These are letters and papers written while Dietrich Bonhoeffer was in prison, until he was executed just before the end of the war. There is little about why he was imprisoned, and nothing about his thoughts regarding Hitler or what was happening in Germany. What there is, though, is evidence of his deep thinking; theology, the state of the world, the power of love and friendship and the sure hope found in God. In light of what happened, it is sad to read, but also full of wonderful, hope-filled, theological thinking and strong friendship.

This was not an easy read. There were long sections that bored me quite a bit. However, the core idea of the book, finding Christ in the center of life, was potentially revolutionary.

Instead of relegating Christ to the outskirts of life he is found right in the middle. He is not the Deus ex Machina that comes in to fill our gaps in knowledge. This is often how the apologist approaches the question of God. He is the answer to how things were made, how we love, how we have morality... Bonhoeffer wants to think more clearly. He embraces the reality that our knowledge does not 'need' God. At least not for these kind of practical questions. Instead, Christ is found in suffering, in the beauty of life, and more than anything in faith (crazy Kierkegaardian, maybe thats why I like it so much). His writing on the suffering of Christ from a Nazi prison is some of the clearest and most intimate you will find in the 20th century

4.2/5

This is a collection of very personal letters that Bonhoeffer wrote to his friends and family while he was imprisoned from 1942-1945 by the Nazis. He was executed after 2 years in prison for his role in the plot to execute and overthrow Hitler.

It feels silly to review this book, but I have to give it 5 stars. It was encouraging and inspiring to read the thoughts of a Christian who took extreme action against a culture that was turning a blind eye to horrific crimes, call out the Church for being complicit in the crimes, and die young in prison without regrets. The letters themselves aren’t about his work in the conspiracy. They are reflections on his life, thoughts on the state of Christianity at the time, and encouragement for his family. But in reading between the lines you can feel the great anxiety and anticipation of the plot against Hitlers life (which ultimately failed.)

The prologue to the book is a letter than Bonhoeffer wrote to his co-conspirators before his arrest. I actually read the prologue last, and I am glad I did. He reflects on and analyzes the circumstances they live in, and much of it felt so familiar that I couldn’t believe it was written 80 years ago. Even if you don’t want to read 500+ pages of letters, everyone should read his essay “On Folly.”

“What remains for us is only the very narrow path, sometimes barely discernible, of taking each day as if it were the last and yet living it faithfully and responsibly as if there were yet to be a great future”

“It may be that the day of judgement will dawn tomorrow; only then and no earlier will we readily lay down our work for a better future.”

Returning to the tbr pile for now. I haven’t actively read it for a couple of weeks and just got a big influx of library books that became available from holds.

A sobering read during days of a repeat rise in authoritarianism in our world.

Absolutely essential for those of the Lutheran tradition or anyone who wants to understand one of the great resisters of the 20th century.

There are moments of interesting, original theology but all in all it’s a drib-drab bore.