Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
Bonhoeffer is definitely a challenging life to read and I enjoyed Metaxas' writing style and presentation. Below I’ll give a brief overview (very brief), two cautions, and then several positive lessons I learned from Bonhoeffer or the book in general.
Overview: Metaxas does a great job of painting the life and times of WWII in Germany. He describes how quickly Hitler came to prominence and how the German nation was so easily deceived – they were grasping at any leadership and got the worst. In contrast, It was a beam of light to have Bonhoeffer and some of his comrades see clearly from the very beginning the ugly atrocity that would become the Third Reich.
The story is fascinating. A German boy raised with an excellent education – from one of the prominent families in German culture chooses to study theology instead of some more prestigious field like his brother and father. And yet, in his late 20’s and early 30’s the Lord uses this young man to send a clarion call to wake up the conscience of the German church and clergy to the wickedness of the Nazi state. Halfway through the story, Bonhoeffer realizes that he cannot beat them so he “joins them” just to keep the peace while behind the scenes he works to supplant and destroy Hitler from within. He is actively involved in furthering plans to assassinate Hitler and also aggressively uses his foreign ecumenical contacts to paint the true picture of the atrocities of the German State. As the war progresses he uses these contacts to try to gain help from other countries to the resistance movement in Germany.
As the titles suggests, his efforts are foiled and he is sentenced to death by Hitler along with several of his co-conspirators. He was martyred just weeks before Hitler committed suicide . . . even as the Allies were rescuing many in the prisons and concentration camps. He died with grace and faith in Christ – “This is the end . . . for me the beginning of life.”
Cautions:
1. Bonhoeffer is definitely in a different ‘camp’ than I am comfortable with as far as ecumenical associations. Of course, his was a different time period and in his background and upbringing he was the literalist that stood for the absolutes of Scripture. But, he was well known as a very broad ecumenical pastor and he used those ecumenical contacts against Hitler. But, don’t be surprised to see him working with many other faiths and strands of Christianity.
On the other hand – he seems to clearly see the errors of a ‘church’ that has no real faith. This is why he worked hard to create the confessing German church which must hold to the truths of Scripture. That is right up my ally =) He also sided with the “Fundamentalists” of NYC against the Union Theological liberals (1930) – Speaking of Union: “There is no theology here . . . They become intoxicated with liberal and humanistic phrases, laugh at the fundamentalists, and yet basically are not even up to their level (p. 101).”
After hearing a biblical sermon in NYC (Dr. McComb at Broadway Presbyterian Church) Metaxas describes Bonhoeffer’s joy. “To have found biblical preaching in New York City, and on this day of all days, when he was desperately trying to hear God’s voice, was no answer to his prayers. Here, in this ‘fundamentalist’ Presbyterian Church on Broadway, he heard God’s Word preached. At this critical juncture he did something he head never done before: he took a stand with the so-called fundamentalists against their adversaries at Riverside and Union . . . ‘This will one day be a center of resistance when riverside Church has long since become a temple of Baal. I was very glad about this sermon (p. 334).’”
2. He respected Karl Barth very highly. Some would say his desire to spend time in God’s word meditating daily was a sign of his going toward Neo-Orthodoxy. I have not read enough about Bonhoeffer to say either way. Metaxas seems to portray a lively and healthy walk with God through the Bible. No doubt there were leanings toward Barth’s theology which would be the opposite from the Liberal/Critical, German theology of his day. But it is hard to say how far he leaned. I like that Metaxas includes that he may have been “born again” in a Harlem church. He loved the African American churches of US and the spirituals sung there – and through the preaching of the Gospel in one of these churches, some folks say Bonhoeffer was born from above (p. 124).
Positive Lessons:
1. Bonhoeffer’s willingness to stand alone: Although his family was always behind him, Bonhoeffer stood alone at times against the popular church pastors of his day who were jumping on Hitler’s bandwagon. This stemmed from his personal time with God. If he read God’s direction for him in the morning he would go that way no matter who stood against him. Many pastors today are so easily influenced by the tides and turns of public opinion that I am afraid to say what they would do in similar circumstances. The German pastors were under great distress – national financial and political distress – and then a dynamic leader jumps in to save the day . . . Bonhoeffer saw through the hype and spoke out while thousands said and did nothing.
Here is a good quote: “He was far ahead of the curve, as usual. Some wondered whether he was just kicking against the goads, but when someone asked Bonhoeffer whether he shouldn’t join the German Christians in order to work against them from within, he answered that he couldn’t. ‘if you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction (p. 187).’”
2. Bonhoeffer’s discipleship of others: Metaxas describes this in chapter 18 (Zingst and Finkenwalde) in how he works with seminarians. This was an interesting monastic type of seminary education.
I was really encouraged to read about his work with a rowdy bunch of inner-city boys in Wedding. Here is a description of his first contact with them . . . “The elderly minister and Bonhoeffer slowly walked up the stairs of the school building, which was several stories high. The children looked down on them from over the banisters, making an indescribable din and dropping refuse on the two men ascending the stairs. When they reached the top, the minister tried to force the throng back into the classroom by shouting and using physical force. He tried to announce that he had brought them a new minister who was going to teach them in the future and that his name was Bonhoeffer, and when they heard the name they started shouting ‘Bon! Bon! Bon!’ louder and louder. The old man left the scene in despair, leaving Bonhoeffer standing silently against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Minutes passed. His failure to react made the noise gradually less enjoyable, and he began speaking quietly, so that only the boys in the front row could catch a few words of what he said. Suddenly all were silent. Bonhoeffer merely remarked that they had put up a remarkable initial performance, and went on to tell them a story about Harlem (p. 131).”
The Lord blessed his tireless efforts: “The second half of the term has been almost entirely given up to the candidates. Since New Year I have been living here in the north, so as to be able to have the boys here every evening, in turns of course. We have supper together and then we play something – I have taught them chess, which they now play with the greatest enthusiasm . . . At the end of each evening I read something out of the Bible and after that a little catechizing, which often grows very serious. The experience of teaching them has been something that I can hardly tear myself away from it (p. 133).”
After their “confirmation” he took a large group of them to his family home in the country side of Friedrichsbrunn.
3. Daily time in God’s Word: I appreciate Bonhoeffer’s deep respect for God’s Word and his dedication to daily Bible reading and prayer. Here’s a letter he is writing to a liberal brother in law. “Only if we will venture to enter into the words of the Bible, as though in them this God were speaking to us who loves us and does not will to leave us along with our questions, only so shall we learn to rejoice in the Bible . . . And I would like to tell you now quiet personally: since I have learnt to read the Bible in this way – and this has not been for so very long – it becomes every day more wonderful to me. I read it in the morning and the evening, often during the day as well, and every day I consider a text which I have chosen for the whole week, and try to sink deeply into it, so as really to hear what it is saying. I know that without this I could not live properly any longer (136-137).”
“Theological work and real pastoral fellowship can only grow in a life which is governed by gather round the Word morning and evening and by fixed times of prayer (261).”
4. Time in NYC: This was a positive in this book for me – not a positive lesson but it is always fascinating to read someone else’s thoughts about the same place where you live and minister. I got to sees little glimpses (two chapters) of his time in NYC. He really didn’t like it. But it was interesting.
He took up the case for the mistreatment of African Americans in southern churches in the thirties.
He was appalled at the liberalism of Union and churches of their ilk. “In New York they preach about virtually everything only one thing is not addressed, or is addressed so rarely that I have as yet been unable to hear it, namely, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, sin and forgiveness, death and life (p. 106).”
5. Wise use of Time: Self discipline was ingrained in Bonhoeffer from a child. Even in prison Bonhoeffer was disciplined with his time and reading.
“I even feel that I have ‘no time’ here for this or that less important matter! After breakfast in the morning (about 7 o’clock) I read some theology, and then I write till midday; in the afternoon I read, then comes a chapter from Delbruck’s World History, some English grammar, about which I can still learn all kinds of things, and finally, as the mood takes me I write or read again. Then in the evening I am tired enough to be glad to lie down, thought hat does not mean going to sleep at once . . . (p. 459)”
In another letter from prison: “I’ve recently been reading a history of Scotland Yard, a history of prostitution, finished the Delbruck . . . Reinhold Schneider’s sonnets . . . At the moment I’m reading a gigantic English novel . . .Dilthey is also interesting me very much and for an hour each day I’m studying the manual for medical staff, for any eventuality (p. 460).”
6. Other Quotes:
"Money is Dirt” (p. 284)
On separation from an apostate church or staying to purify: “If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction” (p. 187)
By Tresckow who perished in trying to assassinate Hitler: “A human being’s moral integrity begins when he is prepared to sacrifice his life for his convictions.”
His last words to his friend in imprisonment before being ushered to place of execution: “This is the end . . . For me the beginning of life.”
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