The Quest for Faithfulness

An individual's life story can provide insights into the character of a particular nation, the events of a specific time period, and the hopes and challenges faced by human beings as they strive to live a life that is consistent with the ideals that they espouse. This memoir of Helmut Hartmann's first seventy years of life serves such a multifaceted purpose. Hartmann was born shortly before Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists gained power in Germany. His memories of his childhood include impressions of a society in turmoil and of the persistent suffering experienced by segments of German society, particularly the Jewish community. In his adult years, Hartmann served as a pastor of the Evangelical Church in the German Democratic Republic. His account of his diverse pastoral ministry; his travels, both within and outside the Soviet Bloc countries; his engagement with the Communist political leaders; and his diligent quest for justice highlights the religious, political, economic, and social challenges faced by East German citizens while they were ruled by a political regime that was ardently anti-religious and eagerly exercised its dictatorial authority. Hartmann's memoir invites readers to consider what it means to be a follower of Christ and how their faith might inform their responses to the societal, political, and economic challenges of their particular time and place.


""I cannot imagine a more urgent and necessary book than this one! Helmut Hartmann's riveting account of his life under two successive totalitarian regimes--first as a child during the era of National Socialism, then as a Lutheran pastor in the GDR--describes the everyday struggle of men and women to live in faithfulness to Christ's truth amid political corruption, deception, and violence. At a time when conservative Christians in the US have cut a devil's bargain with abusive power, Hartmann reaffirms the relationship between democracy and Christian faith. The Quest for Faithfulness shines a bright light into our own dark times, reassuring us that while there is hope, it demands courage, responsibility, and resistance.""
--Christine Helmer, author of How Luther Became the Reformer, Professor of German and Religious Studies, Northwestern University

""There is an urgent need for lively models of Christian existence who exemplify faithfulness under challenging circumstances. This memoir by Helmut Hartmann provides imagination for the way of the cross in contexts that cried out for a confessing church: Germany under Nazi dictatorship and East Germany under Russian domination. The details about specific dilemmas, times, places, and relationships lend authenticity to this witness from which we richly benefit on the road to justice and peace. Readers are immersed in an extended case study about the cost of discipleship.""
--Craig L. Nessan, Wartburg Theological Seminary


Helmut Hartmann (1932-2016) was a pastor and superintendent for the Evangelical Church in Germany. His ministry focused particularly on clarifying the mission of the church in a secularized political and social context and on the quest for justice. He was regularly involved in negotiations between ecclesiastical leaders and the political authorities of the German Democratic Republic.