Nada le detuvo: La vida de Albert Schweitzer

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

Historias verídicas y conmovedoras de hombres y mujeres que respondieron al llamado de Dios

¿Una acaudalada muchacha irlandesa rescata niños en India?
¿Una criada predica el evangelio en China?
¿Un piloto estadounidense sirve a misioneros en Ecuador?

Héroes cristianos de ayer y de hoy relata las emocionantes y enternecedoras historias de hombres y mujeres comunes cuya confianza en Dios realizó hazañas extraordinarias para su Reino y para su Gloria.

Cada mañana, los pacientes se reunían fuera de la clínica para esperar su turno de consulta con el médico. Muchos padecían graves afecciones que Albert no se había podido imaginar. Un anciano nativo le confesó: "Entre nosotros todos estamos enfermos. Nuestro país devora a sus propios hijos." Albert asintió. Nada podría haberle preparado para afrontar las duras condiciones sanitarias del lugar.

Criado en la frontera franco-alemana, e hijo de un pastor luterano, Albert Schweitzer adoptó un punto de vista pacífico de la vida. Estudió teología, música y filosofía y escribió numerosos libros. A los treinta años decidió estudiar medicina. Con su esposa, Hélène, fundó un hospital misionero en Lambaréné, Gabón.

Consagrado a la labor sanitatia en África, también fue un faro de esperanza para un futuro mejor en una Europa devastada por la guerra. Recibió el Premio Nobel de la Paz. Su influjo en las misiones médicas se viene notando hasta hoy, inspirando asistencia y compasión hasta los confines de la tierra (1875-1965).

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Africa

216 pages, Paperback

Published September 21, 2022

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[Daniel Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A writer, philosopher, 1952 Nobel prize winner, son of a pastor, and physician, he established a hospital in French Africa in 1915 where there was none. The hospital struggled to survive through both world wars. He died at aged 90 in 1965 and is buried there alongside his wife. While this history series is fun to read, this one was dull for me.

[Jodi Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Albert Schweitzer, is, in my opinion, one of the unsung heroes of the 20th century. As a young adult, he made a commitment that beginning at the age of 30, he would devote himself to the service of God and humanity, in whatever form God lead him to. The lengths he went to to keep that promise are inspiring indeed. This was a fabulous book to share with my children.

Two memorable quotes from the book:

"I have grown increasingly simpler, and more and more childlike, and have come to realize more and more clearly that the sole truth and sole happiness consist in serving our Lord Jesus Christ wherever He needs us." (p. 75)

"...Albert thrived on challenges. He wrote a letter to his sister outlining the medical situations he saw and ended it with, 'Evenings I go to bed dead-tired, but in my heart I am profoundly happy that I am serving at the outpost of the kingdom of God!'" (p. 114)

[Kristy Hetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not necessarily the easiest one we've read but a very interesting story of a very full life.

[Shane Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it absolutely bizarre that this book was included in the Christian heroes series. Albert Schweitzer talked about God and Jesus and loving your fellow man but he didn’t hold any beliefs that would be considered Christian. He did not believe Jesus was God. He did not believe the Bible was God’s Word. He did not believe any of the miracles of scripture, meaning he did not believe Jesus rose from the dead and thus didn’t believe Jesus saves anyone. He taught that Jesus failed in his mission but was still a good moral example. This isn’t secret stuff. He’s written books about it. In this particular biography, the Paris Missionary Society even banned him from preaching in Africa because of his views on Jesus.

The Benges also wrote a heroes of history series. Maybe include Schweitzer there because of all the good work he did to care for people. But he’s not a Christian hero. I still gave three stars because as always the Benges write a good narrative. But I warn people to look into the beliefs he had before hailing him as a Christian.

[Lauren Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always a little conflicted when such impactful men don't seem like great family men. Super supportive wife for him to leave for years at a time. Barely knew his daughter until she was 20.
This story reminded me of Ida Scudder, mostly focused on the hospital and not a ton on evangelism.

[Hannah of the Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love this series in general but this was not my favorite book. I got the impression that much of this book was compiled from detailed journal entries, without much attempt to craft a cohesive and interesting narrative. The book tells of a medical missionary to Africa, yet in the first thirty percent there is no mention of Africa, medicine, or missions. Instead there is a detailed account of Albert's education, his love for music, and his career as a scholar and organist. He and his wife (about whom there is very little information) only set foot in Africa after 50 percent of the book has already passed. There were a few sections I enjoyed. It was interesting to see what it entailed to begin the hospital work from scratch, what illnesses he encountered there, and how both WW1 and WW2 affected the work. But overall it was a feat of perseverance to finish this book. And despite the length and the sheer amount of details I couldn't help but feel there was so much more that could have been told, or a different way it could have been told, to better give the picture of who Albert was, what his ministry was like, and the setting of Gabon.

[Sharon Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of details glossed over, but I love the stories the Benges tell of these heroes of faith.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike some of the other "Christian Heroes then and now," Albert S. is well-known. He won a Nobel Peace Prize. He had a brilliant mind. Kind of a contemporary of Einstein, he used his mind to study medicine as well as theology.

He setup a clinic in what is now Gabon, seeing literally thousands of patients with so many terrible maladies. His wife Helene was a nurse and served the people as much as he did.

I guess some criticize him now because of how he wrote about Africans. Yet he lived at a different time. He truly cared about these people. His critics are anachronistic.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book discusses the life of German missionary Albert Schweitzer. This is also the final book in the series.

The audiobook was narrated by Tim Gregory.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it and learned things!

(Though, I read an English version.)