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Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
In the decades since theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was executed by the Nazis, the story of his resistance to the Third Reich has inspired people all over the world. This biography draws on his public and private writings, which illustrate his lifelong effort to recover Christianity's true essence - from a childhood enthusiasm for theology, through periods spent in America and England, to ministry in Berlin and the decision that a moral obligation to resist state violence required him to commit treason.
515 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
225 people are currently reading
1835 people want to read
About the author
Charles Marsh
22 books23 followersMarsh is professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia and director of the research community "Project on Lived Theology." He is the author of eight books, including "God's Long Summer: Stories of Faith and Civil Rights," which won the 1998 Grawemeyer Award in Religion. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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July 23, 2014
Pastor. Martyr. Prophet. Spy. Those are the four words that Eric Metaxas used to describe Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his magisterial biography of the famous German-Lutheran pastor/theologian. The Bonhoeffer that Charles Marsh offers in this new biography of Bonhoeffer could be aptly described by those four words as well, however he adds two new words to the description of Bonhoeffer – “Strange Glory.”
Marsh’s biography follows the same general contours of most Bonhoeffer biographies. Bonhoeffer is born into an academic-socially elite family. He lives a life of privilege even during a time of economic hardship through Germany. He goes to school where he studies theology among some of the most important theological minds of his century – Harnack, Holl, and Seeberg. He was exposed to the theology of Barth. He took up pastoral posts in Spain and London. He took a trip to America to study at Union, this trip would forever change his life. He came back to Germany as Hitler’s power began to rise. He helped lead the dissident churches and founded an underground seminary at Finkenwilde. He took part in the Abwehr’s plot to overthrow Hitler from power. Eventually he was arrested and killed for taking part in resisting the Nazi government. So what makes Marsh’s biography stand out above the other biographies that have already been written? It’s his notion of “strange glory.”
According to Marsh, Bonhoeffer’s life is fraught with contradictions. At once he is driven by earthly and worldly passions yet so much of him is dedicated to the transcendent Christ. This strangeness is especially evident in some of his letters – in many of his letters you catch a glimpse of two sides of Bonhoeffer, he writes about Christology, the resistance, and solidarity with the poor and oppressed. Moments latter, within the same letter, he might go off into a rant about a relative sending him the wrong pair of clothes. He will describe in detail his fashion “needs,” days spent lounging at cafés drinking coffee or wine, visiting the opera and fantasizing about vacations taken to exotic parts of Europe. Another part of this “strange glory” is his relationship with Bethge – which many other reviews have already commented on.
Pros
There are several key things that make this biography stand out above many others.
This is an excellent and highly entertaining biography. It is very well written; at times it felt as though I were reading a novel, not a historical biography. But more importantly than that it is comprehensive, it goes beyond merely reporting the standard story, but instead strives to get into Bonhoeffer’s mind. It does that very well. Marsh understands Bonhoeffer’s theology, and he seems to understand some of the things that really acted as driving forces in Bonhoeffer’s life. I recommended that you read this biography alongside of Eric Metaxas’ biography so that you will be able to form your own picture of who Bonhoeffer really was.
(Note: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an impartial review.)
Marsh’s biography follows the same general contours of most Bonhoeffer biographies. Bonhoeffer is born into an academic-socially elite family. He lives a life of privilege even during a time of economic hardship through Germany. He goes to school where he studies theology among some of the most important theological minds of his century – Harnack, Holl, and Seeberg. He was exposed to the theology of Barth. He took up pastoral posts in Spain and London. He took a trip to America to study at Union, this trip would forever change his life. He came back to Germany as Hitler’s power began to rise. He helped lead the dissident churches and founded an underground seminary at Finkenwilde. He took part in the Abwehr’s plot to overthrow Hitler from power. Eventually he was arrested and killed for taking part in resisting the Nazi government. So what makes Marsh’s biography stand out above the other biographies that have already been written? It’s his notion of “strange glory.”
According to Marsh, Bonhoeffer’s life is fraught with contradictions. At once he is driven by earthly and worldly passions yet so much of him is dedicated to the transcendent Christ. This strangeness is especially evident in some of his letters – in many of his letters you catch a glimpse of two sides of Bonhoeffer, he writes about Christology, the resistance, and solidarity with the poor and oppressed. Moments latter, within the same letter, he might go off into a rant about a relative sending him the wrong pair of clothes. He will describe in detail his fashion “needs,” days spent lounging at cafés drinking coffee or wine, visiting the opera and fantasizing about vacations taken to exotic parts of Europe. Another part of this “strange glory” is his relationship with Bethge – which many other reviews have already commented on.
Pros
There are several key things that make this biography stand out above many others.
Marsh’s ability to engage in complex theological discussions – Whether it’s a discussion of Church dogmatics, Hegel’s Philosophy, or the intricacies of Liberal Protestant Theology Marsh “gets it.” He is able to concretely summarize and engage with Bonhoeffer’s contemporaries. Also, Marsh takes the time to engage with Bonhoeffer’s theology, presenting discussions of Ethics, Life Together, Christ the Center, Sanctorum Communio, and Act and Being in depth.
It gives a different take on Bonhoeffer’s first Trip to America – It has been well noted that Bonhoeffer was extremely disappointed by the state of Christianity in America (except for African-American churches). Most biographies allow Bonhoeffer’s feelings during his time in America to color their interpretation of how important this trip was. While in America, Bonhoeffer was highly critical of American theology, which was essentially politics and humanitarianism. However, latter on in Bonhoeffer’s life we see how deeply this trip affected Bonhoeffer. Much of how he resisted the Nazi government and his defense of Jews in Germany was shaped by his time in America.
It paints a vivid picture of Bonhoeffer’s emotional needs – More than any other book on Bonhoeffer that I have read, it paints a picture of Bonhoeffer as a man who not only craves, but needs Bonhoeffer seems to be an emotionally needy person. Whether its his relationship with his sister Sabine, his close community at Finkenwilde, or his friendship with Bethge, Bonhoeffer seems to be a person who cannot do life alone. He consistently seems to move from person to person, seeking to find some sort of fulfillment. He seems absolutely depended upon reciprocal love and attention from others.
He does a good job explaining the apparent contradiction between Bonhoeffer’s pacifism and his willingness to kill Hitler – this apparent contradiction is resolved by making use of Lutheran theology, essentially Bonhoeffer knew that whether he took the route of action or inaction he would be guilty of sin, so following the (apparently) Lutheran principle of “sin and sin boldly” Bonhoeffer was able to justify taking part in the plot to kill Hitler.
This is an excellent and highly entertaining biography. It is very well written; at times it felt as though I were reading a novel, not a historical biography. But more importantly than that it is comprehensive, it goes beyond merely reporting the standard story, but instead strives to get into Bonhoeffer’s mind. It does that very well. Marsh understands Bonhoeffer’s theology, and he seems to understand some of the things that really acted as driving forces in Bonhoeffer’s life. I recommended that you read this biography alongside of Eric Metaxas’ biography so that you will be able to form your own picture of who Bonhoeffer really was.
(Note: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an impartial review.)
May 2, 2022
This is a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer that follows his theological and personal developments from birth to execution by the Nazi’s. Bonhoeffer grew up in a privileged environment but one that was not especially religious. He showed early signs of precocious intelligence, and already at age thirteen Bonhoeffer revealed his decision to become a theologian. This met with approval from his mother but derision from his older brothers, who remarked, “one can hardly imagine . . . a more paltry institution” than the church. Bonhoeffer is reported to have replied, “In that case, I shall reform it!” (p. 17).
The biography follows him through his academic training, a summer trip to Italy, an early pastorate in Barcelona, Spain, and in 1930 a year of postgraduate study at Union Theological Seminary in New York. One notable characteristic of Bonhoeffer was his openness to styles of worship and spirituality that were different from his own background. This was exemplified by his expressed appreciation of both the high liturgy witnessed at the Vatican and the free spirited worship at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church.
He spend several more years in various pastorates until he became a leader the Confessing Church which took exception to the nazification of the state churches. Bonhoeffer organized a school for dissident seminarians until it was closed by the Gestapo in 1937.
It’s almost inexplicable, but somehow Bonhoeffer, an avowed pacifist, secured an appointment with German military intelligence, which allowed him remarkable freedom to travel both in and out of Germany. This situation didn’t last. He was eventually imprisoned on the charge of avoiding and encouraging others to avoid the draft. Consequently he was in prison at the time of the failed assassination attempt of Hitler. Subsequent investigations showed his name to be among those of other conspirators.
The book includes a long chapter on Bonhoeffer’s time spent in prison. His last letters and fragments are explored as the author strives of describe Bonhoeffer’s volatile and visionary thoughts. Bonhoeffer himself at one point suggests that his scribblings from prison may be his best work.
The biography follows him through his academic training, a summer trip to Italy, an early pastorate in Barcelona, Spain, and in 1930 a year of postgraduate study at Union Theological Seminary in New York. One notable characteristic of Bonhoeffer was his openness to styles of worship and spirituality that were different from his own background. This was exemplified by his expressed appreciation of both the high liturgy witnessed at the Vatican and the free spirited worship at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church.
He spend several more years in various pastorates until he became a leader the Confessing Church which took exception to the nazification of the state churches. Bonhoeffer organized a school for dissident seminarians until it was closed by the Gestapo in 1937.
It’s almost inexplicable, but somehow Bonhoeffer, an avowed pacifist, secured an appointment with German military intelligence, which allowed him remarkable freedom to travel both in and out of Germany. This situation didn’t last. He was eventually imprisoned on the charge of avoiding and encouraging others to avoid the draft. Consequently he was in prison at the time of the failed assassination attempt of Hitler. Subsequent investigations showed his name to be among those of other conspirators.
The book includes a long chapter on Bonhoeffer’s time spent in prison. His last letters and fragments are explored as the author strives of describe Bonhoeffer’s volatile and visionary thoughts. Bonhoeffer himself at one point suggests that his scribblings from prison may be his best work.
January 13, 2018
I am mixed about this biography, much in the way I am mixed towards Bonhoeffer: pleased overall, but left slightly puzzled.
I loved parts; I was unsure at parts; I disagreed with parts; but I found it (like I find Bonhoeffer) completely worthwhile. Marsh’s prose is undeservedly elegant for scholarly work--some of the best I've ran my eyes over and such a pleasure to read. But at times I found myself wanting more from the content, and yet questioning myself for wanting more. I can't decide if I quarreled with the book Marsh wrote, or quarreled with Marsh for not encountering the book I wanted him to write. For example, It’s a fairly anti-climactic read that lacks any real tension or pace, which was a bit of a letdown considering the outcome of Bonhoeffer’s life. It lacks a narrative quality. And yet I gather that’s precisely what Marsh wanted: to avoid imbuing Bonhoeffer’s life with dramatic flair and heroism. He explicitly downplayed Bonhoeffer's involvement in the assassination plots, and embraced the muddled facts surrounding his death. (This is in contrast to Eric Metaxas’ popular work, which reads like a war drama and practically makes Bonhoeffer out to be a Christian James Bond.)
I also felt aspects of Bonhoeffer’s life were underdeveloped in this work, especially his engagement to Maria Wedemeyer. Marsh doesn't even devote a full sentence to Maria in the chapter on Finkenwalde (where the two first interacted), and says very little about her visiting Bonhoeffer in prison while they were engaged. Conversely, Marsh constantly highlighted and underscored Bonhoeffer’s unique (unusual?) relationship with Eberhard Bethge, all but stating Bonhoeffer may have been romantically and sexually attracted to his dearest companion. In fact, Marsh goes so far as to note that Bonhoeffer never confessed any attraction to Bethge, which suggests Marsh thought or suspected such a confession might occur. I struggle with this picture of the relationship, unsure if it's the product of reading our over-sexualized world back into Bonhoeffer's life and a misrepresentation of the nature of deep, abiding friendship, or a fair reconstruction of Bonhoeffer and Bethge's relationship. (I'm inclined to think the former, considering Marsh makes a few obscure remarks--like saying Bonhoeffer was in a strange position as a professor smitten for a student--without citing any real evidence to substantiate the claims. Granted, Bonhoeffer and Bethge's relationship verges on unusual: they shared a bank account; Bonhoeffer repeatedly speaks of the value of their relationship; he begs Bethge to come visit him in ways he never does with others.)
Despite the lack of pace, the book does a good job of capturing the transitory, itinerate nature of Bonhoeffer’s life: his constant traveling, various educational endeavors, short-term pastorates, evolving ideas. This is an aspect of his life I had not considered in other biographies, but seems all-too-obvious (and significant) after reading this one. Bonhoeffer was a theologian of prayer and action, but both of these qualities were learned, or at least developed, over time, particularly during his times in America, where Bonhoeffer lamented the overly-pragmatic Protestantism he encountered! It was nice to see Bonhoeffer grow, develop, and have stages, like any real theologian, academic, and human does. Another aspect of the book I appreciated is that Marsh reveals the verve and liveliness of the saint. Bonhoeffer had fine taste - good tobacco, stylish clothes, incredible music, exquisite food, a captivating film, fantastic literature. Marsh communicates these very earthy (though aristocratic) qualities in a humanizing way. The pastor-theologian increasingly wrote about "this worldliness," so we should not gloss over just how much he loved life, and how rich his life really was.
In sum, Bonhoeffer is simply an infatuating (if at times maddening) person, who's always worth reading and reading about. This is an admirable biography, and good picture of this venerable saint.
I loved parts; I was unsure at parts; I disagreed with parts; but I found it (like I find Bonhoeffer) completely worthwhile. Marsh’s prose is undeservedly elegant for scholarly work--some of the best I've ran my eyes over and such a pleasure to read. But at times I found myself wanting more from the content, and yet questioning myself for wanting more. I can't decide if I quarreled with the book Marsh wrote, or quarreled with Marsh for not encountering the book I wanted him to write. For example, It’s a fairly anti-climactic read that lacks any real tension or pace, which was a bit of a letdown considering the outcome of Bonhoeffer’s life. It lacks a narrative quality. And yet I gather that’s precisely what Marsh wanted: to avoid imbuing Bonhoeffer’s life with dramatic flair and heroism. He explicitly downplayed Bonhoeffer's involvement in the assassination plots, and embraced the muddled facts surrounding his death. (This is in contrast to Eric Metaxas’ popular work, which reads like a war drama and practically makes Bonhoeffer out to be a Christian James Bond.)
I also felt aspects of Bonhoeffer’s life were underdeveloped in this work, especially his engagement to Maria Wedemeyer. Marsh doesn't even devote a full sentence to Maria in the chapter on Finkenwalde (where the two first interacted), and says very little about her visiting Bonhoeffer in prison while they were engaged. Conversely, Marsh constantly highlighted and underscored Bonhoeffer’s unique (unusual?) relationship with Eberhard Bethge, all but stating Bonhoeffer may have been romantically and sexually attracted to his dearest companion. In fact, Marsh goes so far as to note that Bonhoeffer never confessed any attraction to Bethge, which suggests Marsh thought or suspected such a confession might occur. I struggle with this picture of the relationship, unsure if it's the product of reading our over-sexualized world back into Bonhoeffer's life and a misrepresentation of the nature of deep, abiding friendship, or a fair reconstruction of Bonhoeffer and Bethge's relationship. (I'm inclined to think the former, considering Marsh makes a few obscure remarks--like saying Bonhoeffer was in a strange position as a professor smitten for a student--without citing any real evidence to substantiate the claims. Granted, Bonhoeffer and Bethge's relationship verges on unusual: they shared a bank account; Bonhoeffer repeatedly speaks of the value of their relationship; he begs Bethge to come visit him in ways he never does with others.)
Despite the lack of pace, the book does a good job of capturing the transitory, itinerate nature of Bonhoeffer’s life: his constant traveling, various educational endeavors, short-term pastorates, evolving ideas. This is an aspect of his life I had not considered in other biographies, but seems all-too-obvious (and significant) after reading this one. Bonhoeffer was a theologian of prayer and action, but both of these qualities were learned, or at least developed, over time, particularly during his times in America, where Bonhoeffer lamented the overly-pragmatic Protestantism he encountered! It was nice to see Bonhoeffer grow, develop, and have stages, like any real theologian, academic, and human does. Another aspect of the book I appreciated is that Marsh reveals the verve and liveliness of the saint. Bonhoeffer had fine taste - good tobacco, stylish clothes, incredible music, exquisite food, a captivating film, fantastic literature. Marsh communicates these very earthy (though aristocratic) qualities in a humanizing way. The pastor-theologian increasingly wrote about "this worldliness," so we should not gloss over just how much he loved life, and how rich his life really was.
In sum, Bonhoeffer is simply an infatuating (if at times maddening) person, who's always worth reading and reading about. This is an admirable biography, and good picture of this venerable saint.
August 6, 2014
I just finished reading _Strange Glory_, Charles Marsh's biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and must admit to having been stunned by the breadth of the work. Charles has realized the dream of every historian: to be able to write a definitive work about a hero of the faith using newly-available materials that significantly increase our understanding of that hero's life and thought.
While I was most moved by the book's discussion of Bonhoeffer's year in NYC and his engagement with black America's struggles for equality in the early 20th century, I continue to wrestle with a question that Bonhoeffer struggled to answer at the end of his life. Why was the German Lutheran Church so easily captured by Nazi rhetoric and power and why were so much of the church and so many of its leaders complicit in Nazi atrocities? I am struck by the question because it is a question I wrestle with, in regard to the Christian churches of America. How was it that so much of American Christianity was complicit in the oppression of African Americans, giving biblical justifications and preaching sermons that eased the conscience of the slaveocracy at the expense of the slaves? How can it be that today, churches are more segregated than they were before the Civil War? And how is it that Christians are not more troubled by the racism in our midst?
As I listen to the hate-filled rhetoric of some Americans regarding young Central American refugees who have come to our shores seeking escape from violence in their homelands--"Send them back! Now!--rhetoric that ignores Christian teachings mandating compassion for our neighbors and the strangers who sojourn in our midst, I wonder how those shouting slogans in anger justify their behavior as Christian. However, the treatment of these children is but one example of many recent issues where concerns about race seem to trump concerns about the teachings of the gospel.
How can some of the most "Christian" people also be the most racist? For that is the conclusion I must draw: that many of the people who are most certain of their own Christianity are also those behaving with the least charity towards the other.
Bonhoeffer derided a German Christianity that was doctrinally-sharp and institutionally-strong but which lacked the defining Christian characteristic of love for one another and for its neighbors. This is a critique that I want to understand more clearly, because I believe that it is a criticism that applies not only to Germany in the 1930s but also to the US today. That is not to say that I am predicting imminent American decline (unlike the "prophecy" that I heard today on Christian cable television). I am not drawing a false equivalence between Nazi Germany and the US. Instead, I am saying that I see similar symptoms that are shared between the institutional churches of both nations.
Germany struggled with antisemitism for centuries. Indeed, there are scholars who point to Martin Luther's antisemitism as one important point of origin for the seeds which, once planted, later sprouted poisonous blooms in Nazi ideology. In the same way, America's besetting sin has always been its proclamation that "All men are created equal" while constructing a racial apartheid whose economic, social, educational, political, and yes, religious, consequences endure today.
What becomes of a nation, and of its church, if it at first ignores, and then denies its own sin? It seems to me that these are questions both as pertinent and urgent today as they were when Bonhoeffer asked them.
While I was most moved by the book's discussion of Bonhoeffer's year in NYC and his engagement with black America's struggles for equality in the early 20th century, I continue to wrestle with a question that Bonhoeffer struggled to answer at the end of his life. Why was the German Lutheran Church so easily captured by Nazi rhetoric and power and why were so much of the church and so many of its leaders complicit in Nazi atrocities? I am struck by the question because it is a question I wrestle with, in regard to the Christian churches of America. How was it that so much of American Christianity was complicit in the oppression of African Americans, giving biblical justifications and preaching sermons that eased the conscience of the slaveocracy at the expense of the slaves? How can it be that today, churches are more segregated than they were before the Civil War? And how is it that Christians are not more troubled by the racism in our midst?
As I listen to the hate-filled rhetoric of some Americans regarding young Central American refugees who have come to our shores seeking escape from violence in their homelands--"Send them back! Now!--rhetoric that ignores Christian teachings mandating compassion for our neighbors and the strangers who sojourn in our midst, I wonder how those shouting slogans in anger justify their behavior as Christian. However, the treatment of these children is but one example of many recent issues where concerns about race seem to trump concerns about the teachings of the gospel.
How can some of the most "Christian" people also be the most racist? For that is the conclusion I must draw: that many of the people who are most certain of their own Christianity are also those behaving with the least charity towards the other.
Bonhoeffer derided a German Christianity that was doctrinally-sharp and institutionally-strong but which lacked the defining Christian characteristic of love for one another and for its neighbors. This is a critique that I want to understand more clearly, because I believe that it is a criticism that applies not only to Germany in the 1930s but also to the US today. That is not to say that I am predicting imminent American decline (unlike the "prophecy" that I heard today on Christian cable television). I am not drawing a false equivalence between Nazi Germany and the US. Instead, I am saying that I see similar symptoms that are shared between the institutional churches of both nations.
Germany struggled with antisemitism for centuries. Indeed, there are scholars who point to Martin Luther's antisemitism as one important point of origin for the seeds which, once planted, later sprouted poisonous blooms in Nazi ideology. In the same way, America's besetting sin has always been its proclamation that "All men are created equal" while constructing a racial apartheid whose economic, social, educational, political, and yes, religious, consequences endure today.
What becomes of a nation, and of its church, if it at first ignores, and then denies its own sin? It seems to me that these are questions both as pertinent and urgent today as they were when Bonhoeffer asked them.
May 18, 2018
I've often said Bonhoeffer's two popular works - Cost of Discipleship and Life Together - are two of my favorite books. Along with that, Bonhoeffer is an admirable person, standing against the Nazis to the point of death.
Sadly, this is as far as most of us go with our knowledge of him. I've come to realize that some of the heroes of contemporary American evangelicalism such as CS Lewis and Bonhoeffer would not be as liked if we knew more of what they really believed. These were not men whose faith would sit well with the shallow, nationalistic, dispensational fundamentalism popular in conservative evangelical America. Bonhoeffer's more cutting edge works - Ethics and Letters and Papers From Prison - reveal a man who continued to develop his theology in the face of stunning evil. Marsh's book helps the reader understand and see this development. I've not read those two works of Bonhoeffer's, but I want to now more than ever.
This book came out shortly after Eric Metaxas' bio on Bonhoeffer. I recall Metaxas' being a bit easier to read, with Marsh writing as more of a professional historian. I also was incredibly disappointed to see Metaxas support Trump, especially in light of Trump also getting support from the KKK and having trouble unequivocally renouncing such support (good people on both sides? come on). This was in mind as I read Marsh's work, and to be fair, Trump is no Hitler. The speed with which Hitler took over and eliminated opposition, as well as his decades long plan to destroy the Jews is beyond anything Trump is. I think Trump is just a narcissist who has trouble pushing away anyone who supports him, no matter how odious that person is. That said, to see so many Christians who once proclaimed character mattering now totally silent in the face of anything Trump does or says that is wrong...its sad.
This of course is a digression, other than to note that Bonhoeffer had the courage to speak truth to power. I suspect Bonhoeffer would be upset that Christianity in America is just as tribal as any other voting bloc. We're more defined by our politics than our theology. Though perhaps Bonhoeffer, who was no fan of American Christianity, would not be surprised we've ended up here. All humans, no matter how good or bad their theology is, are susceptible to nationalism and being invited into the halls of power.
Overall, this is a strong book. We need to hear the lessons and voices from people like Bonhoeffer now and always. It is also encouraging to realize that Bonhoeffer was a rather unlikable guy in his early life. He comes across as privileged, wealthy and out of touch of normal people - traveling all over Europe on his parents' dime. That reminds me there is hope for all of us in our privileged and comfortable lives, that when the time of reckoning comes, we may be able to be more than we once were.
Sadly, this is as far as most of us go with our knowledge of him. I've come to realize that some of the heroes of contemporary American evangelicalism such as CS Lewis and Bonhoeffer would not be as liked if we knew more of what they really believed. These were not men whose faith would sit well with the shallow, nationalistic, dispensational fundamentalism popular in conservative evangelical America. Bonhoeffer's more cutting edge works - Ethics and Letters and Papers From Prison - reveal a man who continued to develop his theology in the face of stunning evil. Marsh's book helps the reader understand and see this development. I've not read those two works of Bonhoeffer's, but I want to now more than ever.
This book came out shortly after Eric Metaxas' bio on Bonhoeffer. I recall Metaxas' being a bit easier to read, with Marsh writing as more of a professional historian. I also was incredibly disappointed to see Metaxas support Trump, especially in light of Trump also getting support from the KKK and having trouble unequivocally renouncing such support (good people on both sides? come on). This was in mind as I read Marsh's work, and to be fair, Trump is no Hitler. The speed with which Hitler took over and eliminated opposition, as well as his decades long plan to destroy the Jews is beyond anything Trump is. I think Trump is just a narcissist who has trouble pushing away anyone who supports him, no matter how odious that person is. That said, to see so many Christians who once proclaimed character mattering now totally silent in the face of anything Trump does or says that is wrong...its sad.
This of course is a digression, other than to note that Bonhoeffer had the courage to speak truth to power. I suspect Bonhoeffer would be upset that Christianity in America is just as tribal as any other voting bloc. We're more defined by our politics than our theology. Though perhaps Bonhoeffer, who was no fan of American Christianity, would not be surprised we've ended up here. All humans, no matter how good or bad their theology is, are susceptible to nationalism and being invited into the halls of power.
Overall, this is a strong book. We need to hear the lessons and voices from people like Bonhoeffer now and always. It is also encouraging to realize that Bonhoeffer was a rather unlikable guy in his early life. He comes across as privileged, wealthy and out of touch of normal people - traveling all over Europe on his parents' dime. That reminds me there is hope for all of us in our privileged and comfortable lives, that when the time of reckoning comes, we may be able to be more than we once were.
March 6, 2025
4.5
This is the 2nd biography I’ve read and in my estimation, the best. I think Marsh’s account does a much better job portraying the actual Bonhoeffer, in contrast with Metaxes, who made him seem like an American evangelical. Marsh’s book is thoroughly researched and paints a clear picture of Bonhoeffer’s life. Highly recommend!
This is the 2nd biography I’ve read and in my estimation, the best. I think Marsh’s account does a much better job portraying the actual Bonhoeffer, in contrast with Metaxes, who made him seem like an American evangelical. Marsh’s book is thoroughly researched and paints a clear picture of Bonhoeffer’s life. Highly recommend!
September 25, 2020
Wish I could give this more stars — it captures the mysterious, contradictory nature of a modern faith ("meaning in meaninglessness") and holds so carefully the tensions we often don't have the nuance for. Marsh is just as impressive at wielding this story as Bonhoeffer is with articulating the perplexing nature of God. It's beautiful.
Might not be your brand but... if you're in for a Bonhoeffer bio, read this one. And if you're in for the review I wish I wrote, Christian Wiman for ya.
Might not be your brand but... if you're in for a Bonhoeffer bio, read this one. And if you're in for the review I wish I wrote, Christian Wiman for ya.
July 7, 2014
I can't say much about this book that has not already been said, so I will simply say that this was a world-class biography that I really enjoyed.
Unlike many other popular attempts to frame Bonhoeffer, Marsh presents a very human Bonhoeffer who was socially conditioned and susceptible to change. As Marsh covers each major life stage, we see a Bonhoeffer growing, changing, correcting, and emerging as a different man with different focuses. From Marsh's account, we don't meet a martyr standing above all humanity as much of the hagiographic literature on Bonhoeffer is tempted to do, but rather we see a very human -- and I would say very *German* -- man who is following Jesus on the road to the celestial city.
Also, Marsh's prose is top tier, thus making the book that much more enjoyable as well. The man can flat write.
Briefly on whether or not Bonhoeffer was gay: after reading the book, I must say that it seems to me to be incredibly anachronistic to speculate that something was up with Bethge and Bonhoeffer. Rather, it seems that they had a rather strange, possibly unhealthy at times, friendship. But I think it's a stretch to try to make the argument that they were homosexual lovers.
For those who love biography, this one is worth the time.
Unlike many other popular attempts to frame Bonhoeffer, Marsh presents a very human Bonhoeffer who was socially conditioned and susceptible to change. As Marsh covers each major life stage, we see a Bonhoeffer growing, changing, correcting, and emerging as a different man with different focuses. From Marsh's account, we don't meet a martyr standing above all humanity as much of the hagiographic literature on Bonhoeffer is tempted to do, but rather we see a very human -- and I would say very *German* -- man who is following Jesus on the road to the celestial city.
Also, Marsh's prose is top tier, thus making the book that much more enjoyable as well. The man can flat write.
Briefly on whether or not Bonhoeffer was gay: after reading the book, I must say that it seems to me to be incredibly anachronistic to speculate that something was up with Bethge and Bonhoeffer. Rather, it seems that they had a rather strange, possibly unhealthy at times, friendship. But I think it's a stretch to try to make the argument that they were homosexual lovers.
For those who love biography, this one is worth the time.
April 19, 2017
An ideal biography; there's not much more to say. Marsh is very good on almost everything, from social history to theology. The picture of Bonhoeffer moving from reactionary German to anti-Nazi saint is beautiful. Why Metaxas's awful book sells so much better than this one is a mystery even greater than that the God of Karl Barth.
I'm joking, of course. That one sells better because it helps people feel better about themselves. This one points out that, to be worthy of feeling good about yourself, you actually have to try to be a better person.
I'm joking, of course. That one sells better because it helps people feel better about themselves. This one points out that, to be worthy of feeling good about yourself, you actually have to try to be a better person.
March 14, 2023
I have my qualms–Marsh’s progressive leanings seeping in at every opportunity, confounding editorial bag drops, and his apparent lack of conception of deep male friendships (iykyk) being a few of them. My last critique would be that the ending felt flat. Let me clear, the final chapter did not. It was morbidly exhilarating. But right at the end Marsh just had to get one final punch in to raise questions about Bonhoeffer and Bethge’s relationship based off what personal effects Bonhoeffer left to whom. And in doing so the final couple of paragraphs missed the tone of what had just come before. But should I have expected otherwise from the author of a memoir largely revolving around his own sexual confusion? So, I’ll take that one as my fault.
And yet, even with all that, this is an excellent biography. I mean, really excellent. From the level of detail, to the compelling nature of Marsh’s writing of those details, this is simply one of the better biographies I’ve ever read. It’s informative while keeping you on the edge of your seat as you speed toward the already known destination.
I’ve read Schlingensiepen and this pairs wonderfully with it. While the general scheme is the same, because it’s the same life, I didn’t feel like I was rereading things. Marsh includes much that I simply didn’t recall at all in Schlingensiepen.
Highly recommended, with a few minor caveats.
And yet, even with all that, this is an excellent biography. I mean, really excellent. From the level of detail, to the compelling nature of Marsh’s writing of those details, this is simply one of the better biographies I’ve ever read. It’s informative while keeping you on the edge of your seat as you speed toward the already known destination.
I’ve read Schlingensiepen and this pairs wonderfully with it. While the general scheme is the same, because it’s the same life, I didn’t feel like I was rereading things. Marsh includes much that I simply didn’t recall at all in Schlingensiepen.
Highly recommended, with a few minor caveats.
July 3, 2014
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is almost a figure who transcends history. He was a theological genius, a theological provocateur, a participant in the twentieth century's most trying moment, seeking to defend Christianity against the inroads of an alien philosophy, while lifting up the humanity of his Jewish neighbors. He was involved in the conspiracy to overthrow Adolph Hitler and establish a new government that could negotiate with the allies. He was deeply involved in the ecumenical movement, a pastor, a teacher of pastors, and more.
Bonhoeffer has taken on an almost mythical aura. His death at the hands of the Nazi's just days before the camp he was being held in was liberated, stirs the imagination. Many stories have been told about his road to death, and his final moments (the later in the realm of speculation). Because he wrote so much at such a young age, and because much of his later work -- written while in hiding or in prison -- is fragmentary, he has almost become a Rorschach test. We see in him what we want. So there is a conservative evangelical version, a liberal version, a spiritual but not religious version, a God is Dead version, and more. The reality is -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a complex individual living at a unique moment in history.
I have read many of the biographies of Bonhoeffer, including Eberhard Bethge's magisterial tome as well as the more recent biography by Ferdinand Schlingensiepen's Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance. I've also had the unfortunate experience of reading Eric Metaxa's book. Both the Bethge and Schlingensiepen books are necessary reads for those wishing to understand Bonhoeffer's life, but this new book by Charles Marsh is also a necessary read.
Marsh rehearses many of the same stories as previous biographies, but what I found unique here is how he deconstructed the myth of martyrdom. That is, he helps us see Bonhoeffer as an individual, one who could be arrogant, needy, self-absorbed, privileged, and in some areas of life as immature emotionally as he was mature theologically. Many will find intriguing the intimate relationship he had with Eberhard Bethge. The closest analogy I could think of biblically was that of Jonathan and David. In many ways Bethge was Bonhoeffer's soul mate, with whom he shared the deepest elements of his life. Was there a sexual component? That is, was Bonhoeffer gay? It is possible, but if we make that the focus then we'll miss the deeper meaning of his personhood. My sense is that he was gay in orientation, but (spoiler), he remained celibate to the end of his life.
Getting back to the myth of martyrdom. I think it is appropriate that we place him among the saints of the church. His willingness to stand up against Hitler is to be commended, but he was not the only one to die, with many of his friends being executed long before him. He was able to evade that fate as long as he did in part due to family connections. But most importantly, Bonhoeffer didn't seek martyrdom and didn't see himself as a martyr. He sought to escape his fate. He looked forward to beginning a new life with his fiance Maria and sharing in the depth of friendship with Bethge. He wanted to further develop the insights he had come to in prison, especially the concept of religionless Christianity. But such was not to be.
I will have more to say in a more thorough review on my blog, but let me say here that this is a must read. I would suggest reading it in tandem with Schlingensiepen's book to get a full sense of Bonhoeffer the theologian, activist, and human being.
For the full review check out my blog -- http://www.bobcornwall.com/2014/07/st...
Bonhoeffer has taken on an almost mythical aura. His death at the hands of the Nazi's just days before the camp he was being held in was liberated, stirs the imagination. Many stories have been told about his road to death, and his final moments (the later in the realm of speculation). Because he wrote so much at such a young age, and because much of his later work -- written while in hiding or in prison -- is fragmentary, he has almost become a Rorschach test. We see in him what we want. So there is a conservative evangelical version, a liberal version, a spiritual but not religious version, a God is Dead version, and more. The reality is -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a complex individual living at a unique moment in history.
I have read many of the biographies of Bonhoeffer, including Eberhard Bethge's magisterial tome as well as the more recent biography by Ferdinand Schlingensiepen's Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance. I've also had the unfortunate experience of reading Eric Metaxa's book. Both the Bethge and Schlingensiepen books are necessary reads for those wishing to understand Bonhoeffer's life, but this new book by Charles Marsh is also a necessary read.
Marsh rehearses many of the same stories as previous biographies, but what I found unique here is how he deconstructed the myth of martyrdom. That is, he helps us see Bonhoeffer as an individual, one who could be arrogant, needy, self-absorbed, privileged, and in some areas of life as immature emotionally as he was mature theologically. Many will find intriguing the intimate relationship he had with Eberhard Bethge. The closest analogy I could think of biblically was that of Jonathan and David. In many ways Bethge was Bonhoeffer's soul mate, with whom he shared the deepest elements of his life. Was there a sexual component? That is, was Bonhoeffer gay? It is possible, but if we make that the focus then we'll miss the deeper meaning of his personhood. My sense is that he was gay in orientation, but (spoiler), he remained celibate to the end of his life.
Getting back to the myth of martyrdom. I think it is appropriate that we place him among the saints of the church. His willingness to stand up against Hitler is to be commended, but he was not the only one to die, with many of his friends being executed long before him. He was able to evade that fate as long as he did in part due to family connections. But most importantly, Bonhoeffer didn't seek martyrdom and didn't see himself as a martyr. He sought to escape his fate. He looked forward to beginning a new life with his fiance Maria and sharing in the depth of friendship with Bethge. He wanted to further develop the insights he had come to in prison, especially the concept of religionless Christianity. But such was not to be.
I will have more to say in a more thorough review on my blog, but let me say here that this is a must read. I would suggest reading it in tandem with Schlingensiepen's book to get a full sense of Bonhoeffer the theologian, activist, and human being.
For the full review check out my blog -- http://www.bobcornwall.com/2014/07/st...
August 7, 2015
This is a well-written and well-researched biography of a complex individual: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian, pastor, and member of the resistance movement against Hitler during World War II. Charles Marsh has written a book that reads like a novel, even when he weaves Bonhoeffer’s theological insights and his growth as a theologian into the storyline. Marsh avoids the hero-worship we so often see when people write about Bonhoeffer, presenting him as a complex and flawed individual who made mistakes along the way but was always willing to learn. Marsh delves into Bonhoeffer’s complex relationship with his close friend and companion Eberhard Bethge forthrightly, but without descending into sensationalism or unfounded speculation. For those of us who have read Bonhoeffer’s writings, Marsh provides a biographical context that provides greater insight into the sermons, letters, and theological books Bonhoeffer left behind.
August 30, 2016
Here's the review I published for Cardus in their magazine Comment:
http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/...
http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/...
June 3, 2025
Bonhoeffer was instrumental in my personal conversion to Christianity, so he is very special to me.
One way to illustrate the contradictions present in Bonhoeffer’s life is to look at the myth about his final words. He is remembered as saying, “This is not the end for me; it is the beginning of life.” Marsh claims the problem is that these were not his words at all. His real last known words come from a letter in which he requests more paper for writing. Bonhoeffer lived a kind of life you would expect such pious words from, and who such pious words certainly represent, but who would himself have recoiled at ever uttering such words. Too predictable and pious for him.
It is helpful to realize that the man who wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die,” complained about low quality pants, poor literary productions, and slacked off in ministerial duties early in his career so he could spend time on the town. He begged for money from his rich parents his whole life. Not begged actually—it was always there for him to use. Kinda preppy if you ask me.
And yet he had more moral clarity in his dark age than almost anyone else in the German church.
He is a very difficult figure to pin down. In fact, I think originality and creativity (perhaps the more honest words are obstinance and stubbornness) are his defining traits. His theology belongs to no school. His spirituality is utterly unique. He was intensely brilliant, yet eager to identify with the poor. Proud by nature, he was ever himself. Uniquely and passionately himself. There is no precedent to Bonhoeffer, not truly. Inspired by Barth and Harnack and Black Americans and Niebuhr, he was able to separate himself from all of them. And there is no successor, no “Bonhoefferian” school of theology. He is difficult to interpret because his work was never finished.
So he remains himself, “Bonhoeffer.” Easily misunderstood. Mythical in many respects. But a unique and powerful witness to the grace of God manifested in the lordship of Jesus Christ. I hope the new creation has good cigarettes and slacks and operas for him. He and Jesus are going to have a ball playing the piano and singing together.
Marsh did a fabulous job bringing Bonhoeffer in a very human way. The image of the hero is sacrificed, but it’s replaced with the real man. Far more precious, in my opinion.
One way to illustrate the contradictions present in Bonhoeffer’s life is to look at the myth about his final words. He is remembered as saying, “This is not the end for me; it is the beginning of life.” Marsh claims the problem is that these were not his words at all. His real last known words come from a letter in which he requests more paper for writing. Bonhoeffer lived a kind of life you would expect such pious words from, and who such pious words certainly represent, but who would himself have recoiled at ever uttering such words. Too predictable and pious for him.
It is helpful to realize that the man who wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die,” complained about low quality pants, poor literary productions, and slacked off in ministerial duties early in his career so he could spend time on the town. He begged for money from his rich parents his whole life. Not begged actually—it was always there for him to use. Kinda preppy if you ask me.
And yet he had more moral clarity in his dark age than almost anyone else in the German church.
He is a very difficult figure to pin down. In fact, I think originality and creativity (perhaps the more honest words are obstinance and stubbornness) are his defining traits. His theology belongs to no school. His spirituality is utterly unique. He was intensely brilliant, yet eager to identify with the poor. Proud by nature, he was ever himself. Uniquely and passionately himself. There is no precedent to Bonhoeffer, not truly. Inspired by Barth and Harnack and Black Americans and Niebuhr, he was able to separate himself from all of them. And there is no successor, no “Bonhoefferian” school of theology. He is difficult to interpret because his work was never finished.
So he remains himself, “Bonhoeffer.” Easily misunderstood. Mythical in many respects. But a unique and powerful witness to the grace of God manifested in the lordship of Jesus Christ. I hope the new creation has good cigarettes and slacks and operas for him. He and Jesus are going to have a ball playing the piano and singing together.
Marsh did a fabulous job bringing Bonhoeffer in a very human way. The image of the hero is sacrificed, but it’s replaced with the real man. Far more precious, in my opinion.
January 9, 2015
This is a thorough and authoritative biography of a singular 20th century person - scholar, theologian, resistor and, to many, Christian martyr. I hesitate to say excellent - though it probably is - but at a minimum it's very, very (very, very) good! Thus, I recommend it enthusiastically.
But it's a challenging read: in part because it's so well-researched and dense(ly packed with detail) and in part because it's an unfortunate story of transcendent faith and life cut short in the cruelest of twists of fate.
Let's face it, Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived a charmed life until virtually its very end. He was the pampered scion of a comfortably affluent (and possibly wealthy) and distinguished family. He went to the best schools, lived graciously in the city and at his family's country home(s) and on vacations and extensive travels, etc. And he was seemingly always interested in things spiritual and this became the core of his life.
In his adult life, Bonhoeffer truly journeyed both personally and spiritually. As he traveled the world, in addition to his preternaturally cosmopolitan sensibility evolving, so, too, did his faith. In fact, influenced by his travels (and especially those to the holy lands of faiths other than his native progressive Lutheranism), he became a true theological radical and innovator, moving from his early insights that Christianity needed to tied inextricably to its adherents' daily lives and thus is a fundamentally communal faith to his later elucidation of "religionless Christianity" and his unfinished but seminal Ethics.
So strange, then, that this all ended as a result of his tangential involvement in a plot to assassinate Hitler, the pretext and, in effect, payback for his meaningful leadership in the Confessing Church and his dissident preaching and organizing as that institution knuckled under to the Nazis' takeover of the German Lutheran Church.
And, since it would take me many pages to delve deeper and fairly into the unique gifts and contributions of this singular 20th century spiritual revolutionary and savant, I'll simply turn to the author's ultimately far more successful effort at just this.
And Professor Marsh tells this incredible story exceedingly well and with such clear care and commitment to being both thorough and insightful. In fact, he's so good at finding and sharing information about and insights into Bonhoeffer and his spirituality that in the few instances when he misses it's palpably noticeable. Having read several biographies of Bonhoeffer so far, I can definitely share that, in my opinion, the author's is the most authoritative. This being said, he's a bit too reverential about certain aspects of his subject's life:
For example, Bonhoeffer's exceedingly close relationship with his eventual biographer Eberhard Bethge is so deftly told that the choice not to address its clear homosexual undertones seems either forced or misguided. When he does address it a few pages from the end, the reader is left with an anticlimactic observation that is, to put it kindly, contrastingly superficial (to the impressively and thoughtfully conveyed volume of information in the rest of this sizable volume). Simply put, I don't know if the author was trying to be (overly) discrete or if he was less confident in his conclusion, but, whatever the reason(s), he disappointed in this instance (which, thankfully, is a rare occurence).
So, to sum it all up, this is an important work: a thorough and authoritative assessment of a unique contributor to modern Christian theology and, for many, a (secular) saint. It's worth the appreciable investment to read it, as not only will you understand Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his life as well as possible, but you'll be inspired by the evolution of his theology and, perhaps, be encouraged to explore your own in greater depth and breadth. Accordingly, I commend you to Strange Glory and suggest that your journey therewith will be anything but strange....
But it's a challenging read: in part because it's so well-researched and dense(ly packed with detail) and in part because it's an unfortunate story of transcendent faith and life cut short in the cruelest of twists of fate.
Let's face it, Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived a charmed life until virtually its very end. He was the pampered scion of a comfortably affluent (and possibly wealthy) and distinguished family. He went to the best schools, lived graciously in the city and at his family's country home(s) and on vacations and extensive travels, etc. And he was seemingly always interested in things spiritual and this became the core of his life.
In his adult life, Bonhoeffer truly journeyed both personally and spiritually. As he traveled the world, in addition to his preternaturally cosmopolitan sensibility evolving, so, too, did his faith. In fact, influenced by his travels (and especially those to the holy lands of faiths other than his native progressive Lutheranism), he became a true theological radical and innovator, moving from his early insights that Christianity needed to tied inextricably to its adherents' daily lives and thus is a fundamentally communal faith to his later elucidation of "religionless Christianity" and his unfinished but seminal Ethics.
So strange, then, that this all ended as a result of his tangential involvement in a plot to assassinate Hitler, the pretext and, in effect, payback for his meaningful leadership in the Confessing Church and his dissident preaching and organizing as that institution knuckled under to the Nazis' takeover of the German Lutheran Church.
And, since it would take me many pages to delve deeper and fairly into the unique gifts and contributions of this singular 20th century spiritual revolutionary and savant, I'll simply turn to the author's ultimately far more successful effort at just this.
And Professor Marsh tells this incredible story exceedingly well and with such clear care and commitment to being both thorough and insightful. In fact, he's so good at finding and sharing information about and insights into Bonhoeffer and his spirituality that in the few instances when he misses it's palpably noticeable. Having read several biographies of Bonhoeffer so far, I can definitely share that, in my opinion, the author's is the most authoritative. This being said, he's a bit too reverential about certain aspects of his subject's life:
For example, Bonhoeffer's exceedingly close relationship with his eventual biographer Eberhard Bethge is so deftly told that the choice not to address its clear homosexual undertones seems either forced or misguided. When he does address it a few pages from the end, the reader is left with an anticlimactic observation that is, to put it kindly, contrastingly superficial (to the impressively and thoughtfully conveyed volume of information in the rest of this sizable volume). Simply put, I don't know if the author was trying to be (overly) discrete or if he was less confident in his conclusion, but, whatever the reason(s), he disappointed in this instance (which, thankfully, is a rare occurence).
So, to sum it all up, this is an important work: a thorough and authoritative assessment of a unique contributor to modern Christian theology and, for many, a (secular) saint. It's worth the appreciable investment to read it, as not only will you understand Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his life as well as possible, but you'll be inspired by the evolution of his theology and, perhaps, be encouraged to explore your own in greater depth and breadth. Accordingly, I commend you to Strange Glory and suggest that your journey therewith will be anything but strange....
Read
March 18, 2016This beautifully-written book is as gripping as a novel in the way it brings the reader inside a man who was a precocious and amiable spoiled brat for much of his life, but then shunned the safety & comforts of New York to serve his stricken country and was hanged after spending roughly two years in a Gestapo prison.
This book has gained some notoriety for "exposing" Bonhoeffer's homosexuality. The intense passion that Marsh finds in B.'s letters to Eberhard Bethge seem likely to be strengthened by sexual passion. Bethge himself shows only friendship in return. At the time when he was directing the underground seminary in Finkelwalde, at which time B. met Bethge, we can see the combination of intellectual brilliance and serious emotional immaturity on the part of B. that led to a crush on his student. Marsh is convinced that this relationship never reached sexual activity.
B. was among very few theologians who saw through the distortions of Nazism. In Marsh's account, I see the roots of that from B.'s critical stance to his theological inheritance that co-existed with respect for his mentors such as Harnack. His very first academic thesis criticized the role of Hegelian idealism in the German theology of his time. B. was mentored by Karl Barth, who, although the greatest theologian of his generation, was shunned by the German establishment. B. did not become a Barthian either, though. B. continued to work at diagonals to the adademic establishment. A year in the US, at which time he worshiped at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem seems to have alerted B. to the dynamics of persecution in his own country. As Hitler pressured the Evangelical Church of Germany to fall in line with Nazi principles, it was an obscure professor with no paying position to speak of, who became the most significant protesting voice.
The greatest enigma about B. is how a pacifist theologian could participate in a plot to assassinate Hitler. Marsh proves the matter deeply and shows that the matter is highly ambiguous. B.'s work for the resistance consisted of diplomatic outreach to the WCC & Anglican bishops in what turned out to be a vain hope for support from the allies for the Resistance. As for the matter of assassination of Hitler, B. seems never to have resolved in his mind whether or not it was the right thing to do.
This book has gained some notoriety for "exposing" Bonhoeffer's homosexuality. The intense passion that Marsh finds in B.'s letters to Eberhard Bethge seem likely to be strengthened by sexual passion. Bethge himself shows only friendship in return. At the time when he was directing the underground seminary in Finkelwalde, at which time B. met Bethge, we can see the combination of intellectual brilliance and serious emotional immaturity on the part of B. that led to a crush on his student. Marsh is convinced that this relationship never reached sexual activity.
B. was among very few theologians who saw through the distortions of Nazism. In Marsh's account, I see the roots of that from B.'s critical stance to his theological inheritance that co-existed with respect for his mentors such as Harnack. His very first academic thesis criticized the role of Hegelian idealism in the German theology of his time. B. was mentored by Karl Barth, who, although the greatest theologian of his generation, was shunned by the German establishment. B. did not become a Barthian either, though. B. continued to work at diagonals to the adademic establishment. A year in the US, at which time he worshiped at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem seems to have alerted B. to the dynamics of persecution in his own country. As Hitler pressured the Evangelical Church of Germany to fall in line with Nazi principles, it was an obscure professor with no paying position to speak of, who became the most significant protesting voice.
The greatest enigma about B. is how a pacifist theologian could participate in a plot to assassinate Hitler. Marsh proves the matter deeply and shows that the matter is highly ambiguous. B.'s work for the resistance consisted of diplomatic outreach to the WCC & Anglican bishops in what turned out to be a vain hope for support from the allies for the Resistance. As for the matter of assassination of Hitler, B. seems never to have resolved in his mind whether or not it was the right thing to do.
May 28, 2014
A good biography will grip you, move you, and challenge you. In really getting to know someone in all the dynamics that make him or her the person he or she was, you find out things about yourself and, perhaps, what you would like to be. When Mr. Marsh takes pen in hand on Bonhoeffer that is exactly the experience you have.
Mr. Marsh can write–that is obvious. He delved into his subject until he had something to say. He took a multifaceted view and hid nothing. Even what could have been mundane information, like certain academic pursuits, was woven together to show us the man progressing to become what he finally became in magisterial prose.
As you go along you find Bonhoeffer to be a spoiled kid far into adulthood, indulgent, lazy in physical work, and a lover of extended travel, and at times, a man with a temper. Still, you could not help but admire him. There is duplicity in us all, yet Christ can raise us above it. Though his theology was a good bit to the left of mine, I firmly believe he was a believer who not only loved the Lord, but grew to love Him more.
As with any of us he wrestled with some of the hard choices of life. In the end, he far more came down on the right side, a side fraught with danger and pain. I do not know what he died thinking, but he died a victor.
The only negative of the book was the suggestion that, perhaps, there was a homosexual attraction for his dear friend Bethge. That seemed a cheap gimmick for our ages’ fascination of homosexuality. The friendship was as close as possible, but Bethge always clearly refuted this suggestion. With no compelling evidence given, and knowing what a painful charge it would have been to Bonhoeffer who lacks the privilege to be alive to refute it, I suggest you toss it out so this otherwise great book will not be marred.
Still, this page-turner you will enjoy reading!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Mr. Marsh can write–that is obvious. He delved into his subject until he had something to say. He took a multifaceted view and hid nothing. Even what could have been mundane information, like certain academic pursuits, was woven together to show us the man progressing to become what he finally became in magisterial prose.
As you go along you find Bonhoeffer to be a spoiled kid far into adulthood, indulgent, lazy in physical work, and a lover of extended travel, and at times, a man with a temper. Still, you could not help but admire him. There is duplicity in us all, yet Christ can raise us above it. Though his theology was a good bit to the left of mine, I firmly believe he was a believer who not only loved the Lord, but grew to love Him more.
As with any of us he wrestled with some of the hard choices of life. In the end, he far more came down on the right side, a side fraught with danger and pain. I do not know what he died thinking, but he died a victor.
The only negative of the book was the suggestion that, perhaps, there was a homosexual attraction for his dear friend Bethge. That seemed a cheap gimmick for our ages’ fascination of homosexuality. The friendship was as close as possible, but Bethge always clearly refuted this suggestion. With no compelling evidence given, and knowing what a painful charge it would have been to Bonhoeffer who lacks the privilege to be alive to refute it, I suggest you toss it out so this otherwise great book will not be marred.
Still, this page-turner you will enjoy reading!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
June 23, 2014
For a biographer, it's easy to define a life by one moment or by one decision. It is an easy trap to fall into, to define a person as either good or bad based on only a portion of their lives. In his new book, Strange Glory, Christopher Marsh sidesteps this common trap with surprising ease. His portrayal of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran Pastor and resistance fighter during the Third Reich, seeks above all to humanize the man that has been made into a martyr since his death in 1945.
According to Marsh's detailed account, Bonhoeffer spent much of his childhood posing questions about faith and eternity. He grew up in an upper middle class family whose religious beliefs were somewhat fluid, and learned from his parents’ tolerance and morality independent of the church. Marsh goes to extensive effort to depict the young Bonhoeffer as a symbol of tolerance. From his relationship to the Jewish girl Maria Weigert to with his sister's husband and beyond to his studies in the Middle East and in the US, Marsh's Bonhoeffer is a man for whom race and credence seem to play no role. Indeed, he seems to reevaluate himself and his faith upon every new encounter.
As a person who has studied German history extensively, the figure if Dietrich Bonhoeffer has often been so enmeshed with religious symbolism that, as a nonreligious person, it can be difficult to approach studying him. However, Marsh does an excellent job of catering to both audiences in his biography; those who seek to read about a perceived Christian martyr will doubtlessly be interested on the development of his faith and the lead up to his ultimate sacrifice. Those, like me, who are interested in the historical aspects of the Third Reich from a church insider, will also not be disappointed. Overall, I would recommend this book to both religious scholars and lovers of history.
Review by Lauren Rogers, Press Officer at the German Embassy in Washington, DC
According to Marsh's detailed account, Bonhoeffer spent much of his childhood posing questions about faith and eternity. He grew up in an upper middle class family whose religious beliefs were somewhat fluid, and learned from his parents’ tolerance and morality independent of the church. Marsh goes to extensive effort to depict the young Bonhoeffer as a symbol of tolerance. From his relationship to the Jewish girl Maria Weigert to with his sister's husband and beyond to his studies in the Middle East and in the US, Marsh's Bonhoeffer is a man for whom race and credence seem to play no role. Indeed, he seems to reevaluate himself and his faith upon every new encounter.
As a person who has studied German history extensively, the figure if Dietrich Bonhoeffer has often been so enmeshed with religious symbolism that, as a nonreligious person, it can be difficult to approach studying him. However, Marsh does an excellent job of catering to both audiences in his biography; those who seek to read about a perceived Christian martyr will doubtlessly be interested on the development of his faith and the lead up to his ultimate sacrifice. Those, like me, who are interested in the historical aspects of the Third Reich from a church insider, will also not be disappointed. Overall, I would recommend this book to both religious scholars and lovers of history.
Review by Lauren Rogers, Press Officer at the German Embassy in Washington, DC
April 24, 2023
The amount of work that had to go into this volume is what almost got this work five stars. It is extremely thorough. The tracking of Bonhoeffer's theological development is the best bit of the book. Marsh is an academic, so it seems like he invested quite a bit of time on Bonhoeffer's academic life, which was really intriguing for me. Also at the end of chapter 13 Marsh discusses Bonhoeffer's early teachings on nonviolence and compares them to his praying for and conspiring in the assassination of Hitler. This is worth the price of the book.
Second time through. First time was via audiobook and I think the level of skill in Marsh's prose was lost on me in that format. Reading the actual text was a much more enriching experience. It's the best Bonhoeffer biography, certainly the most well-written.
Second time through. First time was via audiobook and I think the level of skill in Marsh's prose was lost on me in that format. Reading the actual text was a much more enriching experience. It's the best Bonhoeffer biography, certainly the most well-written.
December 13, 2016
This is the second biography of Bonhoeffer that I've read and I have to say I was left very disappointed by it. It started well - I was impressed by the careful writing and the depth - but it degenerated into the author's interpretation of Dietrich's life. When I read a biography I want the author to present the facts (skillfully) and let me decide how to interpret them, so all of the "reading between the lines" in this book was quite distracting and bothersome. I have to confess that this was also a thick read and much will power was called for to get to the last page.
March 17, 2017
More than any biography I've read, Charles Marsh's respects the mystery of his subject's existence. By which I mean, I finished the biography feeling that I still didn't know who Bonhoeffer was. Like any friend, Bonhoeffer was revealed to me through incomplete (sometimes incoherent) actions and words, and Marsh presented these revelations as something to be received, not understood. I really appreciated it.
June 8, 2017
Very well researched and written. Though I was willing to be, I wasn't convinced about his argument about Bonhoeffer and Bethge's relationship. Otherwise, this is must reading.
July 17, 2019
I have completed both Eric Metaxas' and now Charles Marsh's biographies on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Christian Theologian with two doctorate degrees, whose tenure as a pastor in Germany endured the Nazification of Germany's Lutheran Christian Church as well as Hitler's vicious and brutal political policies and his efforts to commit genocide against Jews, and his attempts at euthanizing the mentally and physically disabled population of Germany. I felt like Marsh's biography explored Dietrich's more personal side, his inner self, and his personal spiritual journey. It is at least safe to say that this facet of Pastor Bonhoeffer's character and life was more expansive in this biography.
But it is impossible to read any lengthy well written biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer as both of these are, and not see in detail both the personal and practical characteristics of this Jesus follower, that is to say-Jesus follower at all costs. Although he wasn't always that way. One of the things I like about Bonhoeffer's life story is how vivid a picture we see of his journey of spiritual maturity. For instance when he refused early on as a young theologian and scholar, (in what he thought was necessary out of an abundance of political caution,) not to officiate the funeral for his twin sister's father-in-law, a Jew, this proved to be one his greatest personal regrets, which in the years following he apologized to both his sister, Sabine, and her husband.
Charles Marsh gently prods the reader to consider all of the different paradoxes of Bonhoeffer's life. I loved this look at Bonhoeffer's human side. It inevitably draws the reader to explore her own humanity, her own Christianity and her willingness to pursue Jesus at all costs. As Christians we don't have all the answers, but we serve the One who does. Among his paradoxes were Bonhoeffer's adamant stance on pacifism vs. his support of violence in the German resistance and its attempts to assassinate Hitler. To this conundrum, he answers: "In the face of Hitler's atrocities, the way of nonviolence would bring inevitable guilt-both for the uncontested injustice and for the innocent lives that might have been saved. To act responsibly in these circumstances meant killing the madman if one could, even though such action violated God's commandment not to kill." At the end of Chapter 13, page 346, Marsh shares this position declared by Bonhoeffer in defense of his apparent non- pacifist position on tyrannicide. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck as I read it. The irony it exposes of recent present day tragedies did not escape me: "He thought of it this way: if he were walking along the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, or Oxford Street in London, and he saw some lunatic plowing his car into the crowd, he could not stand idly on the sidewalk. He would not say to himself, 'I am a pastor. I'll just wait to bury the dead afterward.' In whatever way he could, he would try to stop the lunatic driver. Honoring a peace ethic did not bind one to a racial pacifism, an indifference to exceptional and extreme circumstances."
But I think it is prudent for us to understand (what this biographer clearly chronicles for us,) the arduous and diligent journey Bonhoeffer first took in reaching the foregone conclusion of being involved in the resistance. He bravely broke off from the Lutheran church when they became the official nazified official Reich Church. He spoke out against them over and over. He started the "Pastor's Emergency League," which became the dissident and quite illegal "Confessing Church."
“The church was silent when it should have cried out, because the blood of the innocent was crying aloud to heaven...It has stood by while silence and wrong were being done under cover of the name of Jesus Christ.... The church confesses that it has witnessed the lawless application of brute force, the physical and spiritual suffering of countless innocent people, oppression, hatred, and murder, and that is has not found way to hasten their aid." Indeed, Bonhoeffer's acquiescence in becoming a part of the resistance was a clear and direct result of the epic failings of the church, both the reigning Protestants of the day, the Lutheran Church, who had completely succumbed to the Nazi regime and now worshipped only Hitler, as well as the Confessing Church which at this point "lay in ruins." (Chapter 11, Page 289)
In summing up this paradox presented by Marsh, I ask you the reader "What would you do?" I know what I HOPE I would do.
Another paradox Marsh points out, "celebrating the sacrament of marriage while binding his affections joyfully to another man,” (Eberhard Bethge). Marsh states: “Bonhoeffer came to embody some of the perplexing contradiction that modernity had imposed upon the faith."
It is true Bonhoeffer's best friend, confidant and confessor was Eberhard Bethge. Marsh flirts with the idea that this perhaps was a romantic relationship if only in the eyes of Bonhoeffer. I saw the intimacy in their relationship born out of several things. First, Dietrich was indeed wired emotionally. He was quite needy. He was used to being coddled by his parents, nurses, maids and nannies growing up. He hated being alone and needed a constant close companion. His vocation, constant travel, and his lot in his adult life, as it was during Hitler's reign of Nazi terror, did not actually lend itself to marriage. He was often heavily dependent upon the male friends and mentors in his life, and hardly tried to hide this fact. Eberhard was undoubtedly his closest and most trusted relationship. They shared families, bank accounts, friends and faith. I likened their relationship to that of King David and his armor bearer Jonathan. Reading 1 Samuel 18:1-4, David and Jonathan very clearly shared the same intimate relationship that I think Dietrich and Eberhard shared. "After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt."
Furthermore, Dietrich emulated the life of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. Paul, once he became a Christ follower in Acts chapter 9, showed himself to be quite vulnerable emotionally, as we read in Acts 20 when he kneels with the Ephesian elders, their families, women and children all of them weeping and crying over Paul's departure and his impending danger. "When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship."
Knowing Bonhoeffer's propensity for emotion and even what oftentimes appeared to be narcissistic behavior, and given his thorough knowledge of scripture, the old testament and epistles of Paul the Apostle, I find his intimate friendship with Eberhard not surprising in the least. It in fact was very Christian of him, but indeed not very German at all.
Finally, Bonhoeffer did indeed become engaged to Maria Von Wedemeyer and though this appeared to be on the heels of Eberhard Bethge's engagement to Dietrich's niece Renate, again I found his somewhat surprising engagement consistent with Bonhoeffer's deepest need for affection, community, and belonging in a significant relationship, especially at this stage of his continuing demise with the Gestapo and his subsequent imprisonment. By all accounts in both Metaxas and Marsh's biography, though there love was clearly naive and uncertain for both of them, they clearly cared deeply for one another, "Marie...had made a desperate, futile attempt to find her fiancee in Flossenbürg-walking 7 kilometers to the camp after spending two days on trains, only to be turned away without any prospect of hearing anything." Chapter 14, Page 393.
What do we learn from the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer? A million things to be sure. But I hope that as I navigate my own journey as a Christian, I can separate my religion from my faith, that like Bonhoeffer I can recognize that Jesus and the power of the cross are what counts in my faith, not the legalistic liturgies and traditions that often define and denote our religions.
"And the church that calls a people to belief in Christ, must itself be, in the midst of that people, the burning fire of love, the nucleus of reconciliation, the source of the fire in which all hate is consumed, and the proud and hateful are transformed into the loving." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
But it is impossible to read any lengthy well written biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer as both of these are, and not see in detail both the personal and practical characteristics of this Jesus follower, that is to say-Jesus follower at all costs. Although he wasn't always that way. One of the things I like about Bonhoeffer's life story is how vivid a picture we see of his journey of spiritual maturity. For instance when he refused early on as a young theologian and scholar, (in what he thought was necessary out of an abundance of political caution,) not to officiate the funeral for his twin sister's father-in-law, a Jew, this proved to be one his greatest personal regrets, which in the years following he apologized to both his sister, Sabine, and her husband.
Charles Marsh gently prods the reader to consider all of the different paradoxes of Bonhoeffer's life. I loved this look at Bonhoeffer's human side. It inevitably draws the reader to explore her own humanity, her own Christianity and her willingness to pursue Jesus at all costs. As Christians we don't have all the answers, but we serve the One who does. Among his paradoxes were Bonhoeffer's adamant stance on pacifism vs. his support of violence in the German resistance and its attempts to assassinate Hitler. To this conundrum, he answers: "In the face of Hitler's atrocities, the way of nonviolence would bring inevitable guilt-both for the uncontested injustice and for the innocent lives that might have been saved. To act responsibly in these circumstances meant killing the madman if one could, even though such action violated God's commandment not to kill." At the end of Chapter 13, page 346, Marsh shares this position declared by Bonhoeffer in defense of his apparent non- pacifist position on tyrannicide. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck as I read it. The irony it exposes of recent present day tragedies did not escape me: "He thought of it this way: if he were walking along the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, or Oxford Street in London, and he saw some lunatic plowing his car into the crowd, he could not stand idly on the sidewalk. He would not say to himself, 'I am a pastor. I'll just wait to bury the dead afterward.' In whatever way he could, he would try to stop the lunatic driver. Honoring a peace ethic did not bind one to a racial pacifism, an indifference to exceptional and extreme circumstances."
But I think it is prudent for us to understand (what this biographer clearly chronicles for us,) the arduous and diligent journey Bonhoeffer first took in reaching the foregone conclusion of being involved in the resistance. He bravely broke off from the Lutheran church when they became the official nazified official Reich Church. He spoke out against them over and over. He started the "Pastor's Emergency League," which became the dissident and quite illegal "Confessing Church."
“The church was silent when it should have cried out, because the blood of the innocent was crying aloud to heaven...It has stood by while silence and wrong were being done under cover of the name of Jesus Christ.... The church confesses that it has witnessed the lawless application of brute force, the physical and spiritual suffering of countless innocent people, oppression, hatred, and murder, and that is has not found way to hasten their aid." Indeed, Bonhoeffer's acquiescence in becoming a part of the resistance was a clear and direct result of the epic failings of the church, both the reigning Protestants of the day, the Lutheran Church, who had completely succumbed to the Nazi regime and now worshipped only Hitler, as well as the Confessing Church which at this point "lay in ruins." (Chapter 11, Page 289)
In summing up this paradox presented by Marsh, I ask you the reader "What would you do?" I know what I HOPE I would do.
Another paradox Marsh points out, "celebrating the sacrament of marriage while binding his affections joyfully to another man,” (Eberhard Bethge). Marsh states: “Bonhoeffer came to embody some of the perplexing contradiction that modernity had imposed upon the faith."
It is true Bonhoeffer's best friend, confidant and confessor was Eberhard Bethge. Marsh flirts with the idea that this perhaps was a romantic relationship if only in the eyes of Bonhoeffer. I saw the intimacy in their relationship born out of several things. First, Dietrich was indeed wired emotionally. He was quite needy. He was used to being coddled by his parents, nurses, maids and nannies growing up. He hated being alone and needed a constant close companion. His vocation, constant travel, and his lot in his adult life, as it was during Hitler's reign of Nazi terror, did not actually lend itself to marriage. He was often heavily dependent upon the male friends and mentors in his life, and hardly tried to hide this fact. Eberhard was undoubtedly his closest and most trusted relationship. They shared families, bank accounts, friends and faith. I likened their relationship to that of King David and his armor bearer Jonathan. Reading 1 Samuel 18:1-4, David and Jonathan very clearly shared the same intimate relationship that I think Dietrich and Eberhard shared. "After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt."
Furthermore, Dietrich emulated the life of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. Paul, once he became a Christ follower in Acts chapter 9, showed himself to be quite vulnerable emotionally, as we read in Acts 20 when he kneels with the Ephesian elders, their families, women and children all of them weeping and crying over Paul's departure and his impending danger. "When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship."
Knowing Bonhoeffer's propensity for emotion and even what oftentimes appeared to be narcissistic behavior, and given his thorough knowledge of scripture, the old testament and epistles of Paul the Apostle, I find his intimate friendship with Eberhard not surprising in the least. It in fact was very Christian of him, but indeed not very German at all.
Finally, Bonhoeffer did indeed become engaged to Maria Von Wedemeyer and though this appeared to be on the heels of Eberhard Bethge's engagement to Dietrich's niece Renate, again I found his somewhat surprising engagement consistent with Bonhoeffer's deepest need for affection, community, and belonging in a significant relationship, especially at this stage of his continuing demise with the Gestapo and his subsequent imprisonment. By all accounts in both Metaxas and Marsh's biography, though there love was clearly naive and uncertain for both of them, they clearly cared deeply for one another, "Marie...had made a desperate, futile attempt to find her fiancee in Flossenbürg-walking 7 kilometers to the camp after spending two days on trains, only to be turned away without any prospect of hearing anything." Chapter 14, Page 393.
What do we learn from the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer? A million things to be sure. But I hope that as I navigate my own journey as a Christian, I can separate my religion from my faith, that like Bonhoeffer I can recognize that Jesus and the power of the cross are what counts in my faith, not the legalistic liturgies and traditions that often define and denote our religions.
"And the church that calls a people to belief in Christ, must itself be, in the midst of that people, the burning fire of love, the nucleus of reconciliation, the source of the fire in which all hate is consumed, and the proud and hateful are transformed into the loving." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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June 26, 2025Very thorough, if sometimes dry, biography. I have read some of Bonhoeffer's writing and another biography but still learned much from this. It includes several photos and is more about Bonhoeffer's life than his writing. An academic read that I did slowly over several months.
Not the author's fault, but this edition has tiny print and almost every other page fell out of the binding as I turned it.
Not the author's fault, but this edition has tiny print and almost every other page fell out of the binding as I turned it.
October 24, 2025
This book was remarkably dense; it was a good challenge for me.
But Marsh does an excellent job of presenting Bonhoeffer as a true person — full of brilliance and sensitivity, yet nevertheless a man who has his own share of contradictions. Bonhoeffer challenges us to forsake theological abstractions and live the Christian life by heeding the concrete call of Christ to follow him.
But Marsh does an excellent job of presenting Bonhoeffer as a true person — full of brilliance and sensitivity, yet nevertheless a man who has his own share of contradictions. Bonhoeffer challenges us to forsake theological abstractions and live the Christian life by heeding the concrete call of Christ to follow him.
December 15, 2018
My first introduction to Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), as best as I can remember, was in the mid-1960's when I bought copies of The Cost of Discipleship, Letters & Papers From Prison and Ethics. Within the last few years I've read the 1998 edition of Meditations on the Cross, a selection of various Bonhoeffer reflections on the themes of Christ's crucifixion, suffering and resurrection. Other than the very short synopses of his life, mentioned in the previous books, and other random facts which I ran across through the years, I really didn't know much of anything about Bonhoeffer's life.
Close to a year ago I latched onto this amazingly well-done biography, the writing of which Dr. Marsh says didn't start out quite that way, and we're the richer for it. Anyone who finishes, not one, but two doctoral theses -- one "summa cum laude" in their early 20's, as Bonhoeffer did, is bound to have some "shmarts"! Bonhoeffer, in his 39 short years, turned out to be certainly one of the greatest theological minds of the 20th century, both in Germany & in the world. Marsh describes him as a complicated person, emotionally, yet balanced in so many other ways, possessing a magnificent mind, a genuine love of life, a thirst for travel and an unshakeable Christian faith...in the most positive & fullest meaning of those last two words.
Bonhoeffer's story, as Marsh tells it, is a powerful statement of what it means to stand up for what you believe. His situation was even more delicate in that he was a committed & skilled Lutheran pastor, well known in the Berlin community & elsewhere, in addition to being an outstanding & recognized theologian. Marsh deftly traces the trajectory of Bonhoeffer's life as it moved steadily toward difficulty with & confrontation with Adolf Hitler, as well as toward the monstrous agenda & efficient but evil machinery of the 3rd Reich. By the end of World War II, both Bonhoeffer & Hitler were dead...but the eventual facts clearly show that it was only Bonhoeffer who got it right, whose words, often spoken when he lived, rang true: "Nothing is lost."
The observations which Bonhoeffer made in 1943 give a sense of what he & others were up against. All his efforts to rally the Confessing Church, those who opposed & resisted Hitler's regime & clung to their beliefs, in the end fizzled out. From this he said that he had learned "to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcast, the suspect, the maltreated, the powerless, the oppressed and reviled, in short from the perspective of suffering...The huge masquerade of evil has thrown all ethical concepts into confusion. That evil should appear in the form of light, good deeds, historical necessity, social justice...is absolutely bewildering for one coming from the world of ethical concepts that we have received..." [Sobering words for us who live in the contemporary world, especially in our own country!] Bonhoeffer continues: "Who stands firm? Only the one whose ultimate standard is not his reason, his principles, conscience, freedom, or virtue; only the one who is prepared to sacrifice all of these when, in faith and in relationship to God alone, he is called to obedient and responsible action..." In another place he says that what is woefully & critically wanting is a "greatness of heart."
Close to a year ago I latched onto this amazingly well-done biography, the writing of which Dr. Marsh says didn't start out quite that way, and we're the richer for it. Anyone who finishes, not one, but two doctoral theses -- one "summa cum laude" in their early 20's, as Bonhoeffer did, is bound to have some "shmarts"! Bonhoeffer, in his 39 short years, turned out to be certainly one of the greatest theological minds of the 20th century, both in Germany & in the world. Marsh describes him as a complicated person, emotionally, yet balanced in so many other ways, possessing a magnificent mind, a genuine love of life, a thirst for travel and an unshakeable Christian faith...in the most positive & fullest meaning of those last two words.
Bonhoeffer's story, as Marsh tells it, is a powerful statement of what it means to stand up for what you believe. His situation was even more delicate in that he was a committed & skilled Lutheran pastor, well known in the Berlin community & elsewhere, in addition to being an outstanding & recognized theologian. Marsh deftly traces the trajectory of Bonhoeffer's life as it moved steadily toward difficulty with & confrontation with Adolf Hitler, as well as toward the monstrous agenda & efficient but evil machinery of the 3rd Reich. By the end of World War II, both Bonhoeffer & Hitler were dead...but the eventual facts clearly show that it was only Bonhoeffer who got it right, whose words, often spoken when he lived, rang true: "Nothing is lost."
The observations which Bonhoeffer made in 1943 give a sense of what he & others were up against. All his efforts to rally the Confessing Church, those who opposed & resisted Hitler's regime & clung to their beliefs, in the end fizzled out. From this he said that he had learned "to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcast, the suspect, the maltreated, the powerless, the oppressed and reviled, in short from the perspective of suffering...The huge masquerade of evil has thrown all ethical concepts into confusion. That evil should appear in the form of light, good deeds, historical necessity, social justice...is absolutely bewildering for one coming from the world of ethical concepts that we have received..." [Sobering words for us who live in the contemporary world, especially in our own country!] Bonhoeffer continues: "Who stands firm? Only the one whose ultimate standard is not his reason, his principles, conscience, freedom, or virtue; only the one who is prepared to sacrifice all of these when, in faith and in relationship to God alone, he is called to obedient and responsible action..." In another place he says that what is woefully & critically wanting is a "greatness of heart."
February 4, 2019
I have read other biographies of Bonhoeffer most notably the famous one by Eberhard Bethge but also shorter biographies.This one tells of his life in rich detail and with careful consideration.
I most know about his time in the United States. The son of one of Bonhoeffer's American friends was my friend long ago. That American friend has walked Dietrich to the ship that returned the brilliant young German home. I had a German roommate at seminary which made me feel a certain bond with Bonhoeffer but I has long felt close to Bonhoeffer because of his influence on my late teenage years and my pleasure in reading hm. I have continued to read him into my majority, both critically and enthusiastically.
Along with this twin sister, Dietrich was the baby in his gifted family of secular intellectuals and undercover resisters to Nazis. What is striking is that in an odd way for all his fame, this young brother seems almost like a minor player in his own families witness against barbarity. This biography reveals the immense terror in Bonhoeffer's prison life, his suffering, and his murder by execution. The narrative explains a lot about how Dietrich was able to share letters and write perceptive, innovative glosses on what might have become innovative theology in a depressing setting but with helpful guards.
Chris Woznicki's review here on Goodreads reveals the complexity of this biography and of Bonhoeffer himself. He outlines a series of these.
Professor Marsh is able to address the theological density and depth if Bonhoeffer's work. He shows the pettiness and the strength of Bonhoeffer, his neediness and his autonomy, the growing ability to let go to his fate.
Highly recommended.
I most know about his time in the United States. The son of one of Bonhoeffer's American friends was my friend long ago. That American friend has walked Dietrich to the ship that returned the brilliant young German home. I had a German roommate at seminary which made me feel a certain bond with Bonhoeffer but I has long felt close to Bonhoeffer because of his influence on my late teenage years and my pleasure in reading hm. I have continued to read him into my majority, both critically and enthusiastically.
Along with this twin sister, Dietrich was the baby in his gifted family of secular intellectuals and undercover resisters to Nazis. What is striking is that in an odd way for all his fame, this young brother seems almost like a minor player in his own families witness against barbarity. This biography reveals the immense terror in Bonhoeffer's prison life, his suffering, and his murder by execution. The narrative explains a lot about how Dietrich was able to share letters and write perceptive, innovative glosses on what might have become innovative theology in a depressing setting but with helpful guards.
Chris Woznicki's review here on Goodreads reveals the complexity of this biography and of Bonhoeffer himself. He outlines a series of these.
Professor Marsh is able to address the theological density and depth if Bonhoeffer's work. He shows the pettiness and the strength of Bonhoeffer, his neediness and his autonomy, the growing ability to let go to his fate.
Highly recommended.
May 12, 2019
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a fascinating figure. The product of a very talented upper class Berlin family, his brilliance was evident at a young age. The author has a deep understanding of his subject, having spent most of his career studying his theological writings. Here's where this biography was a problem for me. There are long passages referencing landmark theological works of the 20th century such as Karl Barth and Reinhold Niebuhr. Since my experience with theology is limited, these passages were opaque and sometimes boring to me. I plodded along as the story of Bonhoeffer's life is so compelling. The writing was solid but not inspired for the most part. Though, I did find the passages of the last months of Bonhoeffer's life prior to his execution by the Nazis to be very moving. The subject of Bonhoeffer's sexuality was not addressed until the last chapters of the book which I found very frustrating since this is an essential part of anyone's psyche. In the author's defense, Bonhoeffer himself was confused about this and danced around the issue in his writings. I would recommend another biography, unless you are adept in religious studies.
July 21, 2020
Stunning biography. Don't read Metaxas. Get this instead.
Seriously, Marsh's work here is superb. Not only is it shot through with Bonhoeffer's actual words, but Marsh himself is a world-class theologian and scholar who can walk the reader through the incredibly philosophically-dense material that Bonhoeffer was engaged in at such a young age. On top of all of this, he can write! This bio rips by and is genuinely hard to put down.
At the end of the book, one truly gets a sense of the real Bonhoeffer: an unbelievably brilliant, intense, and even strange individual. Marsh allows the flaws of the man to show through his heroism, making this portrait of Bonhoeffer utterly compelling.
If you want a revisionist take on Bonhoeffer - portraying him as a rugged, individualistic, conservative Evangelical, then Metaxas is your man. If you want actual scholarship, nuance, and respect for the complicated and brilliant (and yes, Liberal Protestant theologian) that Bonhoeffer ACTUALLY WAS, then read "Strange Glory."
Seriously, Marsh's work here is superb. Not only is it shot through with Bonhoeffer's actual words, but Marsh himself is a world-class theologian and scholar who can walk the reader through the incredibly philosophically-dense material that Bonhoeffer was engaged in at such a young age. On top of all of this, he can write! This bio rips by and is genuinely hard to put down.
At the end of the book, one truly gets a sense of the real Bonhoeffer: an unbelievably brilliant, intense, and even strange individual. Marsh allows the flaws of the man to show through his heroism, making this portrait of Bonhoeffer utterly compelling.
If you want a revisionist take on Bonhoeffer - portraying him as a rugged, individualistic, conservative Evangelical, then Metaxas is your man. If you want actual scholarship, nuance, and respect for the complicated and brilliant (and yes, Liberal Protestant theologian) that Bonhoeffer ACTUALLY WAS, then read "Strange Glory."
May 12, 2015
When it comes to profiles of courage, this one leads a charge. Charles Marsh does not write as a disciple, but rather writes diligently to paint a full and deeply personal, picture of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the pacifist pastor and theological genius, who in a strange historic twist played a key role in the failed conspiracy to kill Adolf Hitler. He was no easy subject, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Hardly the last of the just. But, man, what a life. Not THE life. Marsh does not write with that kind of hubris. He knows enough that when it comes to a figure such as this, there is so much more to say ...
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