Brethren Archive

For all and any discussion about the website, or related subjects of interest.

  • Erich Sauer

    Does anyone have information about the life, fellowship and work of Erich Sauer?

  • I guess you have probably seen these pages already?

    https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/erich-sauer-1898-1959.66388/

    http://www.brethrenhistory.org/qwicsitePro/php/docsview.php?docid=1071

    The referenced thesis is online too, but in German of course!  http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/1882/thesis.pdf

  • Also looks like there are text versions of a couple of his books online;

    The Triumph of the Crucified - http://kwing.christiansonnet.org/books-download/Sauer_triumph-crucified.doc
    From Eternity to Eternity - http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Books_V/Eternity-Eternity-Sauer.pdf

  • No, I hadn't seen either of those. Thanks, Tom! Too bad that thesis isn't "anglicized."

    I do have his two part book(s) Dawn -> Triumph, and also The King of the Earth, which fascinates me. His dispensational mindset is evident, but it has more dimensions than we typically associate with "dispensationalism," particularly when it comes to the subject of The King... That is what got me thinking, who is this brother? And who did he find fellowship with?

    The biographical details seem scant. Maybe a German brother could fill us in...?

  • Horst Afflerbach's essay, 'What can we learn from Erich Sauer (1898-1959?' in Tim Grass, Witness in Many Lands: Leadership and Outreach among the Brethren (Troon: BAHN, 2013) 195-208 has the advantage of being in English and is informative.  However it devotes very little space to the embarrassing question of Sauer's Nazi sympathies and his later reluctance to face these errors.  As we live in an era when acknowledged and disturbing facts have been described as 'fake news' we need to be aware of Sauer's dismissal of certain realities in the 1930s and 40s as 'horror propaganda'.  Timothy Stunt.

  • Yes, Mr. Afflerbach's essay was passed on to me privately, for which I am most grateful. It is very informative.

    Personally, I am disturbed by Mr. Sauer's denials related to Nazi atrocities, particularly in light of his scriptural knowledge and convictions. Are there other similar cases of brethren who erred so glaringly in this way at that time? Has anyone offered suggestions as to why Mr. Sauer fell into this?

  • I have bookmarked this site some time ago, but never took the time to visit it, until tonight.  I have own and read some of Eric Sauer's books. They were highly recommended to believers in our gathering by a leading brother in our midst.  I am sad to hear about Eric Sauer's view mentioned here.  

    I am somewhat disturbed too, but I am also reminded,  no one is perfect, even those who are teachers and leaders among believers.  Or fathers and mothers in our families.  We all have faults, imperfections in this world despite how hard we try. When we hear about something like this, we should be reminded to look to Jesus Christ, who is the only perfect man, and who lives forever to intercede for his own.  

  • The first thing we do is not believe what we hear. Unless I possess irrefutable proof of these alleged denials than they are irrelevant in light of his testimony of Jesus Christ in the body of his work. False accusations are always hurled  at remarkably godly brethren... nothing new.  I'll continue to admire and cherish his books.

  • I read all when I was young. In particular, The Dawn of World Redemption and The Triumph of the Crucified were very helpful in correcting some issues I was taught. His views are pretty theologically balanced.

  • Just a bit of food for thought. During  the American Revolution and the Civil War (so-called), there were dedicated people who strongly believed that their chosen side was right and justifiable. History has a way of shining light from different angles, and often causes changes of opinion that were unthinkable in earlier times.

  • Adolf Hitler appealed to many Germans.He was a really authentic person and had impressive rhetoric skills. Before the outbreak of WW 2 he acheived a lot of successes , reinvigorating the German economy and reducing the massive unemplyment, he freed Germany from a lot of  regulations of the  in German eyes infamous peace treaty of Versailles and gave Germany its honor bacfk. And until summer1939 he achieved all of this  without war. And he stated publicly, that he, as a former private in war had seen, that war doesn't help both of the nations,that fight against each other,and that he therefore wanted to have peace. Many fell prey to Adolf Hitler.  I fear, that today even much more seductive temptations wait for us. The Holy Spirit deemed it to be necessary to offer us the Gift of the discernment of Spirits. To me it seems that this gift is not sought much by many. If a teacher at a Bible school who wrote excellent books with a very clear Theology and an excellent knowledge of the Bible,as it was the case with Erich Sauer,can be deceived, I can only conclude: 1) Without God's Help, that could have happened to me, too.  2) I really need this gift,and the whole Body of Christ needs it urgently, too.  3) Who asks for this gift must be prepared for situations, when all are happy and rejoice, and you feel bad,as you see, that there is something deeply and fundametally wrong.

  • Is there any evidence that Erich Sauer knew of Dietrich Boenhoffer, or made any remarks about his Theological position, or his conspiracy against Hitler (for which he was executed)?

  • My father, John Churchill, visited Wiedernest shortly before WW2, staying as a house guest with the Sauers. He would have been in his late teens. The Sauer family were friends of his parents. His father was also John - John Theodore - who had been living in Wimbledon, but who died in the early 1930s. JT had been a very active leader of the Brethren in Wimbledon. The purpose of mt Dad's visit was to renew and strengthen friendship and for my dad to improve his German. 
    in about 1960, we had a family holiday camping up the Rhine, including a visit to wiedernest, where we met up with Erich's son, whose name I forget. I was about ten. I remember a friendly man on very good terms with my dad. We were with them for a Sunday, and attended the morning meeting. 
    I later bought a couple of Sauer's books and was astonished at the number of Bible references that appeared on every page. 

  • My father, John Churchill, visited Wiedernest shortly before WW2, staying as a house guest with the Sauers. He would have been in his late teens. The Sauer family were friends of his parents. His father was also John - John Theodore - who had been living in Wimbledon, but who died in the early 1930s. JT had been a very active leader of the Brethren in Wimbledon. The purpose of mt Dad's visit was to renew and strengthen friendship and for my dad to improve his German. 
    in about 1960, we had a family holiday camping up the Rhine, including a visit to wiedernest, where we met up with Erich's son, whose name I forget. I was about ten. I remember a friendly man on very good terms with my dad. We were with them for a Sunday, and attended the morning meeting. 
    I later bought a couple of Sauer's books and was astonished at the number of Bible references that appeared on every page. 

  • I am fascinated by David Churchill's account of his father visiting Germany shortly before  World War Two.  I have reason to believe that my late father Francis Stunt and his brother Jim were travelling with John Churchill.  Many years ago I was shown a photograph of them and was told that the third man in the picture was John Churchill.  I know that my father greatly valued the books by Erich Sauer.  Timothy Stunt 






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