By Eric Metaxes

No one can deny that the American political culture is in turmoil. So how should the church react? Using parallels with the German church of the 1930s, Eric Metaxes explores the fatal flaws found in the American church today, including the disparity between faith and works, as well as the idol of evangelism. The lie that the church should not be political is dismantled and the fatal cost of silence is underscored by the inaction of the German church during WW2. Metaxes doesn’t pull any punches: the stakes are life or death. But while many in the church have compromised and taken the path of least resistance so far, it is not too late to speak the truth in love. 

An excellent must-read!

Pros: This book was a very timely and thought-provoking read. There were so many good points that I wished my copy wasn’t for the library so I could mark it up. While the book briefly mentions some of the current issues, in general, it is more of a call for Christians to wake up, stand fast, and be the salt and light, heedless of what the world and other “Christians” may say. In that sense, this book will still be relevant years from now – if we, as a church, haven’t stepped it up already.

Cons: Going into the book, I knew it was by a renowned Bonhoeffer biographer so I shouldn’t have been surprised at how often Dietrich Bonhoeffer was mentioned. However, there were many times where Bonhoeffer’s words and actions were given as primary examples and the Bible was given as a secondary example. I would have preferred it to be the other way around, as I felt it weakened some of the arguments. 

Bottom Line: This book is exactly what the American church needs to hear. Hopefully, we are listening.