Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr,
Prophet, Spy
Author:
Eric Metaxas
Publisher:
Thomas Nelson
608
pages, paperback, including: Forward, Prologue, Notes, Bibliography,
Epilogue, Errata, About the Author, Acknowledgments, Index, and
Reading Group Guide
In
chapter one, “Family and Childhood,” Metaxas looks at Dietrich
Bonhoeffer’s parents’ backgrounds. His mother Paula, was related
to members of the German aristocracy. His dad came from a family of
professionals: doctors, pastors, judges, etc.
Dietrich
was the third youngest of eight children. His mother, a teacher,
taught the Bonhoeffer children at home until they were 7 or 8—then
they went to school and excelled.
The
family didn’t attend church too often. Rather, they followed the
Moravian tradition of daily Bible reading, singing hymns and prayer
at home.
Dietrich’s
dad, Karl, held the chair in psychiatry and neurology at the
university in Breslau and later in Berlin.
In
his childhood, Dietrich enjoyed playing the piano; he was good at
sightreading; and he could also arrange and compose pieces. The whole
Bonhoeffer family was also musical.
At
the age of fourteen, Bonhoeffer announced that he would become a
theologian, much to the disappointment of his family. Bonhoeffer’s
first year of university was at Tübingen,
following family tradition.
The
Bonhoeffer family was very close; they kept in touch and visited with
each other frequently.
When
he was eighteen, he and his brother Klaus visited Rome, where they
attended a Palm Sunday Service. At this service, Dietrich saw people
of various cultures and races; and that influenced his thinking about
the universality of the church.
Bonhoeffer
transferred from Tübingen
to the University of Berlin; where he earned his doctorate at
twenty-one years of age. He studied under Adolf von Harnack, Karl
Holl, Reinhold Seeberg and Adolf Deissman. He was also influenced by
Karl Barth.
In
Dietrich’s years of study in Berlin; he was also active as a
teacher in a parish for young people; and he frequently attended
operas, concerts, plays and museums. After he obtained his doctorate;
he accepted a one year call to serve as vicar at a German
congregation in Barcelona, Spain.
At
the age of twenty-four; after he passed his theological examination;
which qualified him to be a university lecturer; Dietrich decided to
go to America and study at Union Theological Seminary in New York
City. Once at Union, he wrote: “There is no theology here....”
(p. 101) He found the students rather superficial—concerned more
with economics and politics than theology. Union was a bastion of
liberal theology.
Dietrich’s
following remarks reflect his more neo-orthodox-conservative
theological leanings: “In New York they preach about virtually
everything; only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so
rarely that I have yet been unable to hear it, namely, the gospel of
Jesus Christ, the cross, sin and forgiveness, death and life.” (p.
106)
While
in New York, Bonhoeffer discovered Abyssinian Baptist Church, and
appreciated Dr. Adam Clayton Powell Sr.’s preaching the gospel and
active opposition to racism.
When
Bonhoeffer returned to Berlin from America; he preached a very
serious sermon on Reformation Sunday in 1932—calling on the church
to wake up to the dark things happening in Germany and to be more
committed to following Christ. He emphasized the Sermon on the Mount
more often in his sermons.
As
a lecturer at the University of Berlin and as a pastor teaching
confirmands; Bonhoeffer emphasized the Bible as God’s Word, which
speaks to us personally; addresses current events; and helps us live
out our faith in practical ways. He also befriended his students and
invited them to his home to be with his family for musical evenings,
conversations and meals.
In
1933, Germany lost its democracy and the rule of law when Hindenburg
signed the Reichstag Fire Edict, and the Reichstag passed the
Enabling Act, abolishing its existence and allowing Hitler and the
Nazis to rule Germany as a dictatorship.
For
Bonhoeffer, the church “has an unconditional obligation to the
victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the
Christian community.” (p. 154) Here Bonhoeffer was referring the
Jews.
Metaxas
describes the dark days in Germany as the Nazis’ ideology spread
into the “German Christian” church. Bonhoeffer opposed the
“German Christians” who excluded Jewish Christians from serving
as pastors; advocated abandoning the Old Testament, downplayed the
centrality of the crucifixion; and promoted the removal of all
Jewishness in the New Testament. At
times, Bonhoeffer felt like a lonely voice crying in the wilderness
against the Nazis.
Bonhoeffer
accepted a call to serve two German congregations in London, where he
became friends with Bishop George Bell. This friendship would
continue right up to Dietrich’s death; and it would keep the
British updated concerning the grave situation in Germany. Bonhoeffer
also made other ecumenical contacts; seeking their support in
opposing the Reichskirche.
Eberhard
Bethge, a student of Bonhoeffer’s at the Finkenwalde seminary,
recalls Dietrich’s advice on preaching: “Write your sermon in
daylight; don not write it all at once; ‘in Christ’ there is no
room for conditional clauses; the first minutes on the pulpit are the
most favourable, so do not waste them with generalities but confront
the congregation straight off with the core of the matter;
extemporaneous preaching can be done by anyone who really knows the
Bible.” (p. 272)
At
the Finkenwalde seminary, Bonhoeffer introduced worship services
first thing in the morning and last thing at night, extemporaneous
prayer, and private confession. He chose Bethge as his
confessor-pastor.
In
1935, the Nazis passed the Nuremberg Laws, which were antisemitic.
After that, the Nazis increasingly passed more laws seeking to remove
all opposition to Hitler and the Nazi dictatorship—including the
Confessing Church. Many Confessing Church pastors were arrested and
imprisoned—including Martin Niemoeller, who spent seven years in
Dachau concentration camp. Bonhoeffer visited these pastors and their
families.
After
the Nazis closed the Finkenwalde seminary, Bonhoeffer tried
unsuccessfully to get it opened again. So the Confessing Church
organized collective pastorates—illegal seminaries—in remote
locations in Pomerania, which were modelled after the Finkenwalde
seminary. Bonhoeffer’s spirits remained hopeful, and he enjoyed
life in these secluded places.
At
the time of Kristallnacht in 1938, Bonhoeffer was meditating upon
Psalm 74, when he realized that: “to lift one’s hand against the
Jews was to lift one’s hand against God himself.” (p. 316)
Metaxas
cites several quotations from Bonhoeffer on how agonizing it was for
him to make the decision to go back to America in 1939 to avoid being
called into the German military. Once Dietrich arrived in New York,
he was uncertain about his decision; he was also quite unhappy and
missed his German colleagues in the Confessing Church.
One
Sunday Bonhoeffer attended the service at Riverside Church to hear
Harry Emerson Fosdick preach. Bonhoeffer—sounding a bit like
Jeremiah when he spoke of false prophets—to say the least, was not
impressed with this liberal theologian’s sermon: “The whole thing
was a respectable, self-indulgent, self-satisfied religious
celebration. This sort of idolatrous religion stirs up the flesh
which is accustomed to being kept in check by the Word of God. Such
sermons make for libertinism, egotism, indifference.” (p. 333)
With
his thoughts daily on the situation back in Germany; Bonhoeffer
decided to return to his homeland after only twenty-six days in the
U.S.A.
In
1940, Bonhoeffer published his book on the Psalms, but had to fight
with the Nazis who wanted to censor it. It was published, and
symbolically affirmed Christianity's connection with Judaism, the
Jewish people and the Old Testament—all of which the Nazi
dictatorship attempted to destroy.
Bonhoeffer
also developed a different view of the truth; which involved deceit
in order to reach a larger goal in conspiring to resist Hitler and
the Nazis. In addition to this, he joined the Abwehr—Germany’s
Military Intelligence—with the hope that the Gestapo would leave
him alone.
Bonhoeffer
was a generous soul—he gave Christmas gifts to family and friends,
colleagues and theology students, as well as sending letters. He
continued to write and serve as a pastor; sending circular letters to
the Finkenwaldian Confessing Church pastors to encourage them as the
Nazis intentionally removed them from their pastoral work and drafted
them into the military as soldiers. Many of them were killed in the
war.
The
Abwehr sent Bonhoeffer to Switzerland twice to make contact with
ecumenical leaders and to ask the British for a negotiated peace if
the German conspirators were successful in killing Hitler. The
British were not too receptive of a negotiated peace.
Metaxas
goes into some detail to describe the unsuccessful assassination
attempts on Hitler.
On
April 5, 1943, Bonhoeffer was taken by the Gestapo to Tegel Prison,
not far from his home. His family visited him there and provided what
he requested. There he wrote Love
Letters from Cell 92, which
would be edited by Maria von Wedemeyer’s sister, Ruth-Alice von
Bismark; who would have them published.
While
in prison Bonhoeffer maintained his spiritual discipline of
meditating on a biblical verse, praying for family, friends and
colleagues, and reading the Bible and other books for several hours
each day. He also wrote many letters to several people—including
two-hundred pages to his friend Eberhard Bethge. The tone and tenor
of his letters were often upbeat. Coded messages were sent through
the passing of books among the conspirators, including Bonhoeffer.
Bonhoeffer
was given special privileges in Tegel Prison because his uncle was
Berlin’s military commandant. However, Bonhoeffer was appreciated
by both some prison staff and prisoners for his kindness and
generosity; and they turned to him as a prison pastor. Bonhoeffer’s
fiancee, Maria von Wedemeyer, visited him in prison several times
during 1943 and 1944. One of their topics of discussion was about
their future wedding.
Bethge
was Bonhoeffer’s closest friend, as well as his confessor-pastor.
He was able to smuggle letters to him.
Bonhoeffer
regarded Ethics
his
magnum opus. In it he advocated an incarnational theology. Christ is
not limited to the realm of religion and the church. Rather, his
Lordship is over the whole world. For him, what is of ultimate
ethical importance is discerning and obeying the will of God.
When
Bonhoeffer was transferred to the Gestapo prison in Berlin; he did
not betray those involved in the conspiracy to kill Hitler when he
was interrogated. He also wrote notes of encouragement to fellow
prisoner Schlabrendorff, who wrote I
Knew Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
While
in Buchenwald prison, the allied forces from the west and the
Russians from the east were closing in on the Germans; and their
prisoners believed that they might be shot or gassed or hanged any
day. In this situation English prisoner Payne Best wrote of
Bonhoeffer: “he always seemed to me to diffuse an atmosphere of
happiness, of joy in every smallest event of life, and of deep
gratitude for the mere fact that he was still alive....He was one of
the very few men that I have ever met to whom his God was real and
ever close to him.” (p. 514)
The
book concludes with an account of Bonhoeffer’s last days and
journey to Flossenburg and his execution there; as well as a
description of the worship service in England for him with an excerpt
of Bishop Bell’s remarks and the sermon of Pastor Franz
Hildebrandt.
Eric
Metaxas has, with this volume, made a significant contribution to the
study of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by providing much
of the historical background that influenced Bonhoeffer’s life and
work. For that clergy, laity, academic scholars, and readers of the
general public will be grateful for years to come.
