He Loves Me has just been released in the French language by Edition Promesses, who also published So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore. The market for these kinds of books in French is incredibly small, but as a labor of love a good friend of mine from Switzerland translates them and a dear lady from France publishes them to make them available. You can get information on ordering either book in French here.
I’m always overwhelmed with joy when people find some of our books and articles so valuable to them that they want to take the time to translate them for others who cannot read English. I just had a request today from a fifteen-year-old girl in Finland that wants to translate into Finnish some of the articles from our newsletter. Her parents are going to help her. I’m just amazed at the graciousness of people who have passion and vision. I appreciate so much those who are willing to go to such lengths to help others be encouraged in the journey of learning to live in the Father’s affection and live in that love with other believers and before the world.
If you want to keep up with various translations of Lifestream books and materials, you can visit our International Page. If you know of others we’ve left off here, please let us know.
That line almost sounds like a joke if the language were something like Russian (Russia having been the butt of some religious jokes). But on a more serious side I must ask why this statement is true. Is it because of the large muslim population in France today? Is it because of the strong historical presence of Catholicism? Is it because of the current lack of interest in spiritual topics in that part of the world? Maybe some of these are factors, but I must ask what makes French any different than the other European languages that your material has been translated into? What makes French different from say … German or Spanish?
Hi Peter,
Yes, the title was meant to be a bit provocative, plus it’s hard to get italics into a title without weird coding showing up in strange places. I just decided to go with it. As to your second question, maybe someone from France can speak more clearly on this than me. But what I was told when I traveled among the evangelical churches in France some 13 years ago was that there are very few believers to begin with and those who do believe are often caught in religious congregations that are controlled by fear. The “church” lost credibility in France back when it sided with the royalty over the people during the French revolution and was discredited along with them. I’m not saying there isn’t a great need for this kind of material in France; it’s just that it isn’t sought out. This has nothing to do with the recent Muslim immigration into France. As I understand it while there are still empty cathedrals throughout Europe, there is far more spiritual hunger in nations like Germany and Spain. I do get email from believers in France, however, which does encourage me.
The reason the market is so small is because there are so few nonCatholic believers in France who have a hunger to think outside the box. Re
That line almost sounds like a joke if the language were something like Russian (Russia having been the butt of some religious jokes). But on a more serious side I must ask why this statement is true. Is it because of the large muslim population in France today? Is it because of the strong historical presence of Catholicism? Is it because of the current lack of interest in spiritual topics in that part of the world? Maybe some of these are factors, but I must ask what makes French any different than the other European languages that your material has been translated into? What makes French different from say … German or Spanish?
Hi Peter,
Yes, the title was meant to be a bit provocative, plus it’s hard to get italics into a title without weird coding showing up in strange places. I just decided to go with it. As to your second question, maybe someone from France can speak more clearly on this than me. But what I was told when I traveled among the evangelical churches in France some 13 years ago was that there are very few believers to begin with and those who do believe are often caught in religious congregations that are controlled by fear. The “church” lost credibility in France back when it sided with the royalty over the people during the French revolution and was discredited along with them. I’m not saying there isn’t a great need for this kind of material in France; it’s just that it isn’t sought out. This has nothing to do with the recent Muslim immigration into France. As I understand it while there are still empty cathedrals throughout Europe, there is far more spiritual hunger in nations like Germany and Spain. I do get email from believers in France, however, which does encourage me.
The reason the market is so small is because there are so few nonCatholic believers in France who have a hunger to think outside the box. Re
Just got my copies of the two books, in French! Ordered on Oct 30, received Nov 10 – all the way from France to British Columbia, Canada.
There is a huge need for books like these among Quebecois in Canada.
Thanks!
Just got my copies of the two books, in French! Ordered on Oct 30, received Nov 10 – all the way from France to British Columbia, Canada.
There is a huge need for books like these among Quebecois in Canada.
Thanks!
Hi Wayne,
We are currently setting up a Christian Retreat Centre in France, and are reasonably au faire with some of the issues in France. The main major issue is the separation of Church and State, which is not true of most of the other European countries. This means that spiritual matters are generally only found within the structure of the Church system in the country ie. Catholic and very regulated. There are protestant churches, but they are generally Evangelical church plants of organisations like France Mission and other bodies, whose organisation and origins are from outside France – usually the UK. Even Taizé, so well known ouside of France, is practically unknown to French people. Their religion is generally boxed into family traditions and inheritance, and there is no teaching of Religious Education in Schools, or any other faculties of learning. Christian young people in France have very little chance of fellowship, and are often ostracisied by their classmates if found to be practising Christians. You are not allowed to prosceletize in France, and no religious meetings can happen in public unless under the auspices of the recognised church. it is very easy to be accused of being a sect, which is against the law.
However, these things aside, God is working in France. Be not discouraged, and do continue to produce material in French. There are many, like ourselves, who have been called to France and are gradually finding one another. We are small cell-like units of people who are offering hospitality of home and heart, and following where the Father leads. I have passed your book out entitled ‘So, you don’t want to go…..’ and it has still not come back, as it is doing the rounds, and speaking volumes to all who read it! Friends of ours are setting up a Christian Coffee/bookshop which will need just these sort of materials, so please keep up the good work. We need your thinking in French, because it is not common in other French literature and church teaching. There are some interesting things happening in monasteries there too eg. on Mont St Michel, which we have been watching with prayerful interest over the last few years.
Every blessing in Father’s love,
Jane
Hi Wayne,
We are currently setting up a Christian Retreat Centre in France, and are reasonably au faire with some of the issues in France. The main major issue is the separation of Church and State, which is not true of most of the other European countries. This means that spiritual matters are generally only found within the structure of the Church system in the country ie. Catholic and very regulated. There are protestant churches, but they are generally Evangelical church plants of organisations like France Mission and other bodies, whose organisation and origins are from outside France – usually the UK. Even Taizé, so well known ouside of France, is practically unknown to French people. Their religion is generally boxed into family traditions and inheritance, and there is no teaching of Religious Education in Schools, or any other faculties of learning. Christian young people in France have very little chance of fellowship, and are often ostracisied by their classmates if found to be practising Christians. You are not allowed to prosceletize in France, and no religious meetings can happen in public unless under the auspices of the recognised church. it is very easy to be accused of being a sect, which is against the law.
However, these things aside, God is working in France. Be not discouraged, and do continue to produce material in French. There are many, like ourselves, who have been called to France and are gradually finding one another. We are small cell-like units of people who are offering hospitality of home and heart, and following where the Father leads. I have passed your book out entitled ‘So, you don’t want to go…..’ and it has still not come back, as it is doing the rounds, and speaking volumes to all who read it! Friends of ours are setting up a Christian Coffee/bookshop which will need just these sort of materials, so please keep up the good work. We need your thinking in French, because it is not common in other French literature and church teaching. There are some interesting things happening in monasteries there too eg. on Mont St Michel, which we have been watching with prayerful interest over the last few years.
Every blessing in Father’s love,
Jane