Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Biography of a Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, and Spy

mari: great book

United Kingdom on Jun 01, 2023

J. Hughes: It was with great reluctance that I purchased this book due to the negative reviews I encountered here at Amazon. Fortunately, Kindle offered a daily deal and I thought that for that price I had nothing to lose. This book is laborious and is not going to be easy to move through 500 pages unless you have a love for reading. However, after spending a month reading and pondering the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer I can say that I am absolutely astonished. The story and its narrator are extremely engaging and if you are unfamiliar with Bonhoeffer you will wonder why this is such a phenomenal hero that you know so little about. Mr. Metaxas is a spell-binding story teller who takes an already powerful account and writes it in such way as to leave the reader craving the next chapter. Since reading it I have, with no success, attempted to get almost everyone I know to read this work. It is a perfect blend of history and theology, which for me are the two most relevant subjects of study. Here are few reasons why this book is a must-read for anyone who knows little about Bonhoeffer.

Years ago I picked up a copy of Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship." I was very young at the time...

United States on Dec 08, 2012

David: This is a stunning book. Informative, memorable, tragic and inspiring.

I'd heard great things of the new biography of Bonhoeffer by Eric Mataxas, so got to reading it this past week. Although a lengthy read, it is a magnificent

My knowledge of Bonhoeffer was thin, although I was somewhat aware of his courageous activity against Naziism throughout the 30s and during the war. I also knew of his, 'cheap grace' idea, and one or two others. But now I I know considerably more of this man and his lived relationship with God. Although somewhat of an intellect and academic theologian, he always maintained a living, breathing relationship with God, which informed all he thought and did.

Much of the book explained the rise of Naziism, Hitler, and his gradual grasping of despotic powers. I knew something about the effect of the treaty of Versailles and the humiliation felt by the German people, but hadn't thought abut it's effect upon Christians in Germany. There is fascinating detail of the complexity of the relationship between the church and the state, and the unbelievable capitulation of the state church, even to the extent of the rewriting parts of Jesus sermon on...

United Kingdom on Sep 16, 2012

Snow Pharoah: This is a wonderfully well written biography of a key figure in 20th century Christianity. Eric Metaxas has done a masterful job of communicating the zeitgeist of early and mid-20th century Germany, the inter-relationships between church and state amidst the growing popularity of the National Socialist Party and the incongruity of being a Christian, and adhering to official NAZI party lines. Four points are particularly well made:

First, there can be no doubt that one of the key issues that Bonhoeffer must respond to throughout his early life is the way the German Church - the church of the reformation that has so highlighted the importance of scripture, salvation and reconciliation with God by grace through the redeeming work of Christ on the cross - the German Church had adopted habits, that made it vulnerable to collaborating with government abuse of different populations. The German church is portrayed as simply offering up all kinds of deep compromise to the NAZIs. This biography begs the question: how do you interpret scripture in a way that will make you stand in the face of evil, cover your neighbor's back, look after the poor and the rejected, even if it means your...

Canada on Jul 04, 2012

T. G. S. Hawksley: The grand story of one of the great Christians who gave his life resisting Hitler is told in a masterful way here. What makes this biography especially good is the attention to background detail. And some, seemingly small at the time, come to leave their own picture in our minds. Take for example Bonhoeffer's first visit to New York in 1930. Metaxas carefully explains how rich John Rockefellow was trying to expel the fundamentalists from New York and had built a splendid church called Riverside for the liberal Harry Fosdick to preach his secular Gospel from. The liberalism leaves Bonhoeffer cold, and this brilliant aloof German, student of scholar Adolf von Harnack and friend of Karl Barth, finds his spiritual home at the black Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem where a hot heaven and hell Gospel was preached by Dr Adam Clayton Powell Sr. Metaxas could have left it there. But quite rightly he tells us more about Powell; that he had been converted from a life of hard drinking and gambling; that he had built a huge church in Harlem which by the 1930's had a congregation of fourteen thousand members; and something very moving. He was the son of slaves. Metaxas then shows through a...

United Kingdom on Jun 19, 2012

Mr. B. Shepherd: Bonhoeffer - pastor, theologian, martyr - if I were to describe this book in two words it would be `mammoth' and `captivating'.

The book itself is one of the best researched books on Bonhoeffer I have ever come across. It includes numerous quote sections from his letters, books, sermons and personal testimonies. It includes writings from other parties, who wrote about Bonhoeffer and a story narrative that never fails to draw the reader on. Despite the size of the book I cannot recall ever feeling like my interest began to wane whilst reading it.

Bonhoeffer came from an aristocratic and noticeably scientific German family. At a young age he decided to defy tradition and become a theologian. His most noticeable writings are: Life Together, Cost of Discipleship and Ethics (all of which of fantastic). Together these books are his opus maximus (great life's work). Every theologian has heard of Bonhoeffer and studied his writings at some point or another. The depth of his writings are awe inspiring and thoroughly thought provoking.

What is probably less known about Bonhoeffer is his role in Nazi Germany, or the fact that because of this there is today a statue of...

United Kingdom on Feb 19, 2012

Dr. David Steele: Eric Metaxas has outdone himself with his latest work, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. The author sets the stage for Bonhoeffer's life and ministry by detailing his life as a child and the events that led to full-time Christian ministry.

Metaxas provides rich detail that helps deconstruct this enigmatic character we know as Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The formative years in Rome are explored, student life in Berlin, and his first pastorate in Barcelona. Bonhoeffer is painted as one who loved children and had a passion for equipping young men for the ministry.

His life as a university student in Berlin is a fascinating journey, especially the information that pertains to his friendship with the German theologian, Karl Barth. Also interesting is path chosen by Bonhoeffer as he studied with German liberals like Adolf von Harnack. These years taught Bonhoeffer to think for himself and carefully formulate his theological presuppositions and produce doctoral and post-doctoral dissertations (Sanctorum Communio and Act and Being respectively).

Shortly after Act and Being was published with little acclaim, Bonhoeffer make his way to America in 1930. He struggled...

United States on Jan 19, 2011