Overview

"Nazi Germany produced an unusual group of Christian martyrs--among them, the nun philosopher Edith Stein, the mystical philosopher Simone Weil, and the peasant conscientious objector Hans JSgerstatter--but perhaps none so complex as the Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Born into a large upper-middle-class, professional family that was not particularly devout or observant (his father was one of the leading psychiatrists in Germany), Dietrich early in life decided he wanted to be a Christian theologian. Yet his family background and connections insured that he wouldn't be one in the narrow mold of so many of his colleagues. Opportunities for travel-to Spain, North Africa. Mexico, Cuba, America (twice), and England (often)-gave him a broad horizon of possibilities. The greatest thing about America for him was his experiences in Harlem and his friendships with African Americans. His great regret was that he missed an opportunity to travel to India to meet Gandhi. He was one of the few German churchmen who spoke forthrightly against the persecution of Jews as Jews and not merely of Christians of Jewish descent. (How much of this was due to his beloved, 90-year-old grandmother Sophie, who defied the Nazi ban on shopping in Jewish stores? ""I buy the things I need where I like."") His family connections drew him into a dangerous double game. His ""employment"" as a member of the Counterintelligence Office of the High Command of the Armed Forces enabled him to continue work as a pastor and seminary director. It allowed him to travel abroad, where he worked for a negotiated peace. And it eventually drew him into the plot to kill Hitler-an ethical stand which many German Christians of his generation couldn't understand or forgive. He was executed on 9 April 1945, three weeks before Hitler committed suicide. He was thirty-nine years old.The life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer has been told at great length and in magnificent detail by his younger colleague, Eberhard Bethge. It's a biography that will never be surpassed but which only the most devoted will have the perseverance to read. Elizabeth Raum has retold the story concisely and readably for a whole new generation of readers."

Full Product Details

Author:   Elizabeth Raum
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.276kg
ISBN:  

9780826415547

ISBN 10:   0826415547
Pages:   192
Publication Date:   01 October 2003
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Language:   English

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. The Search for Dietrich Bonhoeffer,1945 2. Childhood: A Short and Happy Peace,1906-1916 3. The First Death, 1914-1923 4. University Days, 1923-1927 5. Barcelone, Spain, 1928 6. New York, New York, 1930 7. Pacifism and Protests, 1931-1932 8. Speaking Out, 1933 9. The Church Elections, 1933-1934 10. England, 1933-1935 11. Finkenwalde, 1935-1936 12. Protests and Persecution, 1936-1937 13. The Secret Seminaries, 1937-1938 14. Dangerous Secrets, 1938-1939 15. Ethics , 1939-1941 16. Deception for Peace, 1941-1943 17. Arrest, 1943 18. Letters from Prison, 1943-1944 19. The Last Days, 1944-1945 20. Heritage of Faith, Beyond 1945 Afterword: What Happened to Family and Friends? Chronology of Events in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Glossary Notes Bibliography of Sources Cited or Consulted Index

Reviews

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Called by God provides an excellent introduction to the life of a twentieth-century Christian martyr whose spirit has risen from the ashes of the Flossenburg Nazi Concentration Camp. I believe this 'concise and readable' book is a valuable contribution for future generations. I commend it as a wonderful introduction to the life of a modern martyr to the Christian faith. -John W. Matthews, Spectrum

The family of Dietrich Bonhoeffer is pleased to commend Elizabeth Raum's Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Called By God to a new generation of readers. It is short and quite readable, and covers the main features of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and witness. <br> Dorothee Bracher

Author Information

Elizabeth Raum is Director of the Carl B. Ylvisaker Library at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. She is the author of two books for children.

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