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Zusammenfassung von Letter to the American Church

Name: Letter to the American Church
Rating: 3.9 (27 reviews)
Author: Eric Metaxas

Eric Metaxas

A Call for Christians and Church Leaders to Learn From the Past

3.9 (27 Bewertungen)

15 Min.

Kurz zusammengefasst

Letter to the American Church by Eric Metaxas is a call to renew our faith and return to the principles that guide us. It challenges us to break free from the cultural norms that threaten to undermine our beliefs and values.

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Politik der USA Christentum Europäische Geschichte

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Letter to the American Church
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What’s in it for me? An argument for Christians to stop being afraid and start taking political action.

If you’re a person of faith who feels unjustly silenced by the invisible barrier of the American media and political machines, here’s the clarion call you’ve been waiting for. Sometimes it helps to get a nudge from someone as authoritative and influential as Eric Metaxas – so here’s your permission to get political.

In this Blink to Letter to the American Church, we’ll talk about the history of the Lutheran church that may have laid the groundwork for its silence today. We’ll also describe where the German church of the 1930s failed and how to avoid following in their footsteps. Finally, we’ll discuss the errors of faith that might be holding you back, and what you can do to push forward and make a difference in your country.

The State of the Church

Who is the church? What is its purpose? Due to centuries of back and forth over what the church’s role is in shaping nations, we’re currently living in a state of confusion.

Throughout this Blink, we’ll get into the mistakes that have led us to where we are, but first let’s talk about separation of church and state. If you look at school systems and government agencies today, you might think that the purpose of separation of church and state is to keep the church from influencing the state.

That was never the original intent. America was founded, among other things, on freedom of religion. The rule of separation of church and state was meant to keep the state out of the church.

However, in our current culture, the church is often characterized as the enemy of love and freedom. Metaxas argues that it’s being silenced by the loud voices of media-supported protests and other groups with anti-Christian agendas. But the American church was never meant to be silenced.

Eric Metaxas wants to inspire Christians to take courage, have faith, and speak up for the truth in God’s word. Beyond that, his goal is to encourage the church to let go of the idea that they don’t belong in matters of the state and stop being afraid to take political stances.

Two Influential Men

Before explaining how today’s Christians came to fear politics, we’re going to go back in time and talk about two men — one famous, one not so well known.

First up is Martin Luther. What you need to know about him is that he had a crisis of faith around the idea of works versus faith. He was a monk during a time when Christians were basically taught they needed to earn their way into heaven through good works.

Bonhoeffer’s Sermon

On Reformation Sunday in 1932, Bonhoeffer delivered a sermon in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin. He called out the dogged adherence of Lutherans to the traditions of the past. He talked about the way they mindlessly observed holidays or church services. And most of all he held up a mirror to the way the church was being influenced and invaded by German nationalism.

Bonhoeffer wasn’t against patriotism, but he saw a big problem with a church that identified too much with its country and not enough with the word of God. He implored people to let go of their allegiance to Luther and embrace a direct connection with God through faith and the word of God.

The Spiral of Silence

Certainly, we would look back and condemn any person who saw the dangers of Hitler’s regime and did nothing. How much more should we hold judgment against the church, an institution that is supposed to be living God’s will, speaking up for truth, and helping those in need? As Bonhoeffer warned long ago, there is really no such thing as neutrality.

The German church embraced silence. They saw the need to avoid being political. The American church, nowadays, has the benefit of learning from its mistakes.

Faith Mistakes

The American church suffers from a culture of silence.

This largely comes from two mistakes of faith, likely due to historical misunderstandings. The first one is Romans 13, where Paul implores people to surrender to the governing authorities.

False Idols

Another way the church has come to adopt a culture of silence is by idolizing misunderstood or false beliefs.

For example, one belief is that the primary role of Christians is to evangelize. Christians are called to share the good news of Christ, but their role doesn’t stop there. The idea of evangelism can become an idol. It can take the place of God and become the thing you devote yourself to.

Truth or Facts?

Let’s get back to the here and now of the American church. Not only is it facing the culture of silence it’s created for itself, but it’s also actively being silenced by the loud voices of anti-Christian movements.

Metaxas sees these movements in American r media, schools, and government. The church is being cast as backwards, racist, bigoted, and full of hate.

Real Faith

When we look at everything the German church did wrong in the 1930s, there’s really no excuse for failing to do better now. We’ve seen the consequences. How much harsher will our judgment be now that we have that knowledge?

Silence is complicity, so speak up. The church is called to be a witness of Christ’s love and forgiveness, but also to help shape the world for the better. When Paul implored us to submit to governing authorities, he didn’t mean at the expense of our faith inGod’s word. If the government asks anything of us – including our silence – that violates God’s commands, we have permission to disobey.

Final Summary

The American Church is doomed to follow in the footsteps of Bonhoeffer’s church if it doesn’t learn from its mistakes. The invisible barrier preventing Christians from speaking up is a false one. Breaking that barrier doesn’t carry any consequences that you can’t handle with the help of God. Christians can’t afford to be so concerned with avoiding politics that they silently consent to the unthinkable. And on an individual level they need to assess their faith and ask themselves whether they’re merely wearing the trappings of faith or living it wholeheartedly.

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Worum geht es in Letter to the American Church ?

Letter to the American Church (2022) is part cautionary tale, part call-to-action to churches in America. It challenges Christians to speak up and be more involved in shaping the state of the country, even if that means getting political.

Wer Letter to the American Church lesen sollte

Christians interested in politics
Lutheran scholars
Church leaders

Über den Autor

Eric Metaxas is a four-time New York Times bestselling author and host of the nationally syndicated conservative program The Eric Metaxas Radio Show. He is outspoken about the state of faith in America and has written everything from scholarly work to children’s books.

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