He studied in new york in 1930, where he met frank fisher, an africanamerican seminarian who introduced him to harlems abyssinian baptist church. It is not concerning only just what type of book the doubled life of dietrich bonhoeffer. His writings on christianitys role in the secular world have become widely influential, and his book the cost of discipleship became a modern classic. Dietrich bonhoeffer, christian resistance and ethics in. Dietrich bonhoeffer was a german evangelical pastor, theologian, antinazi dissident, and key founding member of the confessing. When i mentioned dietrich bonhoeffer last week, five people told me theyd like to hear about him. Bonhoeffers opposition to the nazi regime took the form of speaking out. This article is about the book of dietrich bonhoeffer. Some church leaders resisted hitler, like dietrich bonhoeffer.
International bonhoeffer society calls for ending donald. A christian pastor publishing a german book highlighting the importance of the hebrew scriptures was about as welcomed by the nazis as a swastika flag burning. Dietrich bonhoeffer was a hero and his story deserves to be known and john hendrix has produced a beautiful book about his sad life which should be read by everyone. Dietrich bonhoeffer prayed, wrote, and resisted hitler from this house. For a christian, the decision is not whether or not to keep ones hands clean this is impossible anyway, but rather whether or not to walk obediently in the way of jesus, trusting as. Dietrich bonhoeffer was among the most interesting, inspiring people youll ever read about. Bonhoeffer, the psalms and nazi germany tony reinke. Bonhoeffer also stresses the importance of the old testament and the importance of this earthly life. Dietrich bonhoeffers story dietrich bonhoeffer was a german lutheran pastor, theologian, antinazi dissident, and key founding member of the confessing church. The ushmm has extensive archival and library resources pertaining to the history of nazi germany, the holocaust, and related topics. See more ideas about dietrich bonhoeffer, the cost of discipleship and this or that questions. As grateful recipients, and now custodians, of the theological, ethical, and political legacy of the german pastortheologian and nazi resister dietrich bonhoeffer, we believe all persons of faith. Whenever dietrich bonhoeffer was in berlin, he lived here.
Hitler is the way of the spirit and the will of god for the german people to enter the church of christ. In eric metaxas new york times bestselling book, bonhoeffer. Women, sexuality, and nazi germany, diane reynolds reminds us that, like all biographies of great men, there were usually some interesting women involved with their stories. One of these was dietrich bonhoeffera pastor and author. Archival footage is interwoven with interviews with friends, family, and students of bonheoffer, with historians and theologians, and with the words of bonhoeffer himself. Dietrich bonhoeffers story political figure in nazi.
Executed by hitler at the end of world war ii, his influence continues today as one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century. His younger brother was the theologian dietrich bonhoeffer 4 february 1906 9 april 1945 education. Protestant theologian dietrich bonhoeffer stands out among the christian leaders during the nazi era, for he was one of the few to actively resist the. Dietrich bonhoeffer, german protestant theologian important for his support of. The german theologian dietrich bonhoeffer was one of the first, and strongest, voices of resistance to adolf hitler.
Anchoring his daily life in the simple disciplines of bible study and prayer, he used his time to ponder and write on deep. During this period, bonhoeffers own theological views were deepening, even as he searched for what his practical role as a christian in nazi germany should be. Together, these texts inform about bonhoeffers upbringing, influences and beliefs, to explain his decisions in nazi germany. His new material comes especially from the dietrich bonhoeffer works english edition, which contains eight volumes of bonhoeffers letters, sermons and papers. Dietrich bonhoeffer of nazi resistance the cost of. The book is a biography, then, that fills in a number of. Thus dietrich bonhoeffer described his arrival in tegel prison, in berlin, where he was to spend the months from april 5, 1943, to october 8, 1944. Bonhoeffers view on costly grace, obedience, discipleship and following jesus is discussed. It is the first major biography in 40 years of dietrich bonhoefferthe young pastor and theologian who sacrificed his life opposing hitler. It was during this period that he wrote the letters and papers from prison, which i, in common with many others, have found so helpful in confronting the spiritual dilemmas of our time. Born in breslau on february 4, 1906, dietrich bonhoeffer was the sixth child of karl. On april 9, 1945, lutheran pastor and theologian dietrich bonhoeffer is hanged at flossenburg, only days before the american liberation of the pow camp. Women, sexuality, and nazi germany, by diane reynolds is one component of delightful tasks that will make your life quality a lot better. Dietrich bonhoeffer christian history christianity today.
The antinazi martyr dietrich bonhoeffer also did things most christians of his day were disgusted by, metaxas wrote, implying. But dietrich bonhoeffer was never truly alone in his concrete cell because the lord was with him. Nazi ideology defined jews by blood, based on the religion of an. Bonhoeffer, which includes memoirs about bonhoeffer. Dietrich bonhoeffer and the cost of discipleship blog. One exception was theologian dietrich bonhoeffer, who was determined not only to refute this idea but also to topple. Dietrich bonhoeffer was a german lutheran pastor, theologian, antinazi dissident, and key founding member of the confessing church. Karl bonhoeffer and his wife paula, dietrich bonhoeffers parents. As bonhoeffer certainly realized, in situations of profound evil such as nazi germany all moral choices will be fraught with ambiguity and uncertain outcomes. Not only was he a theologian, a poet, a secretservice double agent, a musician, and one of the most famous martyrs of the twentieth century he also played a role in the famous july 20 plot to assassinate adolf hitler and through march 31, you can get bonhoeffer for armchair theologians.
Women, sexuality, and nazi germany, by diane reynolds you read. Viewed against the background of nazi germany, bonhoeffers book is striking enough. When german synagogues and jewish businesses were burned and demolished on kristallnacht, november 9, 1938, bonhoeffer immediately left for berlin, despite having been banned by the gestapo, to investigate the destruction. The bonhoefferhouse was built in 1935 as the retirement home of professor dr. Dietrich bonhoeffer 19061945, a german theologian, pastor, and ecumenist, was a professor in berlin, an uncompromising teacher in the confessing church, and a consistent opponent of national socialism. On february 7, 1945, german lutheran pastor dietrich bonhoeffer was sent to the buchenwald concentration camp, where he would be killed less than two months later. Dietrich bonhoeffer was an ordained priest who spoke out against nazism. Bonhoeffer research at the united states holocaust memorial museum ushmm in washington, d. Dietrich bonhoeffer lived and died in nazi germany. A look at america today through the eyes of dietrich. Christianity today metaxas has written a book that adds a new dimension to world war. In the midst of political turmoil, bonhoeffer continued to question the proper role of a christian in nazi germany. A talented writer, he depends heavily on eberhard bethges biography 40 years old but still an unsurpassed source. Dietrich was a religious boy, born in germany, different from the rest of his family in that he was fascinated by this was loaned to me by a friend and ive consequently ordered a.
An evening with eric metaxas from christianitydotcom on vimeo in this video excerpt, bestselling author, eric metaxas, entertainingly discusses his highly acclaimed and powerful book, bonhoeffer. The ethics of dietrich bonhoeffer is additionally used to explain bonhoeffers ethical theology. As a child, he went to the grunewaldgymnasium in berlin with hans. Winner, christianity today 2015 book award in historybiography shortlisted for the penjacqueline bograd weld award for biography in the decades since his execution by the nazis in 1945, dietrich bonhoeffer, the german pastor, theologian, and antihitler conspirator, has become one of the most widely read and inspiring christian thinkers of our time. Dietrich bonhoeffer was born in 1906 in breslau, prussia. He paid the ultimate price, with his life for standing up. The son of a physician and academic, he showed early signs of his own academic ability, presenting his doctoral thesis at the age of 21. Reading a book the doubled life of dietrich bonhoeffer. He was one of the organizers of the confessing church in germany, along with karl barth and others who actively opposed the regime of adolf hitler and the nazi oppression of the jews. German pastor dietrich bonhoeffer and his fight against.
Bonhoeffer openly challenged his church to stand with the jews in their hour of need, and eventually joined a plot to kill hitler. Focusing on the most treasured part of christs teaching the sermon on the mount with its call to discipleship, and on the grace of god and the sacrifice which that demands. Meyers book is the most detailed account of operation seven and bonhoeffers involvement in it. The strongest opponents of nazi interference in the churches, including dietrich bonhoeffer, eventually did form the confessing church.
Antinazi theologian dietrich bonhoeffer is hanged history. The relationship between judaism and christianity became a focal point in his teaching and own reflection. Dietrich bonhoeffers letters and papers from prison bonhoeffer graduated from the university of berlin in 1927, at age 21, and then spent some months in spain as an assistant pastor to a german. In his study, parts of his book ethics had their origin. I first read the cost of discipleship in the summer of 1971 i wrote the date in the front of the book. His father was a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the.
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