I see that Angel Productions has a movie coming out about Bonhoeffer. The name alone causes alarm to me. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin. I am concerned and hope to hear from others who are educated in regard to him and can verify, vouch for accuracy of his character portrayal.
I fear it will be used as another case of co-opting DB for the agenda of Christian Nationalists.
Thank you for your recommendations and speaking out during this time.
Here is a comment from Tripp Fuller: Before I watched the film, I had seen a Twitter meme of the actor playing Bonhoeffer in a vest with dynamite and freaked out. I was worried it would be a Metaxas-level turd on one of my heroes. I was surprised when DB doesn’t wear a bomb in the film and condemns Christian nationalism rather directly. Given my expectations were so low, I was pleasantly surprised that it undermines the crappy Bonhoeffer of the MAGA imagination. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/jCQd8bq6tw3wArVP/
What a great list, and it's especially helpful to have a pared-down selection for Bonhoeffer newbies. I read the chilling link you shared at the start, and it left me wondering why so many devoted followers of Jesus try to make "CHRIST" rhyme with "GUN." The list you've shared is a fantastic gateway into Bonhoeffer's universe; I didn't dive in sooner simply because I wasn't sure where to start, and I struggled to make sense of his association with the bomb plot. This really helps—thanks so much!
Good recommendations, Nijay. Thanks for your bullet points, too. I like how you framed those Bonhoefferian distinctions. Later this month my co-author Joe Thomas and I have a little 100 page book coming out with Wipf & Stock / Cascade Books - "Wayfinding with Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Off the Beaten Path and into the Kingdom." We wanted to offer an accessible, thoughtful reflection on just a few important paths in Bonhoeffer' life and writing, along with some wayfinding cues & questions for reflection. We believe Bonhoeffer, as do you, is an important wayfinder for Christ followers today. Like you, I've been very discouraged by how Christian nationalists have co-opted DB for their agenda. I'm very glad the Bonhoeffer family has spoken out!
Life Together is also my favorite. Interestingly Bonhoeffer in his letters from prison distances himself somewhat from CoD, which he describes as the end of a particular chapter in his life. But sitting in prison and dwelling on last things will undoubtedly cause a person to reconsider a few things. His letters are definitely raw and frustratingly fragmentary,… it would have been amazing to have seen some of those fragments come to fruition had he survived the war. A bitter loss for German Protestantism.
BTW, the fascination with CoD is a particularly American thing. Most German Protestants are only vaguely aware of him and haven’t read anything of his.
Thank you for that list. I have always admired Bonhoeffer greatly for his outrageous courage to stand up against an evil, fascist and highly manipulative dictator (ring a bell?) and thus have also come across and read Eric Metaxa's (EM) book about Bonhoeffer years ago.
Whilst I could never put a finger on it, the theme in EM's book didn't quite fit with Bonhoeffer's own actions, almost as if he was trying to squeeze Bonhoeffer into an 'alternate' mold.
After reading quotes and letters and articles about Bonhoeffer from other sources l've come to understand why - EM is very much running his own agenda, which has nothing to do with Jesus's teachings which Bonhoeffer was trying to live by (and eventually got murdered for).
The recent Statement by Bonhoeffer’s family in relation to the misappropriation of Bonhoeffer’s legacy for political purposes attests to this.
I see that Angel Productions has a movie coming out about Bonhoeffer. The name alone causes alarm to me. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin. I am concerned and hope to hear from others who are educated in regard to him and can verify, vouch for accuracy of his character portrayal.
I fear it will be used as another case of co-opting DB for the agenda of Christian Nationalists.
Thank you for your recommendations and speaking out during this time.
Here is a comment from Tripp Fuller: Before I watched the film, I had seen a Twitter meme of the actor playing Bonhoeffer in a vest with dynamite and freaked out. I was worried it would be a Metaxas-level turd on one of my heroes. I was surprised when DB doesn’t wear a bomb in the film and condemns Christian nationalism rather directly. Given my expectations were so low, I was pleasantly surprised that it undermines the crappy Bonhoeffer of the MAGA imagination. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/jCQd8bq6tw3wArVP/
What a great list, and it's especially helpful to have a pared-down selection for Bonhoeffer newbies. I read the chilling link you shared at the start, and it left me wondering why so many devoted followers of Jesus try to make "CHRIST" rhyme with "GUN." The list you've shared is a fantastic gateway into Bonhoeffer's universe; I didn't dive in sooner simply because I wasn't sure where to start, and I struggled to make sense of his association with the bomb plot. This really helps—thanks so much!
I really appreciate this list!
You turned this out fast! Thanks Nijay!
Good recommendations, Nijay. Thanks for your bullet points, too. I like how you framed those Bonhoefferian distinctions. Later this month my co-author Joe Thomas and I have a little 100 page book coming out with Wipf & Stock / Cascade Books - "Wayfinding with Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Off the Beaten Path and into the Kingdom." We wanted to offer an accessible, thoughtful reflection on just a few important paths in Bonhoeffer' life and writing, along with some wayfinding cues & questions for reflection. We believe Bonhoeffer, as do you, is an important wayfinder for Christ followers today. Like you, I've been very discouraged by how Christian nationalists have co-opted DB for their agenda. I'm very glad the Bonhoeffer family has spoken out!
This is great. I’d heard the EM bio had issues as it came up here and there, but nobody had suggested any alternatives. Thanks!
Life Together is also my favorite. Interestingly Bonhoeffer in his letters from prison distances himself somewhat from CoD, which he describes as the end of a particular chapter in his life. But sitting in prison and dwelling on last things will undoubtedly cause a person to reconsider a few things. His letters are definitely raw and frustratingly fragmentary,… it would have been amazing to have seen some of those fragments come to fruition had he survived the war. A bitter loss for German Protestantism.
BTW, the fascination with CoD is a particularly American thing. Most German Protestants are only vaguely aware of him and haven’t read anything of his.
From my understanding it was Bishop Bell (British) who popularized Bonhoeffer; Bonhoeffer was seen as an oddball by Germans in his own time
I wonder if he was involved in Christian Union. I’ll have to look him up.
What I like about Bonhoeffer is how he didn’t even want to be remembered as a hero/saint.
beautiful things don’t ask for attention
Thank you for that list. I have always admired Bonhoeffer greatly for his outrageous courage to stand up against an evil, fascist and highly manipulative dictator (ring a bell?) and thus have also come across and read Eric Metaxa's (EM) book about Bonhoeffer years ago.
Whilst I could never put a finger on it, the theme in EM's book didn't quite fit with Bonhoeffer's own actions, almost as if he was trying to squeeze Bonhoeffer into an 'alternate' mold.
After reading quotes and letters and articles about Bonhoeffer from other sources l've come to understand why - EM is very much running his own agenda, which has nothing to do with Jesus's teachings which Bonhoeffer was trying to live by (and eventually got murdered for).
The recent Statement by Bonhoeffer’s family in relation to the misappropriation of Bonhoeffer’s legacy for political purposes attests to this.
https://currentpub.com/2024/10/20/bonhoeffer-family-to-eric-metaxas-we-are-horrified-to-see-how-the-legacy-of-dietrich-bonhoeffer-is-being-distorted-and-misused/
So thanks again for all the material you have listed, very helpful.
Thank you