Author- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
ISBN- 0060608528
Various publishers.
This book was translated from the original German in 1949. For many of us the author needs no introduction. He died for his faith under the Nazi regime in 1945. This book is well known and still currently in print. It deals with the life of the church, the community of God. The first chapter is based around Psalm 133 v 1 concerning the brethren dwelling together in unity, as a community living their life together under the Word. In following chapters he considers a number of directions and precepts that the scriptures provide for living that life. Many regard this book as a little classic on church life. It is basic, written by a theologian who was also a pastor, but his writing is to the point and there is encouragement in every chapter. Particularly helpful is the way he shows that God will not permit us to live in a dream world. “Only that fellowship which faces the shattering of its wish dreams, and sees its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God’s sight’. God is a God of truth, not a God of dreams. He who loves his dream of Christian community more than the Christian community itself will destroy the latter. Two chapters, ‘The Day with Others’ and ‘the Day Alone’ are followed by one entitled ‘Ministry’. This is not as one would expect,rather,the ministry of holding ones tongue, the ministry of meekness, the ministry of listening, and the ministry of bearing are among things written about under this heading. The final chapter is called Confession and Communion. One striking matter mentioned is that without confession there is no breakthrough to true community. Sin demands to have man by himself, it isolates him. He withdraws from the community. Openness is intrinsic to true community life in God and the church. In the community there is a breaking through to the cross, to the new life and to certainty. For some, the angle from which the writer deals with his subject will be unusual and yet will prove refreshing and it is a book which is the more helpful when re read from time to time.
