Eric Metaxas’ book, “A Letter to the American Church,” published in 2022, presents a compelling argument that modern American Christians face a situation eerily similar to that of the German Church in the 1930s. Metaxas draws on historical parallels to warn against the dangers of passivity in the face of moral and cultural degradation, urging the American Church to take a stand against contemporary societal issues.
Metaxas opens by drawing a direct comparison between the American Church today and the German Church during the rise of Nazism. He argues that just as the German Church’s silence enabled the horrors of the Holocaust, the American Church’s current apathy could lead to the downfall of moral and ethical standards in society. He emphasizes the importance of Christians recognizing their responsibility to speak out against evil, rather than retreating into a politically neutral stance.
Central to Metaxas’ argument is the concept of “cheap grace,” a term coined by theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer to describe a superficial form of Christianity that avoids the difficult work of confronting societal wrongs. Metaxas criticizes this attitude among American Christians, urging them to move beyond a comfortable, insular faith and embrace a more active and courageous expression of their beliefs. He posits that ...
