Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christian Humanism

by Jens Zimmermann

Jens Zimmermann locates Bonhoeffer within the Christian humanist tradition extending back to patristic theology. He begins by explaining Bonhoeffer's own use of the term humanism (and Christian humanism), and considering how his criticism of liberal Protestant theology prevents him from articulating his own theology rhetorically as a Christian humanism. He then provides an in-depth portrayal of Bonhoeffer's theological anthropology and establishes that Bonhoeffer's Christology and attendant anthropology closely resemble patristic teaching. The volume also considers Bonhoeffer's mature anthropology, focusing in particular on the Christian self. It introduces the hermeneutic quality of Bonhoeffer's theology as a further important feature of his Christian humanism. In contrast to secular and religious fundamentalisms, Bonhoeffer offers a hermeneutic understanding of truth as participation in the Christ event that makes interpretation central to human knowing. Having established
the hermeneutical structure of his theology, and his personalist configuration of reality, Zimmermann outlines Bonhoeffer's ethics as 'Christformation'. Building on the hermeneutic theology and participatory ethics of the previous chapters, he then shows how a major part of Bonhoeffer's life and theology, namely his dedication to the Bible as God's word, is also consistent with his Christian humanism.

396 pages, Hardcover

Published August 20, 2019

About the author

Jens Zimmermann (b. 1965) is a Christian philosopher and theologian who specializes in hermeneutics and the philosophical and theological roots of humanism. He is currently J.I. Packer Chair of Theology at Regent College.

Reviews

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the most use of patristics and German Bonhoeffer scholarship in any English Bonhoeffer book I've read. The section on Irenaeus, recapitulation, and Bonhoeffer was worth the 5 stars by itself.