Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) remains the most seminal theologian of those whose work was forged and tested in the worst years of the twentieth century. A German who loved his country and culture, and who mourned its crimes and actively resisted them, his ethic was wholly contextual, attuned to what he must do in his own land as a disciple of Jesus Christ. He might have been surprised to find that a half-century and more later his work has been widely appropriated by others in different circumstances for their exercise of Christian responsibility. This volume of essays is one example of Bonhoeffer's ongoing relevance.

Rasmussen engages Luther, Barth, Niebuhr, Hauerwas, Yoder, and Berrigan as a way to illuminate aspects of Bonhoeffer's ethics. He also compares the post-holocaust theology of Rabbi Greenberg with Bonhoeffer's own treatment of divine presence and human responsibility in a world that has ""come of age."" One essay, ""The Meaning of the Theology of the Cross for Social Ethics in the World Today,"" pulls the main themes of the book together. This 2016 edition also includes a new chapter, which relates Bonhoeffer's ethics to the current environmental crisis.

""This book is like an artistic mosaic in which the chapters are brought together to create a beautifully interconnected whole. Larry Rasmussen has succeeded in piecing together all the various aspects of Bonhoeffer's religious thought as it pertains to society, church renewal, and the new paths opened up for theology and ethics. The result is an illuminating study of Bonhoeffer's theology in the context of issues that are of special interest to North Americans.""
--Geffrey B. Kelly, Professor of Systematic Theology, La Salle University

""This book serves as a wonderful companion volume to the sixteen-volume Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Rasmussen's insights on various topics (e.g., family, patriotism, resistance, and theological method) help readers explore these areas in great detail but with an eye toward their continuing significance for Christians in the twenty-first century. An excellent resource for teaching about Bonhoeffer in any setting.""
--Jim Martin-Schramm, Professor of Religion, Luther College


Larry Rasmussen is Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary, New York City. He is the author of two prize-winning volumes that include important contributions from the work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Earth Community, Earth Ethics; and Earth-Honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key. He is also the author of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Reality and Resistance.

Renate Bethge is a member of the Bonhoeffer family.