty or truth in the native religions,but due to the nature of his faith, that is perhaps unavoidable even if itis deplorable. The sermons are very low-brow, leading one to think that hewas inclined to try to reach the "common man" than to push histheology. He steers clear of superstition, which is also a welcome plus,but this collection still left me cold. Might be good for devotionalreading, but there is little of lasting intellectual value here. ... Read more

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Alex Half-Moon Peoples knows he's one of the walking wounded. As an international journalist, he knows, too, that abject poverty and global injustice breed terrorism. Having witnessed one massacre, famine, epidemic, or civil war after another during his years in Africa, he dreams every night children are starving to death and it is his job to save them. Returning to the States has only increased his anxiety. Exactly five hundred years post-Christopher Columbus, the gap between the haves and the have-nots is getting worse, not better. When sixties' friend Paul invites him to visit one of the poorest, most war-torn countries in South America to report on a potentially life-affirming narrative encoded on an ancient, broken urn, he feels compelled to go. What he unearths will change his life. A story of redemption as much as discovery - the chronicle of a mixed-race nomad who both wants and does not want to belong, an overzealous do-gooder disgusted by zealotry, a man who longs to love, but who struggles each day just to heal his own brokenness - Searching the Andes for Albert Schweitzer probes the mysteries of the human heart. ... Read more

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Albert Schweitzer was already world famous when he was first persuaded to share with the public these candid reminiscences of early days at Lambaréné, Gabon, Africa. The multitude of brief entries in the book capture the flavor of Schweitzer's mission in vignettes and philosophical musings on the history of the land, the culture and rituals of the native people, and his medical practice. ... Read more

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INDIAN THOUGHT AND ITS DEVELOPMENT by ALBERT SCHWEITZER.Originally printed in 1936. PREFACE: I HAVE written this short account of Indian Thought and its Development in the hope that it may help people in Europe to become better ac quainted than they are at present with the ideas it stands for and the great personalities in whom these ideas are embodied. To gain an insight into Indian thought, and to analyse it and discuss our differences, must necessarily make European thought clearer and richer. If we really want to understand the thought of India we must get clear about the problems it has to face and how it deals with them. What we have to do is to set forth and explain the process of develop ment it has passed through from the time of the Vedic hymns down to the present day. I am fully conscious of the difficulty of describing definite lines of development in a philosophy which possesses in so remarkable a degree the will and the ability not to perceive contrasts as such, and allows ideas of heterogeneous character to subsist side by side and even brings them into connection with each other. But I believe that we, the people of the West, shall only rightly comprehend what Indian thought really is and what is its significance for the thought of all mankind, if we succeed in gaining an insight into its processes. Like every European who studies Indian philo sophy, I am deeply indebted to the scholars who havepublished the texts and been responsible for the fundamental work of research. I am specially grateful to Professor Moriz Winternitz of Prague, not only for what I have learnt from his great work on Indian Literature, but also because he has allowed me a share in the wealth of his knowledge by giving me a fund of information in response to my questions. I have also found it a great advantage to have been able to discuss the problems of Indian thought with my friend Mr C. F. Andrews. I found Romain Hollands penetrating studies on Ramakrishna and Vivekananda very inspiring. And I have to thank my friend Mr A. B. Ashby for valuable help in connection with the English edition. Indian thought has greatly attracted me since in my youth I first became acquainted with it through reading the works of Arthur Schopenhauer. From the very beginning I was convinced that all thought is really concerned with the great problem of how man can attain to spiritual union with infinite Being. My attention was drawn to Indian thought because it is busied with this problem and because by its nature it is mysticism. What I liked about it also was that Indian ethics are concerned with the be haviour of man to all living beings and not merely with his attitude to his fellow-man and to human society. But the closer my acquaintance with the docu ments of Indian thought the more I was assailed by doubts as to whether the view made familiar to us Europeans by the works of Arthur Schopenhauer, Paul Deussen and others the view namely that Preface vii Indian thought is completely governed by the idea of world and life negation is right. I was compelled to admit the fact that world and life affirmation is present at the back of this thought from the very dawn of its history, and that the existence and inter fusion within it of world and life negation and world and life affirmation constitute its special character istic and determine its development. I am not merely describing the thought of India, but at the same time I am making a critical examina tion of it... ... Read more

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Light into the haze of Indian thoughts
An outstanding book for all those who want to get acquainted with far-eastern religions. The author limits himself in general on three fields. The "Weltanschauung" (world view) of affirmation or negation, mystics and ethics. He shows which spiritual history of development the religions experienced, how for example Hinduism evolved out of Brahmanism, how the popular belief of the people captured and transformed the belief of the elitist priesthood, not at last because of the necessity of ethical considerations.
In Hinduism he sees an increasing steering towards ethics, whereas the ethics could not completely be developed in Buddhism thanks to the world view. He praises Rabindrananth Tagore as a contemporary representative of highest hindu ethic, Tiruvalluvar as best representative of old, bringing their thoughts close to the love-ethics of Jesus Christ.

In Schweitzer himself the recognition of man as an ethical being worked out to a design about the appreciation of all life as highest value at all. Awe for life is Schweitzers his last wording. But again only ethics! Although he understands the teachings of the historical Jesus as the highest expression of ethics he does not engage himself in other aspects of the teachings of Christ! Exactly in the example of the Christian religion, which has life affirming aspects as well as life denying aspects, it is becoming clear, that the fixation on certain aspects is not sufficient to describe a religion. Already "who sacrifices his life for a friend" (Joh 15,13-15), is such an example of an only seeming opportunity to deny life, whereas in truth it is a clear "Yes" to life! Namely for an ethically represented life! Schweitzer only intends to draw comparisons. He is mainly about the religions of the East, though he can not refrain from a side blow on philosophers like Schopenhauer or Nietzsche and their totalitarian claims. He mentions Laotse and Confuzius marginally.

Since Schweitzer confines himself on the mentioned aspects, he does not testify any correctness" or "truth", except those which lie in the nature of things. Buddhism is not more "right" or "true" than Hinduism, it contains other elements which the founder (Buddha?) and the protagonists regarded as more important than others.
Schweitzer sees in mystics, understood mainly as "oneness" with the eternal, an important requirement of personhood, but he said at the same time, that an ideology more directed to affirm life and therefore making a certain ethical order to a condition, should be dispensable. He did not like the thought of it, because he was impressed by mystics, yet he found it more advisable to exercise the affirmation of life as such. This, he says, is the problem of some religions which sway to and fro between ethics and mystics or world negation. With the example of Buddhism he illustrates this, the problem of world negation in Buddhism being that this negation needs to be lived! You can compare it with a mendicant who is driven by the requirement to eat so much, that he does not starve. And he has to accept it, because only then he can go on with his meditations and contemplations! As soon as you go on to live, you deny the negation!
This book is suitable for advanced Illuminated" (be it illuminated in the knowledge that man needs religion, or not) as also for novices. But one has to realize that the phenomenon religion contains many aspects, which are not mentioned by Schweitzer. Religion is more than just a "Weltanschauung" - world view that can be analyzed phenomenological with the limited human possibilities. Schweitzer knew this. He remained lifelong a great sceptic of just these human possibilities.
In any case a readable reading which could bring some more light into the hazy conceptions and vague prejudices of some people who are interested in the theory of religion.
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