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    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
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    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
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    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
    Ebook1,018 pages16 hours

    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

    By Eric Metaxas

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    WHO BETTER TO FACE THE GREATEST EVIL OF THE 20TH CENTURY THAN A HUMBLE MAN OF FAITH?

    As Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted to exterminate the Jews of Europe, a small number of dissidents and saboteurs worked to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside. One of these was Dietrich Bonhoeffer—a pastor and author, known as much for such spiritual classics as The cost of Discipleship and Life Together, as for his 1945 execution in a concentration camp for his part in the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

    In the first major biography of Bonhoeffer in forty years, New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas takes both strands of Bonhoeffer's life—the theologian and the spy—to tell a searing story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil. In a deeply moving narrative, Metaxas uses previously unavailable documents—including personal letters, detailed journal entries, and firsthand personal accounts—to reveal dimensions of Bonhoeffer's life and theology never before seen.

    In Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentiel vs the Third Reich, Metaxas presents the fullest accounting of Bonhoeffer's heart-wrenching 1939 decision to leave the safe haven of America for Hitler's Germany, and using extended excerpts from love letters and coded messages written to and from Bonhoeffer's Cell 92, Metaxas tells for the first time the full story of Bonhoeffer's passionate and tragic romance.

    Readers will discover fresh insights and revelations about his life-changing months at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and about his radical position on why Christians are obliged to stand up for the Jews. Metaxas also sheds new light on Bonhoeffer's reaction to Kristallnacht, his involvement in the famous Valkyrie plot and in "Operation 7," the effort to smuggle Jews into neutral Switzerland.

    Bonhoeffer gives witness to one man's extraordinary faith and to the tortured fate of the nation he sought to deliver from the curse of Nazism. It brings the reader face to face with a man determined to do the will of God radically, courageously, and joyfully—even to the point of death. Bonhoeffer is the story of a life framed by a passion for truth and a commitment to justice on behalf of those who face implacable evil.


    "Insightful and illuminating, this tome makes a powerful contribution to biography, history and theology."—Publishers Weekly

    "[A] massive and masterful new biography."—Christianity Today

    "Metaxas tells Bonhoeffer's story with passion and theological sophistication."—Wall Street Journal

    "Metaxas magnificently captures the life of theologian and anti-Nazi activist Dietrich Bonhoeffer … A definitive Bonhoeffer biography for the 21st Century."—Kirkus

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateAug 29, 2011
    ISBN9781418556341
    Author

    Eric Metaxas

    Eric Metaxas is the author of EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GOD (BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK) and thirty children’s books. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, Washington Post, and Christianity Today. He has written for VeggieTales and Rabbit Ears Productions, earning three Grammy nominations for Best Children’s Recording.

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    Reviews for Bonhoeffer

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    • 5/5
      Amazing, Christ-centered life. Cried through the entire last chapters. This is a must read book for everyone who thinks this could never happen again. I'm writing this review on June 2016. We all know what America is going through right now and the decisions we will face in November!
    • 5/5
      Metaxas writes a great bio of one of the great men of faith. One of my top 5 books ever read. This should be must reading for anyone who wants encouragement for standing up for what is right
    • 5/5
      He's a saint.
    • 4/5
      There were a lot of neat things I learned from reading this wonderful book about an extraordinary man. For instance, I didn't know that Bonhoeffer's trip to America and his immersion in "negroe churches" caused such a major pivotal change in both his life and his theology. His experiences with "negroe churches" would lay a foundation for his resistance against Hitler and the plight of Jews in Nazi Germany. I never knew a movement amongst Christians existed in Germany called "German Christians", a tool Hitler used in attempting to reconcile Nazi beliefs with the Christian church in what would be called the Reich Church. These Christians would be the primary opponents to Bonhoeffer's Confessing Church movement. It was sad to see so many Christians jump onto the Hitler bandwagon. They supported Hitler because of what he had to offer to the people of Germany, a time when Germany was at its lowest point. It's a scary reminder what could happen when Christians take on nationalistic fervor void of any reason or religious foundation. It was also amazing to see the quick about-face Bonhoeffer made when he knew he had to conspire to assassinate Hitler. It happened on the day Germany conquered France and marched into Paris. In a cafe in Eastern Germany, Bonhoeffer joined with the crowd in cheering, "Heil Hitler!" His friend asked, "what are you doing?" To which Bonhoeffer replied, "now is the time to pretend I support Hitler". It was also interesting to note that Bonhoeffer was never arrested and jailed for his conspiracy to assassinate Hitler, rather for his association with his Jewish brother-in-law and confidant, Dohnanyi. It was also likely he was arrested from some trumped up charges with his work in the Abwehr. I was also struck by Bonhoeffer and his soon-to-be-wife Maria von Wedemeyer's long distance love affair. Their engagement remained pure and it was evident how much they loved each other by the numerous letters they wrote to one another. It seems Maria's letters and visits to Bonhoeffer while he was in jail certainly helped sustain him. It was later when Bonhoeffer was moved from Tegel prison to a Gestapo prison and later executed. Not much is known about Bonhoeffer during this time except from what we learn from other prisoners who survived. It is believed just prior to his execution he was last seen providing a sermon to his fellow prisonmates, including an atheist.In retrospect, it does appear to me that Bonhoeffer seemed like a guarded man, never wanting to speak personably with others about his own feelings. He was ultra-conservative in his theological views and at times a tad bit legalistic. Anything and everything that was liberal was very bad to him. And, it seemed he only had negative things to say about the American church in general. He was quick to point out the faults of other believers but never his own. Did he struggle with pride? Perhaps. We all do to some extent I suppose. However, I was inspired by his love for spiritual disciplines: community, prayer, and meditation. He remembered most of the Psalms and often played them to music for which he was naturally gifted. He had a penchant for writing and penned some of the most notable works of religious literature, "The Cost of Discipleship", and "Ethics", to name a few. Bonhoeffer had a rock-solid faith and never seemed to waver despite the many trials and tribulations he faced at the worst time in modern history. He seemed to make the best of each situation, as evident during his time in jail when even the guards and fellow prisonmates enjoyed his character, his wisdom, and faith. Bonhoeffer remains an inspiration to me in so many ways, primarily his unwavering faith in the midst of adversity.A tad bit too long, nevertheless I highly recommend Metaxas' biography about Bonhoeffer. From what I have been told it is perhaps the best record of Bonhoeffer's life written by someone other than Bonhoeffer himself. With this charge I fully concur. Never a dull moment, full of many quotes and letters written by Bonhoeffer and third-party accounts as well. I look forward to reading more of Metaxas' books in the future, along with Bonhoeffer's literary classics.My favorite and most profound quote taken from this book is as follows:"To renounce a full life and its real joys in order to avoid pain is neither Christian nor human." (Bonhoeffer in his letter written to his friend Bethge, 23 January 1944)

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    • 5/5
      Astonishing and enlightening biography about a man who truly fought for good. If only more Christians (people!) were like him.
    • 4/5
      Metaxes does a creditable job of bringing us the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran pastor, theologian, nazi resister and martyr. We follow him through his privileged background and charmed upbringing, precocious college years, and work in Barcelona, the United States and England. Metaxes is at his best is making the theological underpinnings of Bonhoeffer's life accessible in laymen's terms. It is the depth of his faith that brought m back from the safety of the US in 1939 Nd brought him to participate in the plot to assassinate Hitler. That faith carried him through his lengthy imprisonment and upheld him as he was executed during the waning days of the Third Reich. I always felt as if I could understand how Bonhoeffer thought throughout this well-presented book, but always at a remove. It was much more difficult to feel connected to how Bonhoeffer felt. Seeing as many of his contemporaries found him aloof (and he even apologized in writing to his fiancée about his inability to write abut his emotions), the fault may have been more with Bonhoeffer's own character and not Metaxes' characterization. Very inspirational read during this Lenten season.
    • 5/5
      The first time I saw this book was when my husband gave it to several of us in the family for Christmas. It would be good for all of us to read it, he said. It is a large book and I put it on my shelf for later. It is also rather intense and requires much mental energy, so I have yet to quiet down for the experience of reading it myself. One day my adult daughter discovered my copy and read the book within a week. She couldn't put it down or stop talking about it. So having read the book [twice] vicariously, I am confident in recommending it. To avoid a too lengthy review here, I suggest you look at some of the others posted on Librarything to get the gist of what it's about. I daresay it is awesome and you will be caught up into it's biographical history.
    • 5/5
      Theologian, writer, discipler, teacher, musician, inspirer, undaunted, charismatic, truthful, gentle, likeable...these are the qualities that powered his ministry. What would it have been like to sit at feet and hear his voice? Metaxas gives a detailed account of the nazification of the apostate church versus the determination of the true German believers who not only engaged in civil disobedience but also joined the resistance movement. Pastor Bonhoeffer's commitment to establish and strengthen the Christian church while foregoing personal safety is spellbinding.Metaxas also includes much about both Bonhoeffer's trips to New York City. His disillusionment with Union Theological Seminary and Riverside Church strike a personal chord, as I have entered that church. He quickly discerned the apostasy that is still present today.His tragic death in some ways feels like loss for the world. If he had not been martyred, Bonhoeffer would have blessed the world with more teaching and writing. Why the Lord allowed his death at a young age can never be explained, but the good news is he made use of every moment to serve God, and much of his story was preserved in his formal work and personal diaries. The storehouse of his writing is life changing.Metaxas is great storyteller -- great narrative and no preachiness. I will be reading more of his books.
    • 5/5
      This is not your typical, boring, self-obsessed autobiography.It follows the life of an important defender of the faith in Nazi World War 2 Europe. There is even intrigue relating to the resistance movement against the Nazis.This is the definitive book on Bonhoeffer's life.
    • 5/5
      This is the most amazing book. the writer was very skilled at touching on events of that time without glorifying or detailing the atrocities but still keeping it very real. i don't want to say to much because it is in experience to question. it is bit of a hard read and took me a week but well worth it. it makes you think and gives you a side view of things and the dedication of the reich long before it even began.
    • 1/5
      Metaxas, Eric. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.This latest biography about Deitrich Bonhoeffer is a pile of crap. Badly written, badly researched, a novice Bonhoeffer reader like myself could tell that there were aspects that were off about this book in which a minimal amount of research showed that Metaxas is a hack writing under the auspices of providing scholarly work. Don’t read this book unless you choose to read a book that misrepresents and lies about its subject matter.After reading this book, I wanted to make sure that I was not coming to a conclusion that was untrue. Therefore, I shall not repeat what a number of other reviewers have said. Most notably the review by Clifford Green. I would point out this review as Dr. Green is the director of the translation of Bonhoeffer’s complete writings into English. Anything I write would just be a pale comparison from what has to be considered to be the foremost scholar of Bonhoeffer in America. So read his review.However, I will just like to point out what made me first question Metaxas’s scholarship. Metaxas wants to point out that progressive Christianity is a bad thing and Bonhoeffer would be very much against it. One of the ways he does that is by showing Bonhoeffer’s disdain for Union Theological Seminary. He quotes o number of letters in which he points out a number of disagreements with other professors and flaws within the student body. With this information one would have the impression that Bonhoeffer held Union in a rather low disregard. This path of argument did not fit well with me. So I started doing some research on what Bonhoeffer thought of Union. As it happens, I had recently purchased the volume of Bonhoeffer’s works in which the letters Metaxas quoted was a part of. I looked to see if there was other places in which Bonhoeffer wrote about Union. There was. In a later essay, he writes that Union is the foremost seminary in the United States and is the only seminary seriously examining a number of continental theologians. In reality, Bonhoeffer saw both the strengths and shortcomings of Union, as any institution would have, and commented about both in different situations. However, in Metaxas’s hands Bonhoeffer only has negative things to say about Union which would further Metaxas’s agenda but not illuminating the thought of his subject.I had further problems also with the book. The writing was rather awful. In a number of sections in the book it was as if he discovered that Microsoft Word had a thesaurus and he was going to see how many new words he could use. I think it can be presumed that I cannot recommend this book. Don’t waste your money.
    • 4/5
      If you are looking for a book that gets to the heart of Dietrich Bonhoeffer than you will find it in these 542 pages for sure. Bonhoeffer was truly a complex man, yet courageous and devote. Eric Metaxas did his homework and left no name, place or time out. His use of history, story telling and written letters between Bonhoeffer and his family and friends captured the his struggles, wants and beliefs. In this book you learn who Bonhoeffer was not just from the perspective of others, but from he himself.
    • 4/5
      This is a solid biography and a look at the Third Reich from a contemporary Christian's point of view. I haven't ever read anything like it. Bonhoeffer was something of a saint as we commonly think of saints. His faith was fervent and unwavering. He was also a scholar; also a musician and a very likeable man, always ready to laugh. He and his family quickly saw through Hitler's appropriation of the German church, and Bonhoeffer was a moving spirit in the Confessing Church that sought to worship Jesus rather than Hitler. He was ecumenical in outlook and took pastorates in Barcelona and London as well as visiting Union Seminary in New York. His concern quickly extended to the plight of the Jews. He was involved as a member of the Abwher in the plots to assassinate Hitler. Just before his arrest, he became engaged to an 18 year-old woman. When he was arrested, the Gestapo didn't realize how involved he was. He was hanged two weeks before the prison at Flossenburg was liberated by the Americans.Metaxas spends some time discussing his theology and gives plenty of quotations from his writing, sermons, and letters. All of this makes for a grand introduction to the man and his thought. This sometimes has the characteristics of a hagiography, but I didn't find the idealization over-bearing in a book of this length.Metaxas spent way too much of his time over-writing. His characterization of individual Nazis is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, an inappropriate response, I'm sure..... "...pursuing a strategy of double-barreled flatulence..." "In the avuncular tone of an iconic chain-restaurant pitchman..." "...a triple-jointed sycophant..." "Heydrich, the piscine ghoul..." On the other hand, he also too often resorted to cliches - "Hitler had to have his cake and eat it too." Anyone who has an interest in the time or in Bonhoeffer and who can ignore or tolerate these flaws should profit from reading the book.
    • 5/5
      This biography of Bonhoeffer was interesting look inside Germany during the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party, and how one man struggled to defy the rulers throughout their rule and ultimately costing his life. It is a wonderful insight on a man who was very devout and steadfast when many gave into the Nazi party.I was disappointed after reading the end there was no wrap up of what happened to the rest of the family! The coverage of Maria von Wedmyer is also lacking. For as through as this book is in the beginning the ending even paperback is lacking. I mean what is another ten or so pages to tell us what happened to many of the survivors and associates of Bonhoeffer and what they did or did not do after his death.Another minor issue that I had was that sometimes some of the German phrases or sayings are not translated or footnoted. I found this difficult and annoying when it happens.Overall a good biography
    • 3/5
      It's a big book, over 500 pages, and I'm a slow reader but I've now finished the most recent biography of the German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. It's the set book for the next Theological Study Group at the John Owen Centre - and for once I am ahead in my reading. I enjoyed the book because I knew the name but not much about him. It was good to catch up, my enjoyment sharpend by having two and a half volumes of Richard Evans' trilogy on the Third Reich.I was once door knocking in Childs Hill when I came across Edwin Robertson (1912-2007), former minister of nearby Heath Street Baptist, Hampstead, and a great Bonhoeffer advocate. I guess it's the ecumenical, liberal and Barthian that make you suspicious but Metaxas (a Tim Keller fan - Keller foes the foreword) makes every effort to get you to look again and there are clearly things to learn from a man who for all his faults appears to have had more sympathy for fundamentalism than liberalism. I look forward to discussing the book.Meanwhile one or two quotes:Earthly bliss and humanity belong to God, not in any cramped “religious” sense, but in the fully human sense. Bonhoeffer was a champion of God's idea of humanity, a humanity that he invented and, by participating in it through the incarnation, that he redeemed. (457)So Bonhoeffer was not "naturally" strong and courageous. His equanimity was the result of self-discipline, of deliberately turning to God. (463)And from the man himself:It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love. (458)To renounce a full life and its real joys in order to avoid pain is neither Christian nor human (463)Very stimulating stuff.PS The start of the book is so brilliantly sparkling that it cannot be sustained and isn't but it keeps up a high standard throughout. It is a little hagiographical, perhaps.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This is a powerful book. I learned a great deal about Nazi Germany from the perspective of those involved in the attempt to kill Hitler. the author's description of the last few days of Bonhoeffer is the best I have ever read.
    • 4/5
      Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the towering figures looming over modern Christianity. His seemingly prophetic perception of the evils of National Socialism and his principled stand that led to his execution remain a powerful witness against the evils fostered upon the world through the unbridled excesses manifest in Nazi Germany.Much more has been written about Bonhoeffer than Bonhoeffer ever wrote; nevertheless, Eric Metaxas has written an accessible if long biography of him entitled Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Martyr. Prophet. Spy. Through it one receives a rather comprehensive view of Bonhoeffer: his family, his upbringing, the theological climate in which he worked, descriptions of the historical events that led to the circumstances in which he found himself, and a decent attempt to synthesize the theology Bonhoeffer developed. As an introduction to Bonhoeffer's world, work, and theology, Metaxas' work succeeds admirably. He does well at contextualizing Bonhoeffer as a brilliant twentieth century German whose "practical," more Barthian theology challenged both the "liberal" and the "conservative" viewpoints, and who seemed to above all seek to live the life exemplified in Jesus. In a mostly anti-Semitic world, he and his family would stand with the right of the Jews to live and exist as they had previously. When other "Christians" attempted to accommodate and/or appease National Socialism, he perceived what it was all about and called for rejecting it. Bonhoeffer perceived, to some extent, Jesus' goal for the transnational Kingdom of God beyond most of his fellow Germans. And then there was the conspiracy against Hitler: the most controversial aspect of Bonhoeffer's life and work.There is a reason why I have said that it succeeds admirably as an introduction: especially in his historical analysis, Metaxas has a tendency to oversimplify and even become a bit too apologetic for both Germany and Bonhoeffer. Furthermore, Metaxas' admiration for Bonhoeffer seems to be a bit overmuch; the work does not seem to suggest much criticism of Bonhoeffer for any reason. This is understandable to an extent: since the book is directed mostly at Americans, it is useful to get a chance to see the "other side" and try to see why the Nazis took over. Nevertheless, the apology provided throughout--"we did not take Hitler seriously; we could not imagine that he could be that evil"-- is a catch-22. It sounds as if something someone would say to maintain a final last shred of dignity after being presented with the clear culpability and thorough evil taking place at that time, a kind of historical revisionism to feel better. If it is actually true and legitimate (and it seems to be to some extent, at least in terms of the view of other nations toward Hitler), then it is in many ways even worse: people come out looking much more foolish, stupid, and naive this way. A more nuanced position would be more frank about the German predilections toward all of the things that ended up happening based upon the entrenched nationalism, Social Darwinism, and memory of the humiliation of WWI still very much alive at that time. Metaxas demonstrates how Hitler and his companions were more influenced by Nietzsche than Christianity and the outright hostility toward Christianity felt by many of the Nazis in high command. Their own words confess their adherence to many scientific dogmas of the day and how they used those dogmas to justify their actions. Ultimately, this level of evil cannot be easily explained, and to that end it is easy to sympathize with Metaxas: how can you explain how Hitler came to be? That same surface treatment also causes difficulty in terms of the discussion of the conspiracy. For me, this has always been the most vexing challenge of Bonhoeffer: one wants to sympathize with his cause, understanding the great evil being perpetrated by Hitler, and one wants to sympathize with his arguments about how all of the deception and work done in an attempt to kill Hitler is justified because of the greater good of getting rid of him. But the conspiracy does not succeed. Most of those who participated were executed. Ultimately, all would have been better off had they not attempted the execution; the Allies were already on the ground in France when the attempt was actually made, and the war would be over within the year. Yes, it is easy to make that declaration in hindsight, but when we are being faced with a theological question like this, it is worth consideration: whereas Bonhoeffer's ultimate goal perhaps was right, did that justify his methodology?These are major challenges, and easy answers do not help. The tone of Metaxas' biography assumes Bonhoeffer is right in believing that what he is doing is what God wills and wants him to do. To challenge that premise is made out to be dangerous; after all, it is easy to play "armchair quarterback" and criticize his actions and thought process in peace and security when he was in great danger and acting boldly. But this may be the ultimate difficulty of Bonhoeffer's execution: he was denied the opportunity to sit down in peacetime, reflect upon his behavior and how everything eventually took place, and try to make sense of it all. We will never know whether he would confess that in the heat of the conflict he went too far or whether he would stand by everything he did until the bitter end. Therefore, we are left with his theology as it was tested in the middle of intense conflict, and its condition is argued in that situation. This is not an attempt to besmirch Bonhoeffer. He perceived the great challenge to historic Christianity that was afoot in the twentieth century, and he stood firm against it. He can be embraced as the conscience of a nation that almost entirely lost it in the war. His challenge to Christian organizations and individuals to take what Jesus said and did seriously and attempt to live similarly in their own day and age is exactly what needed to be declared, and much that is good in theology has developed in his shadow. But Bonhoeffer was not perfect; of all people, he would be the first to admit that. Therefore, his theology and actions, especially in terms of resistance against the state, are things to be discussed, questioned, challenged, and debated, and not necessarily to be wholeheartedly embraced. A good dose of "Lincoln's theology" might present an entirely different view of the matter, viewing Hitler and WWII in similar terms as Lincoln viewed the Civil War. Until the cup of wrath was fully drunk, perhaps, there was not intended to be relief for anyone. Ultimately, only God knows.Could Bonhoeffer have engaged in resistance against the Nazis without the deception and the conspiracy and not just remain in God's will but be better aligned with it in order to see the ultimate end as God was establishing it? This is the question; it has always been the question; it will remain the question. Yet this is beyond the scope of the book, which remains a good introduction to Bonhoeffer, and hopefully many will read it and go on to consider his other books.*--book received as part of early review program
    • 5/5
      I really liked this book and found it inspiring. Some favorite quotes from the book:No one has yet believed in God and the kingdom of God, no one has yet heard about the realm of the resurrected, and not been homesick from that hour, waiting and looking forward joyfully to being released from bodily existence. . . .Whether we are young or old makes no difference. What are twenty or thirty or fifty years in the sight of God? And which of us knows how near he or she may already be to the goal? . . . Death is only dreadful for those who live in dread and fear of it. Death is not wild and terrible, if only we can be still and hold fast to God's Word. . . Death is hell and night and cold, if it is not transformed by our faith. But that is just what is so marvelous, that we can transform death. (Dietrich Bonheffer]Payne Best: His soul really shone in the dark desperation of our prison. . . [Bonhoeffer] had always been afraid that he would not be strong enough to stand such a test, but now he knew there was nothing in life of which one need ever be afraid.
    • 4/5
      This book is absolutely fascinating! I knew nothing about Bonhoeffer except his name, and I had only a vague idea about the plots to assassinate Hitler. Nor did I realize how completely Hitler tried to dominate the German Lutheran churches, or that Churchill refused to help the Germans who were tying to destroy Hitler so I learned a lot in the book. I did get bogged reading some Bonhoeffer’s theological writings but I did enjoy reading parts of his sermons. Some of his writings remind me of Catholic spiritual literature.
    • 5/5
      Outstanding. What is the church? More Bonhoeffer in my future.
    • 4/5
      Excellent historical build-up for understanding Bonhoeffer's choices. Great addition for anyone interested in this unique theologian.
    • 4/5
      I can’t imagine being a German, staunchly opposed to Hitler’s regime, during WWII. I frequently hear people wonder why no Germans stood up against him when he was ordering such horrific acts to be committed, but in reality, some did, and they were persecuted because of it. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life was a fascinating one. He’s one of the few people I’ve ever read about who truly lived by example. Friends, family and colleagues unanimously agreed on that point. He was kind, generous and incredibly talented as both a minister and musician. He took his beliefs seriously and lived his life according to what he preached. This biography gives an in-depth (seriously, more than 600 pages) look at the man behind the book “The Cost of Discipleship.” I had no idea Bonhoeffer was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. I also didn’t realize he was engaged while imprisoned. He and his fiancée corresponded through letters when they weren’t able to see each other. If Bonhoeffer has ever sparked your interest or you’re a WWII junkie like me, then definitely read this one. If you’ve never heard of him and you’re sick of reading about the 1940s in Europe, then skip it. “In a world where success is the measure and justification of all things, the figure of Him who was sentenced and crucified remains a stranger and is at best the object of pity.” -Bonhoeffer“A human beings moral integrity begins when he is prepared to sacrifice his life for his convictions.” 
    • 5/5
      As Adolph Hitler and the Nazis seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted to exterminate the Jews of Europe, a samll number of dissidents and saboteurs worked to dismantle the THird Reich from the inside. One of these was Dietrich Bonhoeffer-a pastor and author, known as much for such spiritual dlassics as The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together, as for his 1945 execution in a concentration camp for his part to assassinate Adolph Hitler.
    • 5/5
      Very readable biography of an amazing life lived during an especially difficult period of our recent history. The author is especially able to communicate the theology and ideals that formed and informed this man who was able to stand against Hitler and the Nazi regime. Not a dry or dull moment in the book!
    • 5/5
      An outstanding biography richly portrays a compassionate and deeply moral mind struggling against the overwhelming "anti-Christianity" and immorality of the Third Reich. Reading about Deitrich Bonhoffer, I found myself inspired and, yet somewhat saddened that our public figures today so lack the depth of though and the moral compass that Bonhoffer struggled so hard to define.
    • 5/5
      Inspirational story of a man who would sacrifice anything and everything for the high principles derived from his faith in God.
    • 5/5
      This is a great biography of a great man, who gave his life to God as a pastor and was killed for his role in the plot to assasinate Hitler in Nazi Germany. It traces his life from before his birth to his death. This a large book (600 or so pages), but well worth the read, both as a biography and an insight into the church struggles worldwide during WWII.
    • 5/5
      Bonnhoeffer inspires us because he lived out his faith. I tend to think that liberalism started taking over the mainstream denominations in the 60s, but Bonnhoeffer was taught liberal theology in the 1930s. However, he didn't accept everything he was taught—he studied the Bible and thought for himself. He focused on Scripture and putting faith into practice, and he believed that doing God's will was more important than following specific rules. That is how he came to the decision that Hitler had to be killed and that he would be part of the plot to accomplish the death. Bonnhoeffer came from a prominent and affluent family, many of whose members were highly placed in science, government, and the church. As a result of his insider connections, he recognized the evils of Nazism long before most Germans had any idea of what was happening. He was in his late 20's when Hitler came to power, and he was speaking out against the Fuhrer a few days after Hitler's election.He joined Military Intelligence as a front for being part of the conspiracy to kill Hitler and end the Nazi regime. "Bonnhoeffer was pretending to be a pastor—but was only pretending to be pretending, since he really was being a pastor. And he was pretending to be a member of Military Intelligence working for Hitler, but ... he was in reality working against Hitler. Bonnhoeffer was not telling little white lies. In Luther's famous phrase, he was 'sinning boldly.' He was involved in a high-stakes game of deception upon deception, and yet Bonnhoeffer himself knew that in all of it, he was being utterly obedient to God."During all this, he was a faithful pastor, especially to pastors he had trained in the illegal seminary he ran, and he wrote prolifically. After learning so much more about this inspiring man's life, I want to read The Cost of Discipleship and other Bonnhoeffer writings. Metaxas said of Bonnhoeffer: "His strength was borrowed from God and lent to others." Bonnhoeffer borrowed and lent that strength all the way to his execution. Even the Nazi camp doctor said that in his 50 years as a doctor, he had never seen anyone die "so entirely submissive to the will of God."I saw similarities between the state of the German church before and during World War II and the state of many of the mainline denominations in the US today. The German church allowed itself to become a political arm of the Nazi government and swore loyalty to Hitler instead of to God. Bonnhoeffer was a leader in the Confessing Church, the pastors and churches who resisted the Nazis. However, even many of the Confessing Church eventually succumbed to assimilation into the Nazi world. No, we don't have a single national church as the Lutheran Church was in Germany, and I don't see churches pledging fealty to an evil, murderous dictator. However, many of the churches are failing to stand up as God's militant church and are accepting and promoting the values of the world more than the truth of God. Tolerance is a higher priority than God's laws. The Bible isn't believed as God's infallible Word. Churches are more concerned for members' comfort and prosperity than for their souls.May Christians everywhere dedicate themselves to God's will above all else, as Dietrich Bonnhoeffer did—even when it cost him his freedom and ultimately his life.
    • 5/5
      A truly great book about a truly great man. From other sources, I was determined to read about this man. Imagine my surprise when I was at my local library recently and this book was prominently displayed. The book is more than I expected but it is everything I wanted. Describing Bonhoeffer as a great man is understatement. I truly believe if Bonehoffer had appeared anywhere else in the history of the world but as a citizen of the worst civilization in history, his fame would be magnified to be one of the great thinkers of humankind. As it is, his thoughts are the stuff of sainthood. I've been told by a Lutheran Pastor that some of his thinking is "embarrassing." That's alright. There is much that Jesus said that is embarrassing too if you want to look at it that way.
    • 5/5
      I would agree to jds review and add that we could learn a lesson by the people in the church sitting back doing nothing,we have abortion and no prayer in schools. How many times did we hear during the presidential election we just want change,so did Germany.