Experiencing God

Eberhard Arnold, a German, like thousands of young people in Europe following WWI was disappointed in how religion was addressing the problems of the day. He and his wife took their five small children and went to live in what would become Bruderhof community, a large international commune dedicated to living a life as Christ taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

The old-fashionedness of the writing was a stumbling block to me at first, but I was soon swept away not only by Arnold's passion for Christ, but for his flowing, gentle prosaic way of reminding the reader of the relationship that God and Christ desire to have with each believer, and what that really means when the rubber meets the road. The book is a call to commitment to live a life based on the love, peace and connection that God wants for each of us.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Plough Publishing House for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

This was not an easy book for me to read. Arnold's writing style is very philosophical in nature. His ideas are not as clearly articulated as I am used to. I can tell this work is nearly a hundred years old. It is not presented in such a flowing manner as modern works are. This book is based on a English translation from the German done in 1975 which may also account for some of the style of the text.

Arnold was a popular speaker and author in Germany. After WW I, he became disillusioned with the establishment, such as the church. He took his family away from Berlin and a life of privilege and moved to a village. With other like minded Christians, an intentional community based on the Sermon on the Mount was formed, eventually becoming known as the Bruderhof.

This book is a part of Arnold's work. He emphasizes being with God as how we can withstand what storms us. God wants to be known but the idea terrifies us. Nonetheless, we are to be completely open to Him. Even though God is totally other, we become the humans we were created to be when we know God. Only in knowing God can we truly live life and experience true peace. Arnold helps us see how we know God through Creation and through Jesus Christ. He also encourages us to live as a result of knowing God, a sacrificial and giving life.

I appreciate that, even though Arnold lived in an intentional community, he did not advocate exclusion from the world. The Christian life is not to be one of withdrawing but one of gaining the inner strength of character needed to live in the world. Living the Sermon on the Mount will develop that character and be evidence to others of true peace.

“The world situation today calls for the kind of dedication that lives in Christ alone, in the heart of the powerful God of Jesus Christ.” (Loc 571/1412) The strength of perfect love is needed to penetrate this devastated world.

This book is not for the weak of intentional effort to understand and gain from its content.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Third in series by this author, continuing worthwhile reflections and thought. Useful for all Christians.

Sometimes you come across a writer who distills Christian truths just perfectly. Arnold shows the power and paradox at the heart of following Christ and what it means to be one with him, as well as how God generally relates to the created world. The fact Arnold wrote this while living in Nazi Germany makes his honesty and refusal to compromise on these ideas even more incredible.

This book was created for Christians and a variety of people searching for answers on how to live their lives and find where they fit in life and how much they mean to others and themselves. A self-help book to which encourages us to seek God and ask him into our lives, prayers for a new transformation. With God and his power on our side inside us and outside of us for inner strength, to help us with many issues that we come across in our daily lives. It’s certainly a book for the bookshelf for when self assurance and positivity is required.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Plough Publishing via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.
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Review run date was set for 05 Jan 2020 for Netgalley, unfortunately life stood at a standstill as I finished the final semester and three subjects of my studies. On 28 March 2021 I was set to write the review and my health became an emotional roller coaster so here I am today 13 October 2021 the review will be posted on my linked blogs, WordPress, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, the non-linked reviews on B&n