5/5 stars

A formational book review by Megan

Dietrich Bonhoeffer had, through his life’s writings and now his deeds, reframed the Christian life through a lens of action. He called for a radical obedience that was not cheap but costly. Faith wasn’t just about creating a set of comforting thoughts about God; it was living out an ethic that called for sacrifice. You didn’t just pray for the tanks to stop rolling, you threw yourself in front of them.

A beautiful look at Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life. The book looks more closely at how the Nazi party came to power and how Bonhoeffer made the decision to work with the resistance to betray Hitler.

Reading as a Disciple

But the more he studied God, the more his heart longed for something greater than knowledge. He was learning everything imaginable about the spiritual realms but felt increasingly alone.

Bonhoeffer wrestled with so many deep and difficult questions that many of us may never have thought of, let alone have to answer. What was striking though, was his continual relationship with God, he continually leaned on God despite feeling alone. He continually served others, no matter who they were; he was a pastor to his fellow resistance members, to his jailers, to family and friends. In the end, when we had a chance to escape he chose to stay for the safety of others.

How could he, after all this, choose “self” over “other”? No. He could not run. He would stay. He would walk into the fire, eyes wide open.

What a challenging testimony of dependence on God for every step and unwavering conviction in the face of adversity from within the church as well as outside.  

Reading Communally

Would the church, indeed, act together in the face of injustice?

Despite his singular Lutheran upbringing, Bonhoeffer looked at all believers as one body, sanctorum communio, the communion of the saints. He looked to fellow believers around the world for support and admonished his local body of believers for not acting or speaking out against the injustice in front of them. Bonhoeffer strove to commit his life in service for others, he truly believed that to live for Christ was to serve others. Not only was he calling for the Church to stand up but he dreamed of what the Church could do if they were united. It is always a curious thought to ponder what would be accomplished if the Church lived for others and not denominational, political, social, economical… etc. etc. lines.

“The church is only the Church when it exists for others… not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what it means to live for Christ, to exist for others.” (Direct quote from Bonhoeffer)

Final Thoughts

Such a beautiful book. I have always been interested in Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his decisions, so this book helped to answer some of the questions I had. Hendrix does a great job with research and keeping the book focused. With any WWII book, there is just so much you could add but he was able to keep things within a small window and not overwhelm the reader with tons of information. I love that the book is beautiful and also thought-provoking. Dietrich was an average guy. In today’s Christian sphere, we see him as something above average but Hendrix did a great job of putting him on our level. Simply someone wrestling with his faith and how to walk it out.

Other books by John Hendrix:

Mythmakers- a must read!

Shooting at the Stars

The Holy Ghost: A Spirited Comic

Miracle Man

Go and Do Likewise!

And others…