Customer Reviews

Tortured for Christ

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Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian Jew who gave up athiesm 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 litarary 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 Undergrounc 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 descripting 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 opperate today.

What a powerful book! Wurmbrand holds nothing back as he relates his many years in a Communist prison. Beaten, starved, totured... at yet he still came out of prison preaching about God's never-failing love.

In his son's book BETWEEN HAMMER & SICKLE (by Mihai Wurmbrand) he gives a most powerful and awe-inspiring message to his son:

"Mihai, you know that in prison I had no Bible. I have forgotten it. I have forgotten all my theology. But these things I know for sure. First, there is a living God and he is our loving father. Second, Jesus Christ is the savior and bridegroom of our souls. Third, the Holy Spirit works in us to make us more and more Christ-like. Fourth, there exists beyond question an eternal life. And lastly, love is the best of ways. This is what I have learned in prison."

If that doesn't stir you, what does?

...A Christian-Jew in a Communist Country. If you think you need an example of a true Believer, then you should definitely read TORTURED FOR CHRIST and BETWEEN HAMMER & SICKLE.

Back in my preteen years, I first read Pastor Richard Wurmbrand's book Tortured For Christ. It had a big influence on how I viewed religious freedom in Soviet bloc countries. Wurmbrand wrote this book after his release from Romanian prisons in 1964, and he did so to share the story of how the underground churches in Communist countries have to operate in order to spread the Word and their faith. Rather than continue to minister to his countrymen, he was urged to leave and spread the news about the persecution. Wurmbrand probably did more to bring this situation to light than any other single person.

With the demise of the Soviet Union, the situation has improved somewhat. But by no means has religious freedom bloomed. There are more freedoms in the former Communist countries, but the surge in Islamic countries means that Christian persecution has just migrated to new locations. Much of what you read here is still valid around the world. The situation's the same, just the names have changed.

If you're wondering about the cost of being a Christian in many locations around the world, this book will help you to understand what that cost is.

Tortured for Christ is a story that is powerful and filled with the real-life, daily experiences of a prisoner of the Communist Regime. This man endured starvation, extreme cold, and physical torture by his captors, simply because he refused to deny Jesus Christ. The amazing thing in his books is his uncanny Yiddish humor that offsets the unbearable suffering he endured. In all the survivor stories I have devoured over the years, this one is filled with something unique-HOPE. Hope in God, hope that his wife and son survived, hope that he would somehow survive to tell his story. Many men and women have survived incredible odds, but when God is in the narrative, as in Wurmbrand's, it becomes a miracle. This book changed my life...for the better!

This book is basically an autobiography by a man who was living in Rumania during the time when the Communists took over the country. He was a recent convert to Christianity from atheism, and preached the gospel much at that time. The Communists did not approve of this, and told him to stop. He kept preaching in the underground church, but was eventually thrown into prison. There, he suffered terrible tortures, but kept on trying to reach the souls of his persecuters.

I, for the most part, enjoyed this book. However, to a new reader, there might be some things that one would find questionable, if one did not fully understand the circumstances. There might be some passages which might seem "preachy" to a non-Christian reader. Keep in mind that the writer was trying to spread the gospel. Do not be offended; offence was not at all his intent. At that time, many Western churches were essentially turning a blind eye to the plight of these oppressed and tortured peoples, and it may seem as if Wurmbrand comes down on the Western churches. One must read in context and understand that he was trying to promote change; to get people to see the injustice and help.

I liked this book, and I would hope that a reader would enjoy it as well, so I warn readers to remember the context. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this book, and see the joy, amidst the sadness.

This book recollects the horrors that Christians endured behind the Iron Curtain in communist Romania. Richard Wurmbrand was a Jewish convert and recalls that their Soviet liberators who rescued them from Nazism merely supplanted one evil for another. He points to his persecution, and recalls that endured by his wife and son. The tortures were graphic and manifest the depravity of man. I was awestruck by the child-like faith and the lack of bitterness by Christians at their tormentors. They were starved, beaten, persecuted, and imprisoned. What is more, they would not repudiate their faith. I was particularly moved by a young boy who refused to recant Christ. Under the penalty of his own torture, the boy asked that his father not give in to cowardice by repudiating his faith that he might protect his son. The poor child echoed his Christian patriotism in avowing, "For Christ and Fatherland." Thereafter, he was promptly pummeled to death for perceived disrespect to his communist torturers. However, many former communist butchers had the hardness of their hearts broken and they were moved by the testimony of those that they persecuted. The stories are captivating. Wurmbrand stood up for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact nations covered up their militant state-sponsored atheism by infiltrating and controlling a few token `tolerated' churches. Wurmbrand like other patriots, such as Russian nationalist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, emerged to tell the real story of the anti-Christ communist system. For occasional abuses in the United States, like municipalities harassing churches with zoning ordinances and attacks on an expression of faith by individuals in public places, we don't realize how good we have it in contrast to Red China today or Romania during the Cold War. My life has been a cakewalk in contrast to the sufferings endured by the persecuted church. This book is humbling, compelling, and emotional for those of faith.

"We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed." -2 Corinthians 4:8-9

When I read this book it did not take long for me to be overwhelmed by the stories. Richard Wurmbrand is not only an incredible writer, but is an incredible man of God. He talks about how hard it was to endure the Communist desire to see him deny his faith, but because of the strength given him by Christ, He was able to stand firm in his faith and never budge. He truly is a hero of the faith,and this book is what first sparked my desire to find out what is going on in the world as far as persecution is concerned. Richard Wurmbrand is now my personal hero, and is an incredible encouragement to me. Christ, through him, has taught me that I don't truly understand what it means to count everything else as worthless compared to Christ. This is a must read book, along with the sequal to "Tortured for Christ", the book "From Suffering to Triumph".

I just finished "Tortured for Christ." As a busy executive, I have never typed a book review, possibly because I have never been so over-whelmed by such a book as this! This book by Richard Wurmbrand, not only addresses how he persevered through "unimaginable" suffering at the hands of his tormentors, but also is a clear warning and wake-up call to those of us living in America! Our great country is currently slipping down the same slope that eventually took over his country of Romania. For example: Just as the Communist Party, through the CYO (Communist Youth Organization) forbade parents teaching their own children about God (at the expense of prison and "life" separation from them), the "radical liberals" are very effective in brain-washing our youth through the public school system. In addition, we see the increase of government intervention in our personal lives as more and more the norm. Our freedoms, given to us by our "God-fearing" Founding Fathers, are slowly being eroded and Pastor Wurmbrand's book gives clarity as to how the "unthinkable" can become reality for us!

Even though this book was very difficult to read from an emotional viewpoint (when evil goes unchecked the unthinkable occurs), I was greatly encouraged by the amazing perseverance of Pastor Wurmbrand, his fellow prisoners and the power Underground Church. He was so grateful for the grace and mercy that Christ had covered him with, that he could truly "love" his tormentors. This "inconceivable" ability can only be possible through the supernatural presence of the "Living God". It's interesting to note that you can say the name of Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, numerous Hindu gods, etc., but no name in heaven or earth stirs the soul (for or against) like the name of Jesus Christ! Pastor Wurmbrand's unwavering integrity - never compromising the truth of his convictions - was truly inspiring!

"Tortured for Christ," a book written almost 40 years ago, will change the way you think about those persecuted for righteousness - FOREVER!

Richard Wurmbrand's book "Tortured for Christ" is one of those rare books (like Chuck Colson's "How Now Shall We Live") that will affect readers' worldview, spiritual awareness, and draw them to a closer understanding of God. Mr. Wurmbrand tells of sharing the gospel with the Russian soldiers who occupied his native country of Romania and their spiritual conviction, despite the fact that communism had effectively removed any mention of God in their society. This is one soldier's prayer, moving in it's simplicity: "Oh God, what a fine chap you are! If I were You and You were me, I would never have forgive You of Your sins. But you are really a very nice chap! I love you with all of my heart."

What a refreshing prayer for those of us who have become complacent in our faith.

The impact of Christians on Romanian culture can't be ignored. Richard Wurmbrand writes of two Christians who shared Christ with Prime Minister Gheorghiu Dej. While the Prime Minister originally had them thrown in jail, years later he called them to his deathbed to receive Christ. It's a relief to learn that communists don't seem to believe their own propaganda-in another instance, the author Fadeev committed suicide after finishing his novel "Happiness" in which he claimed that true happiness consists of working toward communism.

It's impossible to read Mr. Wurmbrand's book and ignore the call to help our Christian brothers and sisters being persecuted for their faith around the world. He writes of one family with six children-the father was imprisoned for his underground Church work. The two oldest teenage daughters became prostitutes to support the family, and this affected one of their younger brothers so deeply he had to be institutionalized. What a sad commentary on Western Christians this is-clearly we should have supported this family so they wouldn't be reduced to this state. Those in communist countries who financially help Christians are frequently imprisoned themselves-it's our obligation in the West to help them. Voice of the Martyrs supports these Christians so that the communist pressure isn't so intense.

When I shared Voice of the Martyr's philosophy with a Christian acquaintance, she told me that she didn't like to dwell on this because it was such a "downer." This statement epitomizes our attitude in the U.S. yet sounds so shallow after reading the gripping, soul-searching account of Mr. Wurmbrand. I doubt the veracity of anyone's Christianity who doesn't care to hear the truth of persecution around the world. We have done nothing for too long, and I believe we will be judged for it.

This is an excellent little book that tells the remarkable account of Richard Wurmbrand, a Lutheran pastor who was tortured for 14 years in Communist prisons for his steadfast adherence to Christ Jesus. His stories will doubtless move you to tears, but his purpose is not simply to tug at your emotional strings--nor is the emotion without a powerful message. His courageous stand for Christ and the tremendous love that he and so many other Christians displayed to their captors and torturers under the most horrendous conditions is a powerful witness to the all-surpassing love of Jesus Christ that is alive in every believer. Truly only the supernatural love that comes from knowing the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ crucified, could have produced such a love in the face of unrelenting hatred and persecution. Wurmbrand repeatedly shows through his stories and experiences how communism was intent on trying to destroy Christianity, and how some Americans are blind to the dangers of it. The book is very interesting and quick to read--the only downside is the disjointed narrative and flow of the story. This however, is to be expected after all the tortures he endured, and he admits as much.