As a Dietrich Bonhoeffer scholar, I am excited to see a new edition of Christoph Blumhardt's postumely-published collection of Evening Prayers: For Every Day of the Year. Blumhardt was a German Lutheran theologian who was one of the founders Christian Socialism and led a theological revolution in Germany at the outbreak of World War I, proclaiming "the Kingdom of God".
Blumhardt was a significant influence upon Bonhoeffer and Karl Barth, among others.
What we find in Evening Prayers is a collection of prayers that live and breathe in the Lord's Prayer, in the gospels. Blumhardt has a deep spiritual life in which the Light of Christ shines in a dark world. While the prayers were originally intended only for his closest friends, the Church has here a wealth of prayers.
Evening Prayers is a gracious addition to my own spiritual practice. Every pastor should have a copy in his or her library. And utilize its spiritual wealth often.
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Plough Publishing provided a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review here.