Christian Jochim

Martin Buber’s Dialogue

Philosophy

“Kenneth Kramer has already written books leaning away from theory toward practice. I think of Learning through Dialogue, which I recently used for a senior seminar in humanities. But the present book goes whole hog into the realm of practice and, moreover, aims to engage Buber ‘neophytes,’ as Kramer calls certain intended readers of his book. Indeed, he confesses that at one point during its writing the task threatened to overwhelm him. In a moment of self doubt, he asked: ‘How could I ever write a book that would do justice to Buber’s brilliance on the one hand, and captivate neophytes to his dialogical technology on the other?’ I am happy to report that in this regard his book is a total success. While reading it, I continually found myself drawn out of my scholarly shell and into my personal struggle over how best to live my life.”

The Registered Church in China

“Readers of Wayne Ten Harmsel’s The Registered Churches in China will find it very timely. The relationship between the Chinese government and religions, especially Christianity, is undergoing changes almost as momentous as the changes of 1980, following the end of the Cultural Revolution. . . . The author has a wealth of on-the-ground experience with the Christian churches about which he writes. . . . While more has been written on the unregistered ‘house’ churches, the story of the registered (legal) churches is equally important to the overall history of Protestantism in recent Chinese history. Ten Harmsel’s main aim in the book is to make up for this imbalance. . . . His ability to speak as an insider, and to have access to the other insiders whom he was able to interview for the book, makes the book uniquely valuable. . . . Filled with vignettes of Ten Harmsel’s interactions with religious people, government officials, and others he encounters in his many travels throughout China, the book has entertainment as well as historical value. Those fortunate enough to encounter it will find it a joy to read.”