Review of The Battle for Bonhoeffer, by Stephen R. Haynes
The audio book, The Battle
for Bonhoeffer: Debating Discipleship in the Age of Trump, by Stephen R.
Haynes, opened my eyes to possible dimensions of Dietrich Bonhoeffer of which I was heretofore
unaware. Indeed, now there’s a chasm
looming wide full of phrases supposedly connected to Bonhoeffer, like same sex
marriage, abortion, evangelical agenda, Bonhoeffer Moment, religion-less Christianity, Critical
Patriot, Righteous Gentile, Moral Hero, and Evangelical
Bonhoeffer.
But perhaps the book is not so much about Bonhoeffer as it is about picking apart Eric Metaxas’ book, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. At some points Haynes goes after Metaxas himself, calling him a non-theologian and accusing him of having an evangelical agenda. I’m not that fond of arguments or “debating”, so listening to this audio book made me feel…icky. If you relish a good back-and-forth you may enjoy this exchange of ideas, if that is what it is. It’s not for me.
