They are joined by a host of other men who were executed following the failed. The story of dietrich bonhoeffer explains what made dietrich bonhoeffer the man he wascompassionate minister, brilliant thinker, opponent of the heresies of nazism and aryan superiority. In the end of leadership, edited by patrick nullens and steven c. Theology of dietrich bonhoeffer research papers academia. The bonhoeffer of metaxass 2010 best seller, bonhoeffer. God does not exist he insists and gave it a twist to describe insistent ethics because for bonhoeffer. His writings in prison showed a new dimension in his theology.
In 1928 he went as a curate to barcelona for a year and in 1930 at the age of twentyfour he became a lecturer in systematic theology in. The reverend david russell was found guilty of breaking his banning order in order to attend a church synod. Bonhoeffer eventually joined the resistance movement, and. The biography of the german theologian and pastor dietrich bonhoeffer has been a hot commodity since the publication of eric metaxass bonhoeffer. The question of bonhoeffer s theology in my memory boils down to his putting christ at the center of his life. Bonhoeffers christocentric theology and fundamental. Reclaiming dietrich bonhoeffer is certain to inspire a new consideration of bonhoeffers place in contemporary christian theology. In this groundbreaking study, charles marsh offers a new way of reading dietrich bonhoeffer a theologian who was executed for. The work originated as a doctoral dissertation under professor ronald gregor smith at the university of glasgow, the author being a former student of dr. In 1979 several churches reiterated that they would not obey certain racial laws.
The family had eight children and lived in breslau, germany. Reclaiming dietrich bonhoeffer is certain to inspire a new consideration of bonhoeffer s place in contemporary christian theology. His death at the hands of the nazis is an extraordinary tale of courage and christian discipleship. One of the best known christians of the twentieth century, dietrich bonhoeffer is admired as a theologian for his unparalleled independence of mind, creativity and brilliance by liberals and conservatives alike. Unlike the biography by eric metaxas, who is a better story teller but is quite incompetent when discussing theology, van dyke has not sought to evaluate the theology of bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer outstanding christian thinkers stephen plant. Bonhoeffer s christocentric theology and fundamental debates in environmental ethics is incredibly important because it shows conclusively that bonhoeffer s thought is not something that remains in the past, but has realworld applications to todays contemporary debates. Zur theologie dietrich bonhoeffers 8 by florian schmitz 20, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. His theology is particularly suitable in this context, due to its openended nature, and to the prophetic and radical. Eric metaxass bonhoeffer biography has won many accolades from evangelicals, not only because metaxas is an excellent writer, but also. The role of jesus christ for christian theology christiane tietz, university of zurich, switzerland 2. Pastor, martyr, prophet, spy, had all the theological orthodoxy and manly grit an evangelical could want.
For bonhoeffer, all true theology begins in prayer and is centered on jesus christ. Bonhoeffers discipleship account of the two functions of christian theology as outlined by charry. Bonhoeffer s foundation for the christian life is the cross 26. Mcbride, christ existing as concrete community today, theology today 71. Ethics book by dietrich bonhoeffer official publisher.
Van theoloog wordt bonhoeffer een christen bonhoeffer werd te breslau geboren op 6 februari 1906. Christ the center cogently presents the basis of bonhoeffer s thinking about jesus christ and offers the key to his entire theology. A classic work of christological thought, both edifying and uplifting, christ the center is an. However, bonhoeffer was also a serious theologian who, while indebted to the liberal.
History, background, and early work dietrich bonhoeffer was born, along with his twin sister, on february 6, 1906. Reconsidering bonhoeffer s christological aversion to theological metaphysics christopher r. Newspaper clippings were photocopied on acid free paper. View theology of dietrich bonhoeffer research papers on academia.
What of van dusens fine but revealing vindication of liberal theology, an ideology that has been uprooted by pomo. There is widespread understanding of the close connection between religion and the. Mcbride, christ existing as concrete community today, theology today 71, no. In contrast to rehearsing ethics are insistence ethics. Bonhoeffer s concept of the christ reality allowed him to both resist and oppose nazi ideology while refusing to shunt responsibility and action 5657. Thomas nelson, 2010 by richard weikart, california state university, stanislaus. Vanaf zijn zesde levensjaar groeide hij op in het gegoede academische milieu van berlijn. Bonhoeffer was arrested as a prominent opponent of the nazi regime on 5 april 1943, and was kept at different prisons. David van brakle is a pastor of the wilmette community church in the chicagoland area. Collins, london, as the form of christ in the world. While this book offers details on dietrich bonhoeffer s life, the focus is on his theology and his contributions to the christian community as a preacher, professor, and writer.
The dietrich bonhoeffer collection secondary source material is a collection that was artificially created from several different sources, meaning that no original order could be maintained. His books have been translated into more than twentyfive languages. Over the past few days i had a delightful time reading volume 10 of the new edition of dietrich bonhoeffer s works, barcelona, berlin, new york. Under this heading is nichols chapter on bonhoeffer. Dietrich bonhoeffer werd op 4 februari 1906 te breslau geboren. Bonhoeffers costly theology christian history magazine. In making the correlations he thoroughly describes each concept, situating it in the historic and intellectual background of bonhoeffer s time.
A welcome new biography of one of the 20th centurys leading lights. Dietrich bonhoeffer is one of the most engaging figures from the 20th century. He was a pacifist who got involved in the plot to kill hitler. This collection, focusing on the mans views of christ, the church and culture, contributes to a recent awakening of interest in bonhoeffer. Christian perspectives on leadership and social ethics 4. Bonhoeffer s way of doing theology, his understanding of method, function and essence of theology and at relating these to current debates on the concept of theology. Bonhoeffer argues that it is not enough to believe in the existence of an objective ethical frame work, such as the ten commandments or the sermon on the mount. Beeldfiguren van het christendom dietrich bonhoeffer.
This reality is not manifest in the church as distinct from the secular world. The book included reflections on the sermon on the mount from the gospel of matthew, and has become a classic of christian theology. From mid1944, around the time of the 20 july plot, he began to also write poems. Bonhoeffer, calvinism and christian civil disobedience in. In this groundbreaking study, charles marsh offers a new way of reading dietrich bonhoeffer a theologian. The 2012 wheaton theology conference was convened around the formidable legacy of lutheran pastor, theologian and antinazi resistant dietrich bonhoeffer. He was transferred to the reich main security office in berlin on 8 october 1944. Nichols begins with bonhoeffer s christology, followed by his ecclesiology, both of which, as many have noted before, loom very large in bonhoeffer s theology. He was a theologian who is acclaimed and claimed by liberals and conservatives. This monograph seeks to contribute to this endeavor by engaging the theology of dietrich bonhoeffer.
There is widespread understanding of the close connection between religion and the ecological crisis, and that in order to amend this crisis, theological resources are needed. His writings on christianitys role in the secular world have become widely influential, and his book the cost of discipleship has been described as a modern classic. Bonhoeffer, unlike prevailing liberal theologians, refused to separate the jesus of history from the christ of faith. This easytoread biography details both bonhoeffer s life and his powerful theology. Sociality and church in bonhoeffers 1933 christology. He was a martyr and a victim of the evils of naziism. Dietrich bonhoeffer reading room tyndale university. D in theology and religious studies from the evangelische theologische faculteit of leuven, belgium.
The international bonhoeffer colloquia are organized by stephen plant, christiane tietz, ralf k. Part of the problem, perhaps, is that metaxas simply got in over his head. His writing has appeared in the wall street journal, the new york times, and the new yorker, and metaxas has appeared as a cultural commentator on cnn, fox news. A perspective from the theology of dietrich bonhoeffer. Dietrich bonhoeffers political theology 39 bonhoeffer philadelphia, westminster, 1969, 8590. Gardner participated in the spring institute for lived theology 2005. Bonhoeffer was a sophisticated thinker immersed in early twentiethcentury german philosophy and theology. Dietrich bonhoeffer as youth worker the heavy laden. Like luther, bonhoeffer could point to this one who was born in a crib and died on a cross, and say, this man is god for me. He taught seminarians and wrote, the cost of discipleship, which was a guide for christians on how to live according to jesuss teachings in the gospels. He simply reports what bonhoeffer said and thus avoids the trap into which metaxas stumbles, that of completely misreading bonhoeffer s theology. Dietrich bonhoeffers political theology conrad grebel.