Bonhoeffer

Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

Eric Metaxas

• Publisher: Zondervan
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9781418556341
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: German History

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Who better to face the greatest evil of the 20^th century than a humble man of faith?

As Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted to exterminate the Jews of Europe, a small number of dissidents and saboteurs worked to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside. One of these was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and author.

In this New York Times bestselling biography, Eric Metaxas takes both strands of Bonhoeffer's life--the theologian and the spy--and draws them together to tell a searing story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil.

In Bonhoeffer, Metaxas presents the fullest account of Bonhoeffer's life, including his:

• heart-wrenching decision to leave the safe haven of America to return to Hitler's Germany
• involvement in the famous Valkyrie plot and in "Operation 7," the effort to smuggle Jews into neutral Switzerland
• lifelong dedication to sharing the tenets of his faith 

 

This edition, revised and with a new introduction from the author, shares the deeply moving story through previously unavailable documents, including personal letters, detailed journal entries, and firsthand personal accounts to reveal never-before-seen dimensions of Bonhoeffer's life and work.

 

Praise for Bonhoeffer:

"Metaxas has created a biography of uncommon power--intelligent, moving, well researched, vividly written, and rich in implication for our own lives. Or to put it another way: Buy this book. Read it. Then buy another copy and give it to a person you love. It's that good." --Archbishop Charles Chaput, author, First Things

"Metaxas tells Bonhoeffer's story with passion and theological sophistication." —Wall Street Journal

"Metaxas presents Bonhoeffer as a clear-headed, deeply convicted Christian who submitted to no one and nothing except God and his Word." --Christianity Today

"Metaxas has written a book that adds a new dimension to World War II, a new understanding of how evil can seize the soul of a nation and a man of faith can confront it." --Thomas Fleming, author, The New Dealers’ War

 

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction to the Tenth Anniversary Edition
• Foreword
• Prologue
• Chapter 1: Family and Childhood
• Chapter 2: Tübingen, 1923
• Chapter 3: Roman Holiday, 1924
• Chapter 4: Student in Berlin, 1924–27
• Chapter 5: Barcelona, 1928
• Chapter 6: Berlin, 1929
• Chapter 7: Bonhoeffer in America, 1930–31
• Chapter 8: Berlin, 1931–32
• Chapter 9: The Führer Principle, 1933
• Chapter 10: The Church and the Jewish Question
• Chapter 11: Nazi Theology
• Chapter 12: The Church Struggle Begins
• Chapter 13: The Bethel Confession
• Chapter 14: Bonhoeffer in London, 1934–35
• Chapter 15: The Church Battle Heats Up
• Chapter 16: The Conference at Fanø
• Chapter 17: The Road to Zingst and Finkenwalde
• Chapter 18: Zingst and Finkenwalde
• Chapter 19: Scylla and Charybdis, 1935–36
• Chapter 20: Mars Ascending, 1938
• Chapter 21: The Great Decision, 1939
• Chapter 22: The End of Germany
• Chapter 23: From Confession to Conspiracy
• Chapter 24: Plotting Against Hitler
• Chapter 25: Bonhoeffer Scores a Victory
• Chapter 26: Bonhoeffer in Love
• Chapter 27: Killing Adolf Hitler
• Chapter 28: Cell 92 at Tegel Prison
• Chapter 29: Valkyrie and the Stauffenberg Plot
• Chapter 30: Buchenwald
• Chapter 31: On the Road to Freedom
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Epilogue and Errata
• About the Author
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• Reading Group Guide
• Photos