Boží svědek v propasti zla - Život Etty Hillesum – Bériault Yves (2016)

Thanks to Etty, many people who struggle to accept the church find light and a path to God. God is not bound by the structures of any church; He is supremely free. (Jean Vanier) Etty Hillesum (1914 – 1943) was a young Dutch Jew who perished in Auschwitz in the autumn of 1943. Her diaries and letters, published after the war, are among the most significant spiritual testimonies of the 20th century. Amidst her intellectual wandering and the context of wartime horrors, she discovered the presence of God, a mysterious source of deep love and joy, and began to perceive the beauty and dignity of human life anew. Her spiritual journey is quite atypical. In her search, she draws from both Judaism and Christianity, yet she does not fully embrace or practice either faith unconditionally. However, she gradually discovers a personal God within herself, recognizable by both Jews and Christians, and she uncovers the power of self-giving love, which is stronger than any evil, stronger than death. The author wrote his biographical sketch of Etty with a single wish – to allow us to better understand this compelling personality, whose authenticity continues to attract new readers.