When You Fast: The Sacramental Character of Fasting

In our present age in which apostolic Christianity is a foreign notion to many Christians, it is of little wonder that many of the beliefs of our ancient fathers have been deemed outdated, including the importance of fasting. By exploring the Holy Scriptures, patristics, Christian tradition, and personal experience, Lutheran seminary professor Harold Ristau seeks to answer the question "Why fast?" Through this concise examination of a historic Christian practice, which is as rich with meaning today as it was in antiquity, the reader is left with a deepened appreciation for Christian fasting. Ristau's lively reflections on the relevance of fasting for catechesis, evangelism, and spiritual warfare fill the soul with great consolation. After all, our Lord Jesus' words--"when you fast"--presume that this vital discipline is already happening, and perhaps without you even knowing it.

Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau (PhD, McGill University), Lutheran Pastor, Reformation scholar, and author of Understanding Martin Luther's Demonological Rhetoric in His Treatise Against the Heavenly Prophets (1525), became a chaplain of the Canadian Forces after several years of cross-cultural ministry in the urban settings of Montreal and Toronto in which his work amongst Asian refugees and immigrants triggered a desire to serve both his country and his Church overseas.