The Church Beyond the Wall: Life and Ministry in the Former East Germany - Softcover

From 1949 to 1989, Germany was divided into West and East Germany. While West Germany became an ally of Western democracies, East Germany was allied with the Soviet Union and was governed by Marxist Communism. What was it like to be the church in East Germany? Hanfried Müller was a professor of theology and a committed Marxist. Johannes Hamel was a pastor who tried to minister in this environment. How did the two differ? This book examines the contrast between the two men and the struggle many pastors and Christians endured as they lived and worked in a hostile environment. Furthermore, it raises the question of how Christians everywhere deal with the issue of the relationship between church and state and what the Christian’s responsibility is in that relationship.

James S. Currie is a retired Presbyterian pastor living in Bee Cave, Texas. He is the author of three other books and the translator of two. He and his wife, Jo Ann, have four children and three grandchildren. He has earned degrees from the University of Texas at Austin (BA), Indiana University (MA), Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (MDiv and ThM), and Rice University (PhD).