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The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon: Portraits of a Protestant Saint
Stephen Haynes's provocative study articulates the many motives and agendas that readers and scholars have brought to their study of Bonhoeffer, making it difficult to assess objectively the relationship of his political and religious commitments, the real meaning of his theology, and his words and actions on behalf of Jews. Reading Haynes's book helps us learn not only what Bonhoeffer has to teach us but also what it is we most desire to learn.
- GenresTheology
296 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
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31 people want to read
About the author
Stephen R. Haynes
20 books10 followersStephen R. Haynes is Professor of Religious Studies, Albert Bruce Curry Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College. Dr. Haynes holds a Ph.D. in Religion and Literature from Emory University, the M. Div. from Columbia Theological Seminary, an M. A. from Florida State University, and a B. A. from Vanderbilt University. Professor Haynes has been at Rhodes since 1989 and offers courses on the Holocaust, the Bible and its reception, religion and reconciliation, and religion and addiction. In addition to these subjects, he has research interests in Jewish-Christian relations, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the biblical justifications for slavery and segregation. Dr. Haynes was ODK Untenured Teacher of the Year at Rhodes in 1993 and SGA Outstanding Faculty Member in 1995. In 1997 he received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Research and in 2001 was awarded the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching. He is also a graduate of Leadership Memphis. Since 2016 he has directed the Rhodes Liberal Arts in Prison Program at West Tennessee State Penitentiary.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 27, 2013
I am one of those Christians who love Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His words speak to my heart and my understanding of the Christian faith and I truly admire some of the accomplishments in his life. I am one of the Christians that Stephen Haynes is worried about...and for good reason.
The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon is an attempt to understand why people like Bonhoeffer and to critique people's views of Bonhoeffer in a helpful and constructive way. Haynes has been worried for a while that people who say they love Bonhoeffer do not fully understand or have not adequately read Bonhoeffer's own works.
He presents major understandings and critiques of both the 'Liberal' and the 'Conservative' Bonhoeffer, citing the flaws in both positions' understandings. For instance, he talks about the Liberal overemphasis on 'religionless Christianity' and talks about how orthodox Bonhoeffer's theology was. He then evaluates the conservative or evangelical view of Bonhoeffer and notes how he departed from evangelical understanding.
Haynes' writing is very clear and very accessible, even for the layman. He is fair in his evaluation and truly seeks to understand how each position plays out. He keeps the technical writing to a minimum and overall is very interesting.
While he refrains from giving his own opinion on Bonhoeffer, you get the sense that he differs from both major positions.
I recommend this book to basically anyone who is interested in Bonhoeffer. This helps give some perspective on Bonhoeffer as a theologian and his place in the Church.
Grade: B+
The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon is an attempt to understand why people like Bonhoeffer and to critique people's views of Bonhoeffer in a helpful and constructive way. Haynes has been worried for a while that people who say they love Bonhoeffer do not fully understand or have not adequately read Bonhoeffer's own works.
He presents major understandings and critiques of both the 'Liberal' and the 'Conservative' Bonhoeffer, citing the flaws in both positions' understandings. For instance, he talks about the Liberal overemphasis on 'religionless Christianity' and talks about how orthodox Bonhoeffer's theology was. He then evaluates the conservative or evangelical view of Bonhoeffer and notes how he departed from evangelical understanding.
Haynes' writing is very clear and very accessible, even for the layman. He is fair in his evaluation and truly seeks to understand how each position plays out. He keeps the technical writing to a minimum and overall is very interesting.
While he refrains from giving his own opinion on Bonhoeffer, you get the sense that he differs from both major positions.
I recommend this book to basically anyone who is interested in Bonhoeffer. This helps give some perspective on Bonhoeffer as a theologian and his place in the Church.
Grade: B+
November 10, 2012
Where do I start? I think that I should start simply by sharing two initial things: this is a very good book ... and it is both exhaustive and exhausting. I picked this book up a few years ago figuring that I would get to it eventually, as I wanted to read about Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and theology first and then learn about the unique phenomenon that he has become. Suffice it to say that The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon: Portraits of a Protestant Saint has satisfied the latter goal for me in spades.
The primary strengths of this book are its depth and breadth. The research behind it is voluminous as the text, footnotes and bibliography consistently demonstrate. Professor Haynes seems to have almost encyclopedic knowledge of his subject: how Dietrich Bonhoeffer's legacy has become a singularly universal one. Unique among all theologians (or, at least, all theologians in the past century) because he is claimed across, seemingly, the entire theological ideological spectrum, Bonhoeffer has now become a martyr and saint to almost all and one of (if not the) the most popular theologian-authors of the last century. Literally, he is everywhere today: his books sell briskly more than 65 years after his execution, he is the subject of religion courses of in institutions of all types, his theology is still vigorously debated at conferences sponsored by academic societies established in his name, etc. Can you think of another theologian who is so (universally) revered?
To understand this, the author considers the claims made upon Pastor Bonhoeffer and his oeuvre by liberals, conservatives, evangelicals and liberation and death-of-God theologians, et. al., alike. In so doing, he evidences a relatively light analytical touch: only occasionally, it seems, does he share his own perspective concretely instead of elucidating (many) others'. Of course, given how exhaustively he has researched this subject and how many other scholars' (et. al.) perspectives he incorporates, he hardly needs to comment in order for his readers to feel quite fully informed and edified.
To put a fine point on how exhaustively this book is researched, know that its prose is approximately 175 pages long, its footnotes are almost 80 pages long and its bibliography is over 15 pages long. And sometimes it feels like he cites almost every one of these sources in constructing his mind-bogglingly (but impressively) comprehensive analysis. This is, in fact, one of the book's few faults, I think: Professor Haynes is so thorough that it's exhausting to digest his exhaustive research. Occasionally it feels like he will cite ten different scholars' perspectives on a particular point when half that many (or even less) will do. It's a minor quibble given the immensity and profundity of his contribution in this volume, but it is something one should keep in mind in preparation for reading it. For example, the book itself took a few intense days of reading; the footnotes have taken almost the same amount of time. One might be tempted to skip the latter as they are "only footnotes," but, in this substantial work, they are an additional and quite significant trove of insight and meaning that add much to the overall impact and contribution of the book.
And what's really a bit ironic is that while there's a decent amount of Bonhoeffer's actual writings, life experiences and theology referred to in the book, the Pastor himself is still largely drawn in terms of others' perspectives rather than the author's own. What is clear is that Professor Haynes reveres his twin subjects - the Protestant Saint himself and the phenomenon that he's become - and his passion is what makes this comprehensive tome so enjoyable to read. Given the views of so many others whom he cites, I find myself even more motivated to explore the Pastor's writings themselves at greater depth to develop my own perspective more ... and perhaps speculate gleefully about where on the ideological spectrum (as covered/defined in this book) I'll turn out to be....
OK, in the interest of not doing in my review what I suggest that the author does in his fine volume, I'll summarize here and move on: First, this is an impressively well-researched book that is so grippingly written that despite its density you'll find it a page-turner. If you are a Bonhoeffer devotee or just interested in learning more about who he was and how he's become a modern saint-phenomenon, this is a must-read. Second, do yourself a favor and read the footnotes and bibliography. There is an incredible amount of additional insight and wisdom contained therein, too. Third, be prepared to be exhausted and exhilirated by the experience. There is so much in this book that it takes a lot out of you to digest it all ... but, as with any great meal, it ultimately proves to be well worth it. So, enjoy the feast....
The primary strengths of this book are its depth and breadth. The research behind it is voluminous as the text, footnotes and bibliography consistently demonstrate. Professor Haynes seems to have almost encyclopedic knowledge of his subject: how Dietrich Bonhoeffer's legacy has become a singularly universal one. Unique among all theologians (or, at least, all theologians in the past century) because he is claimed across, seemingly, the entire theological ideological spectrum, Bonhoeffer has now become a martyr and saint to almost all and one of (if not the) the most popular theologian-authors of the last century. Literally, he is everywhere today: his books sell briskly more than 65 years after his execution, he is the subject of religion courses of in institutions of all types, his theology is still vigorously debated at conferences sponsored by academic societies established in his name, etc. Can you think of another theologian who is so (universally) revered?
To understand this, the author considers the claims made upon Pastor Bonhoeffer and his oeuvre by liberals, conservatives, evangelicals and liberation and death-of-God theologians, et. al., alike. In so doing, he evidences a relatively light analytical touch: only occasionally, it seems, does he share his own perspective concretely instead of elucidating (many) others'. Of course, given how exhaustively he has researched this subject and how many other scholars' (et. al.) perspectives he incorporates, he hardly needs to comment in order for his readers to feel quite fully informed and edified.
To put a fine point on how exhaustively this book is researched, know that its prose is approximately 175 pages long, its footnotes are almost 80 pages long and its bibliography is over 15 pages long. And sometimes it feels like he cites almost every one of these sources in constructing his mind-bogglingly (but impressively) comprehensive analysis. This is, in fact, one of the book's few faults, I think: Professor Haynes is so thorough that it's exhausting to digest his exhaustive research. Occasionally it feels like he will cite ten different scholars' perspectives on a particular point when half that many (or even less) will do. It's a minor quibble given the immensity and profundity of his contribution in this volume, but it is something one should keep in mind in preparation for reading it. For example, the book itself took a few intense days of reading; the footnotes have taken almost the same amount of time. One might be tempted to skip the latter as they are "only footnotes," but, in this substantial work, they are an additional and quite significant trove of insight and meaning that add much to the overall impact and contribution of the book.
And what's really a bit ironic is that while there's a decent amount of Bonhoeffer's actual writings, life experiences and theology referred to in the book, the Pastor himself is still largely drawn in terms of others' perspectives rather than the author's own. What is clear is that Professor Haynes reveres his twin subjects - the Protestant Saint himself and the phenomenon that he's become - and his passion is what makes this comprehensive tome so enjoyable to read. Given the views of so many others whom he cites, I find myself even more motivated to explore the Pastor's writings themselves at greater depth to develop my own perspective more ... and perhaps speculate gleefully about where on the ideological spectrum (as covered/defined in this book) I'll turn out to be....
OK, in the interest of not doing in my review what I suggest that the author does in his fine volume, I'll summarize here and move on: First, this is an impressively well-researched book that is so grippingly written that despite its density you'll find it a page-turner. If you are a Bonhoeffer devotee or just interested in learning more about who he was and how he's become a modern saint-phenomenon, this is a must-read. Second, do yourself a favor and read the footnotes and bibliography. There is an incredible amount of additional insight and wisdom contained therein, too. Third, be prepared to be exhausted and exhilirated by the experience. There is so much in this book that it takes a lot out of you to digest it all ... but, as with any great meal, it ultimately proves to be well worth it. So, enjoy the feast....
July 9, 2010
Also posted at http://nicodemist.wordpress.com/2010/...
The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon is best described as a book about books on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Stephen Haynes is an author I have come across before in his very good (if somewhat heavy-going) Prospects for Post-Holocaust Theology.
In the first part of the book Haynes offers a survey of four different faces of Bonhoeffer; the seer, prophet, apostle and bridge. The Seer-Bonhoeffer represents the radical Bonhoeffer and his adoption by the Death of God theologies of the 1960s that drew in particular from Bonhoeffer's posthumously published Letters and Papers. The prophet-Bonhoeffer is a cousin to the radical Bonhoeffer and represents the Liberal interpretation of Bonhoeffer. The liberal Bonhoeffer highlights the critical patriotism of Bonhoeffer and his search for Justice (both for Jews, Blacks and socially deprived). In contrast the Apostle-Bonhoeffer is the Bonhoeffer of (primarily) conservative evangelicalism. This manifestation of Bonhoeffer reads his denunciations of abortion in Ethics in tandem with his revolutionary acts against an anti-christian government. The final portrait Haynes offers is Bonhoeffer as bridge. This Bonhoeffer is a universal Bonhoeffer whose emphasis was on a 'spiritual' moral leader emphasising justice and universal human rights but in doing so often limiting the relevance of his adherence to broadly classical christian thought.
In the second part of the book Haynes adds a fifth Bonhoeffer, this is Bonhoeffer the Protestant saint. To establish the case Haynes offers an approach to sainthood that emphasises the choice of the believing community (rather than contemporary Catholicism's papal decision). Overall Haynes book is a interesting survey of historiography and hagiography and offers a challenge to anyone who would adopt Bonhoeffer for their causes irrespective of whether that be an anti-war liberal or pro-life conservative.
The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon is best described as a book about books on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Stephen Haynes is an author I have come across before in his very good (if somewhat heavy-going) Prospects for Post-Holocaust Theology.
In the first part of the book Haynes offers a survey of four different faces of Bonhoeffer; the seer, prophet, apostle and bridge. The Seer-Bonhoeffer represents the radical Bonhoeffer and his adoption by the Death of God theologies of the 1960s that drew in particular from Bonhoeffer's posthumously published Letters and Papers. The prophet-Bonhoeffer is a cousin to the radical Bonhoeffer and represents the Liberal interpretation of Bonhoeffer. The liberal Bonhoeffer highlights the critical patriotism of Bonhoeffer and his search for Justice (both for Jews, Blacks and socially deprived). In contrast the Apostle-Bonhoeffer is the Bonhoeffer of (primarily) conservative evangelicalism. This manifestation of Bonhoeffer reads his denunciations of abortion in Ethics in tandem with his revolutionary acts against an anti-christian government. The final portrait Haynes offers is Bonhoeffer as bridge. This Bonhoeffer is a universal Bonhoeffer whose emphasis was on a 'spiritual' moral leader emphasising justice and universal human rights but in doing so often limiting the relevance of his adherence to broadly classical christian thought.
In the second part of the book Haynes adds a fifth Bonhoeffer, this is Bonhoeffer the Protestant saint. To establish the case Haynes offers an approach to sainthood that emphasises the choice of the believing community (rather than contemporary Catholicism's papal decision). Overall Haynes book is a interesting survey of historiography and hagiography and offers a challenge to anyone who would adopt Bonhoeffer for their causes irrespective of whether that be an anti-war liberal or pro-life conservative.
Want to read
October 8, 2007I have this one, and alas, it's on my nightstand...one of many...needs to be read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews