Richard Wurmbrand
Richard Wurmbrand | |
|---|---|
Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand | |
| Born | 24 March 1909 |
| Died | 17 February 2001 (aged 91) Torrance, California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Priest, professor |
| Spouse(s) |
Sabina Oster
(m. 1936; her death, 2000) |
| Church | Church of England Church of Norway Lutheran Church of Romania |
| Writings | Tortured for Christ and others |
Richard Wurmbrand, also known as Nicolai Ionescu (24 March 1909 – 17 February 2001) was a Romanian Evangelical Lutheran priest, and professor of Jewish descent. In 1948, having become a Christian ten years before, he publicly said Communism and Christianity were incompatible. Wurmbrand preached at bomb shelters and rescued Jews during World War II. He experienced imprisonment and torture by the Communist regime of Romania, which maintained a policy of state atheism.
After serving a total of fourteen years, he was ransomed for $10,000. His colleagues in Romania urged him to leave the country and work for religious freedom from a location less personally dangerous. After spending time in Norway and England, he and his wife Sabina, who had also been imprisoned, emigrated to the United States and dedicated the rest of their lives to publicizing and helping Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs.
He wrote more than 18 books, the most widely known being Tortured for Christ and Answer to Moscow's (Atheist) Bible. Variations of his works have been translated into more than 65 languages.