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    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Mártir, Profeta, Espía
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    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Mártir, Profeta, Espía
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    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Mártir, Profeta, Espía
    Ebook949 pages18 hours

    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Mártir, Profeta, Espía

    By Eric Metaxas

    4.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Del autor de Amazing Grace, uno de los autores de mayor éxito editorial según el New York Times, llega esta biografía innovadora sobre Dietrich Bonhoeffer, uno de los más grandes héroes del siglo XX, el hombre que se irguió frente a Hitler.

    Una obra rigurosa y profundamente conmovedora, Bonhoeffer es una historia de coraje moral frente al horrendo mal que significó el Nazismo.

    Después de descubrir el fuego de la verdadera fe en la iglesia de Harlem, Bonhoeffer regresó a Alemania, y fue uno de los primeros en manifestarse contra Hitler. Siendo espía, formó parte de la conspiración para asesinar al Führer y fue ahorcado en el campo de concentración de Flossenberg a los 39 años. Después de su muerte, Bonhoeffer ha llegado a ser una de las figuras más complejas y fascinantes del siglo XX.

    Bonhoeffer muestra a un teólogo cristiano totalmente ortodoxo cuya fe lo llevó a enfrentar atrevidamente al mayor mal del siglo XX, y deja al descubierto hechos nunca antes revelados, incluyendo la historia de su apasionado romance.

    LanguageEspañol
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateOct 29, 2012
    ISBN9781602558663
    Unavailable
    Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Mártir, Profeta, Espía
    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

    4.5/5

    464 ratings63 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I will shamefacedly admit that I liked this book when I first read it. Having learned that the author, Eric Metaxas, is a supporter of the current President was bad enough. Now that I learn he is an apologist and defender of Bill O'Reilly, I have to question any judgement he makes on Bonhoeffer or any other subject. Any recommendations for books written by authors who are not morally tainted by their own stands on current issues are appreciated. Don't read this book unless you want to line the pockets of someone who spends his money and time defending the indefensible.
    • 4/5
      Overall, I enjoyed this biography. As I read/listened to it, I kept trying to connect it to what I know of Church history and history in general from this time. It was fascinating to learn new things about the Nazi party, such as: they started their own Church: Reichskirke (officially: The German Evangelical Church). Metaxas shows the many sides of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and does an excellent job of bringing the young pastor's internal and external struggles to the reader. Many people played many roles in the stand against Hitler's Nazi party during those years in Germany; it's interesting to see what role those leaders in the Protestant Church (particularly Lutheran) played. Bonhoeffer and many of his friends and colleagues were punished and killed for their role in the downfall of the Third Reich. If you're interested in the Lutheran Church, Church History, History before/during WWII, or the role played by the Church during the Nazi Third Reich, this is an interesting place to begin looking at those various topics/subjects.As always, you'll just have to read it to discover if you'll like it or not.
    • 2/5
      I cannot give this book a positive review. I believe that the author is guilty of interpreting Bonhoeffer through the lense of his own theology. In the process, he distorts--and may even misrepresent--Bonhoeffer's own beliefs.
    • 5/5
      I have a new hero. This is a must read - especially for young people. If all young men possessed the fortitude and charisma if Bonhoeffer. Our world would be transformed.
    • 5/5
      I cannot sing this books praises highly enough. It is a detailed and comprehensive account of the life of a man with a brilliant mind and inspiring spirit. In no way did I mind the details that were shared, for every part of Bonhoeffer's life was fascinating for the thoughtful and intentional way that he lived it. As someone who is fascinated with history I also found the background information about what was going on behind the scenes during the World War II era in Germany fascinating. This time period is one that so much is written about, but these new details gave me new understanding of how it affected the German people and their families. There were many moral dilemmas that Bonhoeffer tackled, such as the role of the church and the state, whether or not it is morally correct to lie in certain circumstances, and--of course--the rightness of being involved in a plot to assassinate the leader of a country. I couldn't always follow (or agree with) all of the reasoning that was shared, however there is no doubt that Bonhoeffer had a brilliant mind and that his life was cut short far too soon. The relationships he shared with family and friends, and his fiance were also fascinating aspects of the story, and not only added emotional impact but also suspense.
    • 3/5
      The life of Dederick Bonhoeffer is also a story of German history at the time. Born into an educated and professional family, Dederick decides to become a minister rather than pursuing a more lucrative career. The book delves into much of the theological discussions of the time regarding Lutheran dogma. However, the life of Bonhoeffer is very interesting especially his relationship with a young woman Maria. They are eventually engaged, but never marry as Bonhoeffer is sent to a Nazi prison for his stand against Hitler. He obviously was not only a very intelligent man and one with very high ethics, but also a brave man to work against the Nazis, even to the point of plotting to assassinate Hitler.
    • 5/5
      3 for 2016. This book fits several categories in the Read Harder Challenge 2016. It is a biography. Religion and Politics play central themes in the plot. And the book is well over 500 pages long. That's where I'll put it, although I I have plenty more books to read that could even go in this category. Having written my doctoral dissertation about a writer executed for having collaborated with the Nazis, I would have thought I knew all I needed to know about that horrid period of twentieth century life. What I had not understood was the depth of the resistance inside Germany--the number of people of good faith and upper class who stood ready to lose everything to stop the madman "leading" their country. Bonhoeffer was one such man, caught between the love of one's country and the profound loathing of the forces that are destroying that fatherland. Always asking the question "what does God require of me?" Bonhoeffer, while he had religious figures among his ancestors, did not grow up in a deeply religious home. But it was a home that honored scholarship, and Bonhoeffer put as much effort in his study of theology as his father and siblings put into their more scientific areas. Anyone wishing to deepen their view of Christianity, their understanding of Nazi Germany, or the difference between the "German Christians" and the "Confessing Church" needs to read Eric Metaxas' detailed biography of this seminal thinker.
    • 5/5
      The life of Dietrich Bonhoefer was an example of a Christ centered one. Bonhoefer combined a solid theology educaton with a humble christian life. This book presents the main facts of his life, with close attention to the evolution of his thought and the struggles he endured in Nazi Germany. Eric Metaxas portrait of Dietrich Bonhoefer allows the reader to know the difficulties and satisfactions of a meaningful life.
    • 5/5
      Excellent!
    • 5/5
      I cannot add much to what has been said on the large number of prior reviews. I thought I had a pretty good knowledge of Bonhoeffer's life but despite this I was absolutely fascinated with this biography. The background of his childhood and family history was important and enlightening. While I tend to rate books high (lots of 4 or 5 stars) I think that is because I read books that are usually very good. This book is not only one that I not only read, but bought copies for both my parents and my in-laws. I can remember feeling so strongly about a book that I would do that. This is that type of book.
    • 5/5
      Eric Metaxas' tome on Dietrich Boenhoeffer may be the most important book I'll read this year. While I knew some basic facts of the German pastor who died at the hands of the German SS regime, Metaxas made him come alive. Weighing in at over 600 pages, Boenhoeffer: pastor, martyr, prophet, spy is dense. Long quotations from letters, while difficult to muddle through at points, allow Boenhoeffer to tell his own story. I was moved my this book. Am I standing for principle? Am I willing to pay the ultimate cost for that which is most important to me? Do I deal with difficult situations with a grace that can only come from Christ? The life of Dietrich Boenhoeffer made me ask these and many more questions.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant, challenging, thought-provoking, moving, humbling, inspiring.

      I hoped that I would be affected by reading this, and I have been. Incredible story about what one man can do when he submits himself to God's will above all.
    • 5/5
      In a word: magnificent. From his early beginnings in Berlin to his maturing into a true man of God, this stunning work shows Bonhoeffer's strength to stand and face, head-on, the evil of an emerging Nazi regime led by a relatively unknown foreigner, one Adolf Hitler. In spite of Hitler's persuasion of the German Church to adopt Nazi theology, Bonhoeffer remains steadfast in his commitment and his continual message of the Word of God as opposition to this growing evil. Amazingly, Bonhoeffer never wavered even as he was captured and eventually executed for his part in various assassination conspiracies against Hitler, even garnering the admiration of his executioners as a man "who was hardly ever seen so entirely submissive to the will of God". This is quite possibly the most important book I have ever read, and I was continually stunned and surprised at how much of this book applies to our situation in this country today. The similarities are eerie.
    • 5/5
      The subtitle of the 2010 biography by Eric Metaxas, "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy," only begins to define who Dietrich Bonhoeffer was. One might also add Writer, Friend, Family Man, Theologian and a few others. Metaxas gives due attention to each of these dimensions to Bonhoeffer's short life. He was executed by the Gestapo, under direct orders from Adolf Hitler, in 1945 just weeks before the end of World War II. Bonhoeffer, the devout German pastor, had played a role, however small, in a plot to assassinate Hitler.Quite early in Bonhoeffer's career he preached a sermon in which he said, "if you want to find eternity, you must serve the times." The times in which he served were among the worst in history. He was a patriotic German, a member of a prominent family, during Hitler's rise to power. Most of his colleagues in the German church were slow to recognize Hitler for who he was, never really believing he might do any of the things, such as the persecution of the Jews, he hinted at doing. Bonhoeffer, the prophet, was among the first to warn German Christians that they would have to take a stand. It is something of a wonder Bonhoeffer survived as long as he did.Yet he had plenty of opportunities to get out of Germany before war broke out and before it was too late. He made trips to the United States, England and elsewhere, and he was offered positions that would have kept him out of harm's way. Yet he felt his place was with his people in Germany. He cut short his last trip to the U.S. because of his eagerness to return to his friends and family.The success of the Metaxas biography may have been something of a surprise. Long biographies of theologians do not often turn into bestsellers. That this one did is a testament both to the biographer's skill as a writer and to the power of Bonhoeffer's life. I notice that another Bonhoeffer biography has just been published, but I'm sure the man life was important enough to deserve even more attention.The church I attend in Largo, Fla., has what is called the Cloud of Witnesses, dozens of busts of prominent men and women of the faith, from Moses to Martin Luther King, that surround the sanctuary. One of these belongs to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pastor, martyr, prophet and spy.
    • 5/5
      This book is absolutely inspiring! It is an amazingly interesting read about the life and death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This is the story of a Christian, German man who saw that he needed to speak out against what was happening to the Jewish people during Hitler's reign of terror. Because of his outspoken views, he gave up his life.This book was written in such a way that Christians and unbelievers alike will be convicted to action against wrongs in the midst of conflict. This book could change your life.
    • 2/5
      Yikes- this was a real disappointment, or, as Metaxas might say, a hemorrhoidal bummer. I was excited when I read reviews when it came out. Then I was wary when I learned that Metaxas is the 'founder and host' of a philosophy reading group for crazy-rich, conservative New Yorkers. Then when I saw that the blurbs for his book, rather than being by biographers or scholars, were by CEOs, ex-CEOs, former General Partners of Goldman Sachs, Kirkus journalists or people who feel the need to put PhD at the end of their names, I was really put off.

      Then I started reading, and I went back to excitement. Metaxas writes very clear, Hemingway-gone-effeminate sentences for the most part. It's very soothing... and then suddenly you realize that he's just lulling you so he can smack you over the head with a patented word-couple like 'hemorrhoidal isometrics' or 'vampiric homonculus.' In one sentence he describes Hitler as having both 'canine sensitivity' and 'lupine ruthlessness.' In *one sentence*. Theologians are accused of building 'diminutive Ziggurats.' It reads like a high-school student trying to impress her teacher.

      And then there's the big problem with the book: despite the fact that almost everyone in Germany refused to take a stand as firm as Bonhoeffer's, Metaxas is unwilling to consider that anyone then alive wasn't either a black-hatted varmant or a white-hatted hero. Once Hitler takes the stage, the book becomes a morality-tale rather than a biography. *Real* Christians never supported Hitler, and Bonhoeffer can do no wrong- but even *he* admitted that he rubbed people the wrong way and had a knack for making enemies. True, true, Metaxas admits, Bonhoeffer could get a bit too high-brow in the pulpit. But such a criticism is doubly ironic: first, because Metaxas' primary complaint about 'Bishop' Mueller is that he's an 'uneducated Navy chaplain' of lower-class origins (this is particularly jarring when you realize how privileged Bonhoeffer was, and that Metaxas doesn't seem to care). Second, despite its sneering at the uneducated, this book is determinedly middle-brow. I imagine Bonhoeffer and Barth sharing a smirk about it before they got back to reading something incomprehensible.

      I should have been tipped off by the sub-title, of course, that there wouldn't be much attention paid Bonhoeffer's ideas here: it's not called 'Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Theologian.' But I still found the lack of intellectual analysis disappointing, especially given that Metaxas has his own theological axes to grind, primarily against those who are attracted to the idea of religion-less Christianity. Who are they? We're never told. What should we put in place of their (as he sees it) flawed interpretation? We're never told.

      It's a shame, because this is a great subject for a biography, and he obviously did a great deal of research and excellent synthesis.
    • 4/5
      OK--I have heard the complaints that this book is not "factual" enough but I still enjoyed it immensely which I was surprised about. Enough unknown history about Germany and how it got the way it did, including the German Christians, and yet still not mean spirited. Just presenting the facts and you decide.
    • 5/5
      This is an inspirational biography of a man, who was complicated (see subtitle) and lived in complicated & difficult times. He saw it simply as follow God's will for his life however. It also makes me want to read his two well-known works Cost of Discipleship, and Life Together.
    • 1/5
      An historical monograph posing as a biography. This book is 400 pages too long. I never knew it was possible to be this bored and still remain conscious.
    • 2/5
      My first inclination was rating this biography of Bonhoeffer by Metaxas was at least a four and maybe a five; however, that was before I read about the hatchet job of revisionist history committed by Meaxas. The positive: Metaxas is an excellent writer and has a great sense for flow. If push came to shove and you needed a beginner primer on Bonhoeffer I'd actually recommend it as a read but with a warning label.The negative: just about every theologian/Christian historian that has reviewed this book both liberal, conservative and in between panned the work because of his shoddy work and even blatant revisionist, historical work of trying to remake Bonhoeffer into a simplistic, (political) evangelical martyr/saint. It's not that his work is 100% inaccurate, but it is like depending on the historical story of Pocahontas by watching the Disney version.
    • 3/5
      Eric Metaxas' Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy is a morality tale masquerading as a biography. And herein lies the problem; it is not that Dietrich Bonhoeffer was not a hero, a martyr, a man of deep conviction and profound courage and faith, a man whose faith carried him further than most people are willing to go in terms of standing up for truth. He was all of that and more. The problem is that Metaxas paints a rather simplified and one-sided portrait of Bonhoeffer as a hero for the elites and although it is true that Dietrich Bonhoeffer did come from an elite background, the book plays this up consistently and to great effect. Metaxas uses Bonhoeffer to create a hero for the educated, the hero of the upper classes fighting against the uneducated, the rude, and the crude. Metaxas also grossly oversimplifies Bonhoeffer's theology and his development as a theologian, relying heavily on Bonhoeffer's writings as a young student and as well as some late writings, neatly avoiding any indications of development and inner struggle. Of course, one would note that Theologian, is not a part of the title of the book, so it would make sense that this is no biography of Bonhoeffer as a theologian. Now, given this litany of complaints, one might think that this is a bad book. It is not, although I would deem it rather average. It is mostly well written, with a mostly engaging style. It is however defnitely limited. If the book introduces Bonhoeffer to those who knew nothing of him, it has yielded something good. If some of those readers go on to read Bonhoeffer's actual writings and learn more of the man and his theology it might even be deemed a success. It has certainly made me want to reread Bonhoeffer, with the result that, rather than reducing the size of the old "to read" pile, this book actually served to increase it.
    • 5/5
      I have previously imagined that the churches in Germany were passive in the face of rising Nazism and Hitler in the 1930s. Although I had heard of Bonhoeffer before, I know little about him. This book makes it clear that what I previously thought was true on two counts. The mainstream Lutheran church actually strongly supported Nazism, whilst a large group split off to provide opposition. And in the background many people of faith were active in conspiring to get rid of the dictator. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of them. This is a long book about the life of Bonhoeffer. A great read which includes excepts from many letters written by and to Bonhoeffer. It covers the early years of his life in a privileged family, his coming to faith, his education, and his travels overseas. Then as nationalism and Nazism he is one who makes early and public comments on the potential dangers. This continues into an active life of making a stand, and eventually imprisonment.[more comments to be added on controversy]One minor comment: I read this as an eBook. This book once again demonstrates the problems that eBooks have with handling footnotes.
    • 3/5
      I liked the book but it was very long and sometimes slow. It was interesting to hear most of the elements of the movie Valkyrie interlaced in with Bonhoeffer's story (especially his time in the resistance).

      I didn't like that the author used this biography as a type of Christian propaganda; only discussing the Christians who were involved with the resistance and trying to paint the Nazi Party as atheist (or at least as un-Christian pagans). That is historically dishonest and was unnecessary to the story.

      The author went out of his way to paint Bonhoeffer in the best of lights and that, too, is historically dishonest. All in all, I enjoyed the story and learned a lot more about Dietrich Bonhoeffer than I had ever cared to.
    • 5/5
      Brilliantly researched and written story of a man I never heard of before. And not just him but his family and fellow agents/friends who tried to rewrite history. I learned a lot about Hitler, Germany and WWII that I didn't know. A book worth reading even though with 600+ pages and the heaviness of the subject matter it is a slow read.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely the best book I've read in a long time. I've found a new spiritual hero. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the most impressive Christians in the midst of one of the most horrific situations in history. So worth the effort!"
    • 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)
    • 5/5
      Astonishing and enlightening biography about a man who truly fought for good. If only more Christians (people!) were like him.
    • 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.