Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand
It was the book that shocked the world. After surviving 14 years in communist prisons, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand came to America to proclaim the trials and testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters.
In Tortured for Christ, Wurmbrand tells of his imprisonment for his work with the underground church and introduces the work of The Voice of the Martyrs. The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, inter-denominational Christian organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide.
Voice Of Martyrs was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ.Forty years later, The Voice of the Martyrs remains true to its calling to be a voice for persecuted Christians, to serve with them in their time of need and to assist them in their efforts to proclaim the gospel.
Tortured for Christ : Book Review
Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian Jew who gave up atheism for Christianity in his youth, writes about his years working as a pastor in the secret, Underground Church in Romania. Wurmbrand writes about this very book that it has “no literary value,” which is true. He writes in a “stream-of-consciousness” style, seemingly paying little attention to chronology and jumping from event to event.
But while Wurmbrand does not skillfully craft a literary masterpiece, he does give the reader quite a masterpiece as far as emotions and history are concerned. I’m aware of little historical work on Underground Churches anywhere–be it Eastern Europe, the Middle East, China, or other lands. Wurmbrand does history a great service as he provides a first-hand account of Romania’s secret church, how they worshiped, how they evangelized, how they communicated and provided support for each other, etc. The resourcefulness of the Church was both inspiring and surprising.
This book is also very emotionally charged. Wurmbrand pulls no punches as he describes the means by which he and other Christians were tortured: placed naked in a freezer until nearly dead, warmed up, then placed back in the freezer repeatedly; made to partake in a mock-Communion service of urine and feces; cut several times then placed in a room full of starving rats; and then there’s the conventional methods of torture: beating, attacking your family, and raping. Reading Wurmbrand’s description of these acts shocked this reader several times.
I highly recommend this book for both its historical and inspirational value. It is also highly recommended because, while Romania’s Underground Church no longer has to operate in secret, there exist Underground Churches in other nations of the world: China, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Cuba (just to name a few). Reading about this particular underground church has given me insight to how the other Underground Churches still operate today.
Free copy of Tortured for Christ
Are you a U.S. resident? If yes, get a free complimentary copy of Tortured for Christ at your doorstep, right now in 2 weeks. (only one copy allowed per household). Are you interested?
And then you will also be awarded with a complimentary subscription to The Voice of The Martyrs, the award-winning monthly newsletter, which will keep you informed on Christian persecution worldwide while sharing practical opportunities to help Christians who are persecuted for their faith.
Please get the beautiful book, and after reading it, please share your thoughts, as comments under this article. Looking forward to see your reviews on Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand.
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