Ernst Wiechert - Böcker

In this issue, we explore why children and childhood are at the heart of the gospel – and of God’s plan for restoring the world. Hear from Johann Christoph Arnold on “Discovering Reverence,” Joan Almon on “Kindergartners Are Humans,” and Glen Stanton on “Why Dads Toss Babies.” A surgeon shares what he’s learned from children with disabilities, while dispatches from Ferguson, Missouri, the US–Mexico border, and the South Bronx focus on places where childhood is especially threatened. Other contributors examine public, homeschool, and Christian education; highlight the role of fathers; and grapple with Jesus’ uncomfortable version of family values.Bold, hope-filled, and down-to-earth, Plough Quarterly features thought-provoking articles, commentary, interviews, short fiction, book reviews, poetry and artwork to inspire everyday faith and action. Each issue brings together essential voices from many traditions to give you fresh insights on a core theme such as peacemaking, biblical justice, children and family, building community, man and woman, nature and the environment, nonviolence, or simple living. Starting from the conviction that the teachings and example of Jesus can transform and renew our world, it aims to apply them to all aspects of life, seeking common ground with all people of goodwill regardless of creed.

One of Germany’s literary giants, Ernst Emil Wiechert (1887-1950) was thrown into Buchenwald concentration camp for publicly backing anti-Nazi pastor Martin Niemöller. His final novel, published posthumously, deals with the aftermath of the Holocaust – how the survivors, both victims and perpetrators, seek healing and redemption as they pick up the shattered pieces of their world.Evoking comparisons to the Russian greats Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, Wiechert displays an uncommon depth of insight into the human condition at its most degenerate and it ennobling best – an understanding born of his own suffering and quest for rebirth. His novel is peopled with rich and complex characters and charged with both violent feelings and spiritual hunger.First published in 1950 as Missa Sine Nomine (Mass Without a Name), Tidings deserves its place among the masterpieces of European literature.