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Letters and Papers from Prison
One of the great classics of prison literature, Letters and Papers from Prison effectively serves as the last will and testament of the Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young German pastor who was executed by the Nazis in 1945 for his part in the “officers’ plot” to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
This expanded version of Letters and Papers from Prison shifts the emphasis of earlier editions of Bonhoeffer’s theological reflections to the private sphere of his life. His letters appear in greater detail and show his daily concerns. Letters from Bonhoeffer’s parents, siblings, and other relatives have also been added, in addition to previously inaccessible letters and legal papers referring to his trial.
Acute and subtle, warm and perceptive, yet also profoundly moving, the documents collectively tell a very human story of loss, of courage, and of hope. Bonhoeffer’s story seems as vitally relevant, as politically prophetic, and as theologically significant today, as it did yesterday.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young German pastor who was executed by the Nazis in 1945 for his part in the “officers’ plot” to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
This expanded version of Letters and Papers from Prison shifts the emphasis of earlier editions of Bonhoeffer’s theological reflections to the private sphere of his life. His letters appear in greater detail and show his daily concerns. Letters from Bonhoeffer’s parents, siblings, and other relatives have also been added, in addition to previously inaccessible letters and legal papers referring to his trial.
Acute and subtle, warm and perceptive, yet also profoundly moving, the documents collectively tell a very human story of loss, of courage, and of hope. Bonhoeffer’s story seems as vitally relevant, as politically prophetic, and as theologically significant today, as it did yesterday.
437 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1951
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8970 people want to read
About the author
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
367 books1,747 followersWorks of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Protestant theologian of Germany, concern Christianity in the modern world; for his role in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, people executed him.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer served as a Lutheran pastor. He, also a participant in the movement of Resistance against Nazism and a member, founded the confessing church. Members of the Abwehr, the military intelligence office planned his involvement, which resulted in his arrest in April 1943 and his subsequent hanging in April 1945 shortly before the end of the war. His secular view influenced very many people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietric...
Dietrich Bonhoeffer served as a Lutheran pastor. He, also a participant in the movement of Resistance against Nazism and a member, founded the confessing church. Members of the Abwehr, the military intelligence office planned his involvement, which resulted in his arrest in April 1943 and his subsequent hanging in April 1945 shortly before the end of the war. His secular view influenced very many people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietric...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
May 13, 2019
Really enjoyed the sections where D talked about the problems of faith in the modern world (now post-modern). The world, according to D, has rejected God as a beginning point for science, philosophy and even theology! Christians are now called to live with Christ in a world that has rejected religion without being religious. In the letters D's ideas were not completely expressed but a lot of interesting thoughts could come out of what he did write. ONe can see where Peter Rollins got a lot of his inspiration for some of his ideas from this volume, i.e. deus ex machina, etc... I would not recommend this book to those who aren't interested in, or ready for, theological issues and perplexities. I like the fact that D could ruminate on the problems of faith, discussing Bultmann, Barth, Kant, and others and yet have a simple, real, trusting faith in Christ. We suffer with Christ in a world that has rejected God. The Christian does not run and hide; but embracing his calling to live in a world without God and suffer with Christ in that world.
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November 6, 2021I finally got around to reading this classic. New editions include many personal letters (which can get tiresome) as well as Bonhoeffer's more theological musings. I'm impressed that he kept such a positive spirit, and thought so deeply in such dire circumstances. Sadly, Bonhoeffer was executed just a few weeks before the war ended.
November 21, 2022
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian, was hanged at a Nazi concentration camp in 1945 for his role in the Resistance and in planning a failed 1944 assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. The version I read is only a selection, as Bonhoeffer’s papers from prison in his Collected Works now run to 800 pages. After some letters to his parents, the largest section here is made up of “Letters to a Friend,” who I take it was the book’s editor, Eberhard Bethge, a seminary student of Bonhoeffer’s and his literary executor as well as his nephew by marriage.
Bonhoeffer comes across as steadfast and cheerful. He is grateful for his parents’ care packages, which included his latest philosophy and theology book requests as well as edible treats, and for news of family and acquaintances. To Bethge he expresses concern over the latter’s military service in Italy and delight at his marriage and the birth of a son named Dietrich in his honour. (Among the miscellaneous papers included at the end of this volume are a wedding sermon and thoughts on baptism to tie into those occasions.)
Maintaining a vigorous life of the mind sustained Bonhoeffer through his two years in prison. He downplays the physical challenges of his imprisonment, such as poor food and stifling heat during the summer, acknowledging that the mental toll is more difficult. The rhythm of the Church year is a constant support for him. In his first November there he writes that prison life is like Advent: all one can do is wait and hope. I noted many lines about endurance through suffering and striking a balance between defiance and acceptance:
Bonhoeffer won over wardens who were happy to smuggle out his letters and papers, most of which have survived apart from a small, late selection that were burned so as not to be incriminating. Any references to the Resistance and the plot to kill Hitler were in code; there are footnotes here to identify them.
The additional non-epistolary material – aphorisms, poems and the abovementioned sermons – is a bit harder going. Although there is plenty of theological content in the letters to Bethge, much of it is comprehensible in context and one could always skip the couple of passages where he goes into more depth.
Reading the foreword and some additional information online gave me an even greater appreciation for Bonhoeffer’s bravery. After a lecture tour of the States in 1939, American friends urged him to stay in the country and not return to Germany. He didn’t take that easier path, nor did he allow a prison guard to help him escape. For as often as he states in his letters the hope that he will be reunited with his parents and friends, he must have known what was coming for him as a vocal opponent of the regime, and he faced it courageously. It blows my mind to think that he died at 39 (my age), and left so much written material behind. His posthumous legacy has been immense.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Bonhoeffer comes across as steadfast and cheerful. He is grateful for his parents’ care packages, which included his latest philosophy and theology book requests as well as edible treats, and for news of family and acquaintances. To Bethge he expresses concern over the latter’s military service in Italy and delight at his marriage and the birth of a son named Dietrich in his honour. (Among the miscellaneous papers included at the end of this volume are a wedding sermon and thoughts on baptism to tie into those occasions.)
Maintaining a vigorous life of the mind sustained Bonhoeffer through his two years in prison. He downplays the physical challenges of his imprisonment, such as poor food and stifling heat during the summer, acknowledging that the mental toll is more difficult. The rhythm of the Church year is a constant support for him. In his first November there he writes that prison life is like Advent: all one can do is wait and hope. I noted many lines about endurance through suffering and striking a balance between defiance and acceptance:
Resistance and submission are both equally necessary at different times.
It is not some religious act which makes a Christian what he is, but participation in the suffering of God in the life of the world.
not only action, but also suffering is a way to freedom.
Bonhoeffer won over wardens who were happy to smuggle out his letters and papers, most of which have survived apart from a small, late selection that were burned so as not to be incriminating. Any references to the Resistance and the plot to kill Hitler were in code; there are footnotes here to identify them.
The additional non-epistolary material – aphorisms, poems and the abovementioned sermons – is a bit harder going. Although there is plenty of theological content in the letters to Bethge, much of it is comprehensible in context and one could always skip the couple of passages where he goes into more depth.
Reading the foreword and some additional information online gave me an even greater appreciation for Bonhoeffer’s bravery. After a lecture tour of the States in 1939, American friends urged him to stay in the country and not return to Germany. He didn’t take that easier path, nor did he allow a prison guard to help him escape. For as often as he states in his letters the hope that he will be reunited with his parents and friends, he must have known what was coming for him as a vocal opponent of the regime, and he faced it courageously. It blows my mind to think that he died at 39 (my age), and left so much written material behind. His posthumous legacy has been immense.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
March 21, 2025
Eins von denen, die man am besten noch ein paar Mal liest.
March 17, 2016
Oh, my. As if I weren't already inordinately fond of Bonhoeffer -- his writings and his life -- this collection of his letters and notes (written while he was in prison on suspicion of conspiracy to assassinate Hitler) cements him in my high estimation. I feel so many things about this book. In the midst of such a difficult, painful experience, Bonhoeffer displays deep faith and profound composure in his letters to his family and fiance. I was often struck by how much pain he tries to alleviate in their experience of a loved one being in prison. And it always feels sincere! Granted, Bonhoeffer's World War II German prison experience was more comfortable than was typical, but I truly believe him when he writes he is comfortable, at peace, and even finding ways to enjoy solitude. He expresses expected frustration at the legal delays and sadness at missing big family events, but it is always with an acceptance of God's timing and allowance.
The book is also a wonderful look into Bonhoeffer's more intimate theological wonderings, but I actually treasure the book most for the deep friendship and love displayed in the letters between him and Eberhard Bethge. Whereas Bonhoeffer displays strength and poise in his letters to his family, he lets the walls down with Bethge. Through the letters and personally-spiritual poems he sends to Bethge, we get a unique look into the deep emotional humanity of a rather stoic German theologian. I was struck by Bonhoeffer's many requests to Bethge to write longer letters and to respond in more depth to Bonhoeffer's questions and spiritual explorations. In the midst of an imposed-ascetic lifestyle, Bonhoeffer found treasures in his own writings and in the writings of his loved ones. Even Bonhoeffer's poetry, while quite poor, revealed surprising emotional depths in a typically cool, objective man. Bonhoeffer clearly received unique encouragement and affirmation from Bethge, not only in Bethge's letters but in the space created between the two friends for emotional expression, support, and spiritual discovery. It was an incredibly poignant reading experience.
I cried while reading the last 30 pages of this book. I am tearing up writing this review. I only say that to illustrate how unexpectedly emotional I was reading Bonhoeffer's letters, despite the minimal "action" and the rather staid tone. I can't wait to read more of Bonhoeffer's works (and to reread Metaxas' biography) with a deeper knowledge of the man himself. Bonhoeffer's commitment to the necessary "worldliness" of Christian living is inspirational, not just because of the depth of his wisdom but because of the example he provides in his life, imprisonment, and death.
The book is also a wonderful look into Bonhoeffer's more intimate theological wonderings, but I actually treasure the book most for the deep friendship and love displayed in the letters between him and Eberhard Bethge. Whereas Bonhoeffer displays strength and poise in his letters to his family, he lets the walls down with Bethge. Through the letters and personally-spiritual poems he sends to Bethge, we get a unique look into the deep emotional humanity of a rather stoic German theologian. I was struck by Bonhoeffer's many requests to Bethge to write longer letters and to respond in more depth to Bonhoeffer's questions and spiritual explorations. In the midst of an imposed-ascetic lifestyle, Bonhoeffer found treasures in his own writings and in the writings of his loved ones. Even Bonhoeffer's poetry, while quite poor, revealed surprising emotional depths in a typically cool, objective man. Bonhoeffer clearly received unique encouragement and affirmation from Bethge, not only in Bethge's letters but in the space created between the two friends for emotional expression, support, and spiritual discovery. It was an incredibly poignant reading experience.
I cried while reading the last 30 pages of this book. I am tearing up writing this review. I only say that to illustrate how unexpectedly emotional I was reading Bonhoeffer's letters, despite the minimal "action" and the rather staid tone. I can't wait to read more of Bonhoeffer's works (and to reread Metaxas' biography) with a deeper knowledge of the man himself. Bonhoeffer's commitment to the necessary "worldliness" of Christian living is inspirational, not just because of the depth of his wisdom but because of the example he provides in his life, imprisonment, and death.
September 25, 2010
"You must never doubt that I'm traveling with gratitude and cheerfulness along the road where I'm being led." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, letter from prison, Aug. 23, 1944
My sister pointed out how much significant writing comes from people who were incarcerated: The Apostle Paul (several of his epistles), Martin Luther King Jr. ("Letter from a Birmingham Jail"). John Bunyan wrote at least the first part of "The Pilgrim's Progress" while in jail. I'm sure there are many other examples ... and "Letters and Papers from Prison" certainly belongs with the others.
This is the "greatly enlarged" edition. The original edition limited itself to Bonhoeffer's letters, and only to those that addressed theological concepts. This edition includes many letters written to him, and his letters on more temporal matters. Thus, we not only learn about his theology, we see him living it out. We see him, also, as a plain old human with needs, wants and fears. Several of his early letters to his parents include a request for smoking materials.
Almost all of the theology comes in letters written to his friend and in-law Eberhard Bethge (who married Bonhoeffer's niece). This is theology raw, and one suspects it might have been refined a bit before it had been released as a theological work for a larger audience. Some of it is troubling, and some of it I just don't get. But the essence of it, I think, is summed up in a phrase that has become popular: Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship. Don't misunderstand: Bonhoeffer doesn't use that phrase. But I think it's what he was getting at.
This edition may have been expanded a tad too much. I don't think his random notes serve any purpose. I don't think he was a very good poet, but I don't know much about poetry.
But what emerges overall is a moving portrait of a man of remarkable humanity, courage and conviction in a time of incredible darkness.
My sister pointed out how much significant writing comes from people who were incarcerated: The Apostle Paul (several of his epistles), Martin Luther King Jr. ("Letter from a Birmingham Jail"). John Bunyan wrote at least the first part of "The Pilgrim's Progress" while in jail. I'm sure there are many other examples ... and "Letters and Papers from Prison" certainly belongs with the others.
This is the "greatly enlarged" edition. The original edition limited itself to Bonhoeffer's letters, and only to those that addressed theological concepts. This edition includes many letters written to him, and his letters on more temporal matters. Thus, we not only learn about his theology, we see him living it out. We see him, also, as a plain old human with needs, wants and fears. Several of his early letters to his parents include a request for smoking materials.
Almost all of the theology comes in letters written to his friend and in-law Eberhard Bethge (who married Bonhoeffer's niece). This is theology raw, and one suspects it might have been refined a bit before it had been released as a theological work for a larger audience. Some of it is troubling, and some of it I just don't get. But the essence of it, I think, is summed up in a phrase that has become popular: Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship. Don't misunderstand: Bonhoeffer doesn't use that phrase. But I think it's what he was getting at.
This edition may have been expanded a tad too much. I don't think his random notes serve any purpose. I don't think he was a very good poet, but I don't know much about poetry.
But what emerges overall is a moving portrait of a man of remarkable humanity, courage and conviction in a time of incredible darkness.
September 4, 2025
Dieses Buch ist kein leichtes, aber ein zutiefst bewegendes Zeugnis. Widerstand und Ergebung versammelt die Briefe und Aufzeichnungen Dietrich Bonhoeffers aus seiner Haftzeit im Gefängnis Tegel. Sie geben einen einzigartigen Einblick in die Gedankenwelt eines Mannes, der zwischen Hoffnung und Verzweiflung, zwischen Glaubensgewissheit und tiefster Anfechtung lebt.
Was sofort auffällt, ist die Ehrlichkeit, mit der Bonhoeffer schreibt. Er spricht offen von seiner Sehnsucht nach seinen Liebsten, von Momenten der Schwermut bis hin zu Gedanken an den Tod. Gleichzeitig findet man Stellen voller Vertrauen auf Gottes Souveränität und Treue. Besonders eindrücklich ist sein Bekenntnis, dass Gott selbst aus dem Bösesten Gutes entstehen lassen kann – eine Haltung, die weder oberflächlich noch naiv wirkt, sondern gerade aus dem Dunkel der Haft an Glaubwürdigkeit gewinnt.
Die Briefe zeigen Bonhoeffer als zutiefst soziales Wesen: Er denkt kaum je nur an sich selbst, sondern immer in Bezug auf andere – auf Gott, auf Freunde, auf seine Verlobte, auf die Kirche. Seine Überlegungen über Gemeinschaft, Ehe und Familie sind von großer Tiefe und Schönheit. Die berühmte Traupredigt aus der Zelle ist ein bewegendes Beispiel dafür, wie er selbst in der Gefangenschaft Worte des Trostes und der Hoffnung für andere findet.
Theologisch bedeutsam sind auch seine Gedanken über die Einheit von Altem und Neuem Testament, über Gottes Handeln in der Geschichte und über die Verantwortung des Christen in einer feindlichen Welt. Immer wieder fordert er ein, dass Glaube nicht in Tatenlosigkeit erstarren darf, sondern zur verantwortlichen Tat und zum echten Mitleiden führt.
Doch Bonhoeffer verschweigt auch seine dunklen Stunden nicht: die Erfahrung der „Anfechtung“, das Gefühl der Gottverlassenheit, ja selbst den Gedanken an Selbstmord. Gerade darin liegt die Größe dieser Briefe – sie sind keine Heldenerzählung im Nachhinein, sondern unmittelbares Zeugnis eines ringenden, glaubenden und zweifelnden Menschen.
Für mich ist dieses Buch deshalb so kostbar, weil es Bonhoeffer als ganzen Menschen zeigt: als Theologen, als Freund, als Verlobten, als Gefangenen, als Christen. Es ist ein Werk, das tröstet, herausfordert und zugleich beschämt, weil es uns vor Augen führt, wie ernst er seinen Glauben lebte. Ein Buch, das man nicht einfach liest, sondern das einen begleitet und nachhallt.
Sehr empfehlenswert – nicht nur für historisch oder theologisch Interessierte, sondern für jeden, der wissen will, wie tiefer Glaube in der äußersten Prüfung Gestalt gewinnt.
Was sofort auffällt, ist die Ehrlichkeit, mit der Bonhoeffer schreibt. Er spricht offen von seiner Sehnsucht nach seinen Liebsten, von Momenten der Schwermut bis hin zu Gedanken an den Tod. Gleichzeitig findet man Stellen voller Vertrauen auf Gottes Souveränität und Treue. Besonders eindrücklich ist sein Bekenntnis, dass Gott selbst aus dem Bösesten Gutes entstehen lassen kann – eine Haltung, die weder oberflächlich noch naiv wirkt, sondern gerade aus dem Dunkel der Haft an Glaubwürdigkeit gewinnt.
Die Briefe zeigen Bonhoeffer als zutiefst soziales Wesen: Er denkt kaum je nur an sich selbst, sondern immer in Bezug auf andere – auf Gott, auf Freunde, auf seine Verlobte, auf die Kirche. Seine Überlegungen über Gemeinschaft, Ehe und Familie sind von großer Tiefe und Schönheit. Die berühmte Traupredigt aus der Zelle ist ein bewegendes Beispiel dafür, wie er selbst in der Gefangenschaft Worte des Trostes und der Hoffnung für andere findet.
Theologisch bedeutsam sind auch seine Gedanken über die Einheit von Altem und Neuem Testament, über Gottes Handeln in der Geschichte und über die Verantwortung des Christen in einer feindlichen Welt. Immer wieder fordert er ein, dass Glaube nicht in Tatenlosigkeit erstarren darf, sondern zur verantwortlichen Tat und zum echten Mitleiden führt.
Doch Bonhoeffer verschweigt auch seine dunklen Stunden nicht: die Erfahrung der „Anfechtung“, das Gefühl der Gottverlassenheit, ja selbst den Gedanken an Selbstmord. Gerade darin liegt die Größe dieser Briefe – sie sind keine Heldenerzählung im Nachhinein, sondern unmittelbares Zeugnis eines ringenden, glaubenden und zweifelnden Menschen.
Für mich ist dieses Buch deshalb so kostbar, weil es Bonhoeffer als ganzen Menschen zeigt: als Theologen, als Freund, als Verlobten, als Gefangenen, als Christen. Es ist ein Werk, das tröstet, herausfordert und zugleich beschämt, weil es uns vor Augen führt, wie ernst er seinen Glauben lebte. Ein Buch, das man nicht einfach liest, sondern das einen begleitet und nachhallt.
Sehr empfehlenswert – nicht nur für historisch oder theologisch Interessierte, sondern für jeden, der wissen will, wie tiefer Glaube in der äußersten Prüfung Gestalt gewinnt.
September 8, 2022
I got this book because I wanted to dig deeper into Bonhoeffer’s mature thought, found in the letters he wrote while imprisoned. Those profound, insightful, eye-opening thoughts are in here but first are dozens (hundreds) of letters both from and to Bonhoeffer. The introduction noted that the first edition of this book was much shorter, consisting mostly of just the theological letters.
I wasn’t expecting 350ish pages of letters before getting into the theological meat, but it was an intriguing and heart-moving read. I mean, Bonhoeffer is in prison and seems so level-headed! If you didn’t know any better, you might assume being in prison wasn’t so bad. Sure, compared to most prisoners of the Third Reich, Bonhoeffer was in an ideal situation. But it was still rather terrible. And it certainly affected him more than he let on, which is especially apparent when he writes to his friend Eberhard Bethgee, Here he lets his guard down, which shines a light on how much it is up when he writes to his parents.
Beginning with the letter of April 30, 1944, Bonhoeffer discusses “religionless Christianity”. I am not going to try to sum it up, but there is a lot here to gnaw on - it started (or contributed to) an entire movement in the 60s (Death of God theology). I
Bonhoeffer is critical of how Christians tend to present God at the moment when all other explanations are over. After that, whatever is left that cannot be unexplained, or things such as meaning and morality, are where God is found. For Bonhoeffer, this reduces God to the edges while God ought to be at the center. His criticism of apologists is spot on, though I admit I was thinking of the apologists I was reading in the early 2000s. For them, and many Christians, God is a deus ex machina - brought in at the end to solve whatever problem remains.
“Religious people speak of God at a point where human knowledge is at an end (or sometimes when they’re too lazy to think further), or when human strength fails. Actually, its a deus ex machina that they’re always bringing on the scene, either to appear to solve insoluble problems or to provide strength when human powers fail, thus always exploiting human weakness or human limitations. Inevitable that lasts only until human beings become powerful enough to push the boundaries a bit further and God is no longer needed as deus ex machina” (369).
Another great quote comes from his letter of May 29, 1944:
“God is the center of life and doesn’t just ‘turn up’ when we have unsolved problems to be solved” (411)
Now, to say God ought to be at the center may sound much like what you’d here at some kind of youth rally or summer camp revival. Sweaty evangelistic preachers are always guilt tripping impressionable youth to take God more seriously, to give God more of life, to put God at the center! This seems to mean pray more, read the Bible more, just plain think about God more. Maybe give up anything fun in life and go be a missionary.
This is not what Bonhoeffer means. He speaks of this earlier, and I couldn’t find the one quote I was thinking of, where he speaks os enjoying life:
“I believe we are so to love God in our life and in the good things God gives us and to lay hold of such trust in God that, when the time comes and is here. But truly only then! - we also go to God with love, trust and joy. But - to say it clearly - that a person in the arms of his wife should long for the hereafter is, to put it mildly, tasteless and in any case is not God’s will. One should find and lovve God in what God directly gives us: if it pleases God to allow us to enjoy an overwhelming earthly happiness then one shouldn’t be more pious than God and allow this happens to be gnawed away through arrogant thoughts and challenges and wil religious fantasy that is never satisfied with what God gives” (215).
Then in his letter of July 16, 1944 he writes:
“Thus our coming of ave leads us to a truer recognition of our situation before God. God would have us know that we must live as those who manage their lives without God. . . Before God, and with God, we live without God. God consents to be pushed out of the world and onto the cross; God is weak and powerless in the world and in precisely this way, and only so, is at our side and helps us” (480).
Honestly, I am not even sure what this means.
“The world come of age is more god-less and perhaps just because of that closer to God than the world not yet come of age” (483).
I don’t know what living this way looks like, I am struggling to get my mind around it, but I find it fascinating and inspiring.
He does give some hint in the next letter, July 21, 1944:
“The Christian is not a homo religiosus but simply a human being, in the same way that Jesus was a human being” (487)
And
“Living fully in the midst of life’s tasks, questions, successes and failures, experiences, and perplexities” (488).
Be human as Jesus was human, live fully in this life. Live a life of self-sacrifice in love of others.
At least, that’s what I think he’s getting at.
Overall, a brilliant and haunting book. It was especially haunting to read the final letter from his parents, wondering why he hasn’t written back and not knowing which prison he was transferred to. Bonhoeffer was a brilliant and inspiring man and though we wish we had more writings from him, what he left us is amazing.
I wasn’t expecting 350ish pages of letters before getting into the theological meat, but it was an intriguing and heart-moving read. I mean, Bonhoeffer is in prison and seems so level-headed! If you didn’t know any better, you might assume being in prison wasn’t so bad. Sure, compared to most prisoners of the Third Reich, Bonhoeffer was in an ideal situation. But it was still rather terrible. And it certainly affected him more than he let on, which is especially apparent when he writes to his friend Eberhard Bethgee, Here he lets his guard down, which shines a light on how much it is up when he writes to his parents.
Beginning with the letter of April 30, 1944, Bonhoeffer discusses “religionless Christianity”. I am not going to try to sum it up, but there is a lot here to gnaw on - it started (or contributed to) an entire movement in the 60s (Death of God theology). I
Bonhoeffer is critical of how Christians tend to present God at the moment when all other explanations are over. After that, whatever is left that cannot be unexplained, or things such as meaning and morality, are where God is found. For Bonhoeffer, this reduces God to the edges while God ought to be at the center. His criticism of apologists is spot on, though I admit I was thinking of the apologists I was reading in the early 2000s. For them, and many Christians, God is a deus ex machina - brought in at the end to solve whatever problem remains.
“Religious people speak of God at a point where human knowledge is at an end (or sometimes when they’re too lazy to think further), or when human strength fails. Actually, its a deus ex machina that they’re always bringing on the scene, either to appear to solve insoluble problems or to provide strength when human powers fail, thus always exploiting human weakness or human limitations. Inevitable that lasts only until human beings become powerful enough to push the boundaries a bit further and God is no longer needed as deus ex machina” (369).
Another great quote comes from his letter of May 29, 1944:
“God is the center of life and doesn’t just ‘turn up’ when we have unsolved problems to be solved” (411)
Now, to say God ought to be at the center may sound much like what you’d here at some kind of youth rally or summer camp revival. Sweaty evangelistic preachers are always guilt tripping impressionable youth to take God more seriously, to give God more of life, to put God at the center! This seems to mean pray more, read the Bible more, just plain think about God more. Maybe give up anything fun in life and go be a missionary.
This is not what Bonhoeffer means. He speaks of this earlier, and I couldn’t find the one quote I was thinking of, where he speaks os enjoying life:
“I believe we are so to love God in our life and in the good things God gives us and to lay hold of such trust in God that, when the time comes and is here. But truly only then! - we also go to God with love, trust and joy. But - to say it clearly - that a person in the arms of his wife should long for the hereafter is, to put it mildly, tasteless and in any case is not God’s will. One should find and lovve God in what God directly gives us: if it pleases God to allow us to enjoy an overwhelming earthly happiness then one shouldn’t be more pious than God and allow this happens to be gnawed away through arrogant thoughts and challenges and wil religious fantasy that is never satisfied with what God gives” (215).
Then in his letter of July 16, 1944 he writes:
“Thus our coming of ave leads us to a truer recognition of our situation before God. God would have us know that we must live as those who manage their lives without God. . . Before God, and with God, we live without God. God consents to be pushed out of the world and onto the cross; God is weak and powerless in the world and in precisely this way, and only so, is at our side and helps us” (480).
Honestly, I am not even sure what this means.
“The world come of age is more god-less and perhaps just because of that closer to God than the world not yet come of age” (483).
I don’t know what living this way looks like, I am struggling to get my mind around it, but I find it fascinating and inspiring.
He does give some hint in the next letter, July 21, 1944:
“The Christian is not a homo religiosus but simply a human being, in the same way that Jesus was a human being” (487)
And
“Living fully in the midst of life’s tasks, questions, successes and failures, experiences, and perplexities” (488).
Be human as Jesus was human, live fully in this life. Live a life of self-sacrifice in love of others.
At least, that’s what I think he’s getting at.
Overall, a brilliant and haunting book. It was especially haunting to read the final letter from his parents, wondering why he hasn’t written back and not knowing which prison he was transferred to. Bonhoeffer was a brilliant and inspiring man and though we wish we had more writings from him, what he left us is amazing.
August 25, 2024
Widerstand und Ergebung ist ein Einblick in das Leben, Denken und Sein des wahrscheinlich bekanntesten evangelischen Theologen nach Martin Luther.
Wer Widerstand und Ergebung liest, der liest ein Stück Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Und noch dazu ein sehr authentisches, ungefiltertes, nicht nachträglich überarbeitetes, eben ein echtes Stück Bonhoeffer.
In WE kann man zwischen vielem persönlichen auch miterleben wie Dietrich Bonhoeffer ein letztes mal vor seiner Ermodrung in Flossenbürg um die Kirche ringt. Sie soll "religionslos" werden, weil sie nur so der Welt dienen kann, die selbst "religionslos" geworden ist. So sind die Theologischen Gedanken Bonhoeffers in Tegel vor allem Religionskritik in Anlehnung an Karl Barth. Der Unterschied zwischen beiden ist, dass Bonhoeffer bei "Religion" ein geistesgeschichtliches Phänomen vor Augen hat, während Barth an einen systematischen Begriff denkt. Die Kirche muss in Bonhoeffers Augen "aus der Stagnation heraus". Bonheoffer hat eine Kirche vor Augen, die sich in der Selbstverteidigung befindet und über den Versuch sich selbst zu erhalten die Welt im Stich lässt. Hier ist nach Bonhoeffers Auffassung ein Wandel zu vollziehen. Das Wagnis des Dienstes am Nächsten wieder eingehen, für ihn die religiöse Einkleidung des Glaubens fallen lassen, die Verkündigung an ihm orientieren und die Augen nicht vor Ungerechtigkeit verschließen, sondern in tätiger Liebe Hilfe leisten, dazu ruft Bonhoeffer die Kirche durch seine Gedanken, die 1950 in WE veröffentlicht wurden.
Bonhoeffers Gedanken treffen den Nerv der Zeit. Bonhoeffer denkt in Tegel bewusst für die Jahre nach 1945. Wie eine Kirche in einem vom Nationalsozialismus befreiten und in Trümmern liegenden Deutschland aussehen kann, dass beschäftigt ihn unablässlich. Wer Christus für uns heute eigentlich ist, lässt ihn auch in dieser Haftzeit nicht los.
Absolute Leseempfehlung für jeden der schon einmal etwas von Bonhoeffer gelesen hat und die Person Dietrich Bonhoeffer besser kennenlernen möchte.
Wer Widerstand und Ergebung liest, der liest ein Stück Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Und noch dazu ein sehr authentisches, ungefiltertes, nicht nachträglich überarbeitetes, eben ein echtes Stück Bonhoeffer.
In WE kann man zwischen vielem persönlichen auch miterleben wie Dietrich Bonhoeffer ein letztes mal vor seiner Ermodrung in Flossenbürg um die Kirche ringt. Sie soll "religionslos" werden, weil sie nur so der Welt dienen kann, die selbst "religionslos" geworden ist. So sind die Theologischen Gedanken Bonhoeffers in Tegel vor allem Religionskritik in Anlehnung an Karl Barth. Der Unterschied zwischen beiden ist, dass Bonhoeffer bei "Religion" ein geistesgeschichtliches Phänomen vor Augen hat, während Barth an einen systematischen Begriff denkt. Die Kirche muss in Bonhoeffers Augen "aus der Stagnation heraus". Bonheoffer hat eine Kirche vor Augen, die sich in der Selbstverteidigung befindet und über den Versuch sich selbst zu erhalten die Welt im Stich lässt. Hier ist nach Bonhoeffers Auffassung ein Wandel zu vollziehen. Das Wagnis des Dienstes am Nächsten wieder eingehen, für ihn die religiöse Einkleidung des Glaubens fallen lassen, die Verkündigung an ihm orientieren und die Augen nicht vor Ungerechtigkeit verschließen, sondern in tätiger Liebe Hilfe leisten, dazu ruft Bonhoeffer die Kirche durch seine Gedanken, die 1950 in WE veröffentlicht wurden.
Bonhoeffers Gedanken treffen den Nerv der Zeit. Bonhoeffer denkt in Tegel bewusst für die Jahre nach 1945. Wie eine Kirche in einem vom Nationalsozialismus befreiten und in Trümmern liegenden Deutschland aussehen kann, dass beschäftigt ihn unablässlich. Wer Christus für uns heute eigentlich ist, lässt ihn auch in dieser Haftzeit nicht los.
Absolute Leseempfehlung für jeden der schon einmal etwas von Bonhoeffer gelesen hat und die Person Dietrich Bonhoeffer besser kennenlernen möchte.
April 21, 2012
From April 1943 to April 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a prisoner of the Gestapo. Suspected of participating in a plot against Hitler, he was eventually executed in the closing days of World War II. This book is a collection of letters he wrote from prison to his family, his fiancee Maria, and his dearest friend Eberhard.
Bonhoeffer was in his late 30s when he was arrested. He was a Lutheran theologian, who had publicly questioned the rise of fascism and anti-Semitism in Germany and was systematically silenced by Hitler's government, unable finally to publish any of his writings or to preach in any pulpit. Along with other members of his family, Bonhoeffer secretly participated in an effort led by officers of Army Intelligence to undermine the war effort. Attempting to build a case against him, the Gestapo kept him a prisoner, awaiting trial. Incriminating evidence did not emerge until after the July 1944 attempt on Hitler's life. And at this point the letters stop, as Bonhoeffer was transported to another prison and eventually to a series of concentration camps.
The letters in this volume describe in detail the routines of prison life. And they offer a glimpse of life lived by ordinary civilians during months of aerial bombardments, as the fabric of daily life slowly crumbles. They also reveal the thoughts and emotions of a man whose faith in God and trust in survival are put to the severest test. While he is remembered by those who knew him in his last months as a fiercely brave, courageous, and selfless man, we see in the letters his inner turmoil, his fear, loneliness, and sense of isolation in a world his theology never imagined.
Included in the collection are polite and cheerful love letters to the young Maria von Wedemeyer, to whom he has proposed marriage. And more deeply moving still are his heart-felt letters to Eberhard Bethge, a fellow clergyman and dearly loved friend. It was Bethge, many years later, who collected these letters and published them; he has also written an extensive biography of Bonhoeffer. (The letters to Maria von Wedemeyer have been published separately as "Love Letters from Cell 92"). A collection of Bethge's essays on Dietrich Bonhoeffer was publisehd in 1995 under the title "Friendship and Resistance." They portray Bonhoeffer's friendship with Bethge and describe how the prison letters between them survived.
Bonhoeffer's life should have been that of a theologian much respected in his own time who, in a large body of work, advanced an understanding of God for a modern, secular world. His years cut short, we can only guess what his final contribution would have been. But the letters are an inspiring testament to a life lived without compromise or despair, in the face of overwhelmingly destructive forces.
Bonhoeffer was in his late 30s when he was arrested. He was a Lutheran theologian, who had publicly questioned the rise of fascism and anti-Semitism in Germany and was systematically silenced by Hitler's government, unable finally to publish any of his writings or to preach in any pulpit. Along with other members of his family, Bonhoeffer secretly participated in an effort led by officers of Army Intelligence to undermine the war effort. Attempting to build a case against him, the Gestapo kept him a prisoner, awaiting trial. Incriminating evidence did not emerge until after the July 1944 attempt on Hitler's life. And at this point the letters stop, as Bonhoeffer was transported to another prison and eventually to a series of concentration camps.
The letters in this volume describe in detail the routines of prison life. And they offer a glimpse of life lived by ordinary civilians during months of aerial bombardments, as the fabric of daily life slowly crumbles. They also reveal the thoughts and emotions of a man whose faith in God and trust in survival are put to the severest test. While he is remembered by those who knew him in his last months as a fiercely brave, courageous, and selfless man, we see in the letters his inner turmoil, his fear, loneliness, and sense of isolation in a world his theology never imagined.
Included in the collection are polite and cheerful love letters to the young Maria von Wedemeyer, to whom he has proposed marriage. And more deeply moving still are his heart-felt letters to Eberhard Bethge, a fellow clergyman and dearly loved friend. It was Bethge, many years later, who collected these letters and published them; he has also written an extensive biography of Bonhoeffer. (The letters to Maria von Wedemeyer have been published separately as "Love Letters from Cell 92"). A collection of Bethge's essays on Dietrich Bonhoeffer was publisehd in 1995 under the title "Friendship and Resistance." They portray Bonhoeffer's friendship with Bethge and describe how the prison letters between them survived.
Bonhoeffer's life should have been that of a theologian much respected in his own time who, in a large body of work, advanced an understanding of God for a modern, secular world. His years cut short, we can only guess what his final contribution would have been. But the letters are an inspiring testament to a life lived without compromise or despair, in the face of overwhelmingly destructive forces.
June 18, 2022
Overall, this is a great book well worth reading. I haven't put my finger on it yet, but I think Bonhoeffer has some powerful lessons for us about nationalism in this time.
Unintegrated thoughts from my second reading:
Reading this book is a long exercise in observing hope that will never be realized in this world. Bonhoeffer hoped to be released, in part because they didn't really have evidence to pin him down at first and didn't know how deeply he was involved in the conspiracy. But the disappointment in his hopes for this world, of course, is part of the lesson. 'This is the end. For me, the beginning of life.'
B. makes a lot of absolute theological statements that are not absolute.
I have some doubts about poor Maria and if the engagement was a good idea. I get the impression the rest of her life was not very happy. And I wonder what happened with her faith. Part of B.'s theology was to act as best as we can given what we know. It's possible that will have bad results, but we look for God to redeem those, too. 'Sin boldly, but trust in grace more boldly still.' -- Luther
B. obviously really loved his friend Eberhard Bethge. It seems like they had a great friendship.
B. is the patron saint of introspective academics, including taking action and becoming a martyr. But all of the idiosyncratic theorizing does get to be a bit much in parts.
In some ways, Bethge was the great (Platonic) love of B.'s life (more so than his romantic relationship with Maria). Their letters and persistent devotion to one another make a strong impression.
B. criticized 'pietism and methodism', which in their healthy form have borne more good fruit that all the academic theology in history.
Liberal theologians love B. But he's a lot more conservative than them.
Edit to previous review:
The previous edition I read (which I happened to have) was not helpful. There weren't enough notes to help provide context, not least because Bonhoeffer was playing a role in many of his letters (for the censors) and they read as being pretty naive and over-cheerful. I finally started reading the relevant parts of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy beside it and that helped a lot.
What made B. such a great man? He was brilliant and came from a great family and had great opportunities. But I think one of the biggest factors that made him the man he was was his discipline. He was very disciplined about meditating on the Bible and prayer (though not in a fundamentalist way). Further, as he wrote in his poem 'Stations on the Road to Freedom' [http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwa...], discipline is essential to freedom (including the ability to act and do the right thing).
Reading this book, even knowing the ending in advance, is sad. It's sad that we lost such a man to the insanity of Nazi Germany. But B. believed in a greater life than the one that he was living, and he hoped in that in very difficult circumstances. 'This is the end. For me, the beginning of life.'
Unintegrated thoughts from my second reading:
Reading this book is a long exercise in observing hope that will never be realized in this world. Bonhoeffer hoped to be released, in part because they didn't really have evidence to pin him down at first and didn't know how deeply he was involved in the conspiracy. But the disappointment in his hopes for this world, of course, is part of the lesson. 'This is the end. For me, the beginning of life.'
B. makes a lot of absolute theological statements that are not absolute.
I have some doubts about poor Maria and if the engagement was a good idea. I get the impression the rest of her life was not very happy. And I wonder what happened with her faith. Part of B.'s theology was to act as best as we can given what we know. It's possible that will have bad results, but we look for God to redeem those, too. 'Sin boldly, but trust in grace more boldly still.' -- Luther
B. obviously really loved his friend Eberhard Bethge. It seems like they had a great friendship.
B. is the patron saint of introspective academics, including taking action and becoming a martyr. But all of the idiosyncratic theorizing does get to be a bit much in parts.
In some ways, Bethge was the great (Platonic) love of B.'s life (more so than his romantic relationship with Maria). Their letters and persistent devotion to one another make a strong impression.
B. criticized 'pietism and methodism', which in their healthy form have borne more good fruit that all the academic theology in history.
Liberal theologians love B. But he's a lot more conservative than them.
Edit to previous review:
The previous edition I read (which I happened to have) was not helpful. There weren't enough notes to help provide context, not least because Bonhoeffer was playing a role in many of his letters (for the censors) and they read as being pretty naive and over-cheerful. I finally started reading the relevant parts of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy beside it and that helped a lot.
What made B. such a great man? He was brilliant and came from a great family and had great opportunities. But I think one of the biggest factors that made him the man he was was his discipline. He was very disciplined about meditating on the Bible and prayer (though not in a fundamentalist way). Further, as he wrote in his poem 'Stations on the Road to Freedom' [http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwa...], discipline is essential to freedom (including the ability to act and do the right thing).
Reading this book, even knowing the ending in advance, is sad. It's sad that we lost such a man to the insanity of Nazi Germany. But B. believed in a greater life than the one that he was living, and he hoped in that in very difficult circumstances. 'This is the end. For me, the beginning of life.'
July 22, 2017
THE GOOD: True story. Does go into a fair bit of theological detail.
THE BAD: To be honest, this book was a bit of a bore. I've always been interested in WW2 and learning more about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the great theologians of his time. However, the majority of his letters were pretty mundane (get me this, get me that) and failed to keep me entertained at all.
THE UGLY: I give this book 2 stars based on fact that I felt like I had to labour through most of it (Excuse the pun).
September 17, 2024
I think this might be my second favorite in all of the Bonhoeffer works after Life Together. It is just a collection of letters between Bonhoeffer and friends and family during his time in prison while awaiting his execution. This book specifically makes you feel like you are really with Bonhoeffer as he is awaiting his death. After a year of reading all of Bonhoeffer, I was quite emotional at the end of this.
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This was my second time reading through the full DBWE. Heart heavy again from this last volume. What a life.
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This was my second time reading through the full DBWE. Heart heavy again from this last volume. What a life.
June 2, 2020
Tolik citátů jsem si z knížky ještě nikdy nevypsal.
December 20, 2024
This is a collection of very personal letters that Bonhoeffer wrote to his friends and family while he was imprisoned from 1942-1945 by the Nazis. He was executed after 2 years in prison for his role in the plot to execute and overthrow Hitler.
It feels silly to review this book, but I have to give it 5 stars. It was encouraging and inspiring to read the thoughts of a Christian who took extreme action against a culture that was turning a blind eye to horrific crimes, call out the Church for being complicit in the crimes, and die young in prison without regrets. The letters themselves aren’t about his work in the conspiracy. They are reflections on his life, thoughts on the state of Christianity at the time, and encouragement for his family. But in reading between the lines you can feel the great anxiety and anticipation of the plot against Hitlers life (which ultimately failed.)
The prologue to the book is a letter than Bonhoeffer wrote to his co-conspirators before his arrest. I actually read the prologue last, and I am glad I did. He reflects on and analyzes the circumstances they live in, and much of it felt so familiar that I couldn’t believe it was written 80 years ago. Even if you don’t want to read 500+ pages of letters, everyone should read his essay “On Folly.”
“What remains for us is only the very narrow path, sometimes barely discernible, of taking each day as if it were the last and yet living it faithfully and responsibly as if there were yet to be a great future”
“It may be that the day of judgement will dawn tomorrow; only then and no earlier will we readily lay down our work for a better future.”
It feels silly to review this book, but I have to give it 5 stars. It was encouraging and inspiring to read the thoughts of a Christian who took extreme action against a culture that was turning a blind eye to horrific crimes, call out the Church for being complicit in the crimes, and die young in prison without regrets. The letters themselves aren’t about his work in the conspiracy. They are reflections on his life, thoughts on the state of Christianity at the time, and encouragement for his family. But in reading between the lines you can feel the great anxiety and anticipation of the plot against Hitlers life (which ultimately failed.)
The prologue to the book is a letter than Bonhoeffer wrote to his co-conspirators before his arrest. I actually read the prologue last, and I am glad I did. He reflects on and analyzes the circumstances they live in, and much of it felt so familiar that I couldn’t believe it was written 80 years ago. Even if you don’t want to read 500+ pages of letters, everyone should read his essay “On Folly.”
“What remains for us is only the very narrow path, sometimes barely discernible, of taking each day as if it were the last and yet living it faithfully and responsibly as if there were yet to be a great future”
“It may be that the day of judgement will dawn tomorrow; only then and no earlier will we readily lay down our work for a better future.”
March 8, 2024
This was not an easy read. There were long sections that bored me quite a bit. However, the core idea of the book, finding Christ in the center of life, was potentially revolutionary.
Instead of relegating Christ to the outskirts of life he is found right in the middle. He is not the Deus ex Machina that comes in to fill our gaps in knowledge. This is often how the apologist approaches the question of God. He is the answer to how things were made, how we love, how we have morality... Bonhoeffer wants to think more clearly. He embraces the reality that our knowledge does not 'need' God. At least not for these kind of practical questions. Instead, Christ is found in suffering, in the beauty of life, and more than anything in faith (crazy Kierkegaardian, maybe thats why I like it so much). His writing on the suffering of Christ from a Nazi prison is some of the clearest and most intimate you will find in the 20th century
4.2/5
Instead of relegating Christ to the outskirts of life he is found right in the middle. He is not the Deus ex Machina that comes in to fill our gaps in knowledge. This is often how the apologist approaches the question of God. He is the answer to how things were made, how we love, how we have morality... Bonhoeffer wants to think more clearly. He embraces the reality that our knowledge does not 'need' God. At least not for these kind of practical questions. Instead, Christ is found in suffering, in the beauty of life, and more than anything in faith (crazy Kierkegaardian, maybe thats why I like it so much). His writing on the suffering of Christ from a Nazi prison is some of the clearest and most intimate you will find in the 20th century
4.2/5
March 13, 2024
After two years of on and off reading, I've finally finished. Having read most of Bonhoeffer's popular works, going through his biography several times, and now finishing his prison correspondence, I regard Bonhoeffer as a friend, strange as that may be.
This book brought me to tears more times than any other book. It is filled with poignant theological reflection and tragic hope. The final letters written by his loved ones at the end of the war, not knowing where he was or if he was alive are absolutely devastating.
"I believe nothing that happens to me is without meaning, and that it is right for all of us, even though it goes against our wishes."
"If my present situation were to be the conclusion of my life, that would have a meaning that I believe I could understand."
This book brought me to tears more times than any other book. It is filled with poignant theological reflection and tragic hope. The final letters written by his loved ones at the end of the war, not knowing where he was or if he was alive are absolutely devastating.
"I believe nothing that happens to me is without meaning, and that it is right for all of us, even though it goes against our wishes."
"If my present situation were to be the conclusion of my life, that would have a meaning that I believe I could understand."
March 17, 2022
Skip to the last 11 pages. For the most part, this books makes for great firewood.
(Other than a few shared insights from isolation: "When you have deliberately suppressed every desire for so long, it burns you up inside, or else you get so bottled up that one day there is a terrific explosion", "My longing to have someone to talk to is far worse than physical hunger", "... but I was glad to be alone again. I often wonder how I shall adapt myself to company again after this.", and "It is nonsense to say that god fills the gap: he does not fill it, but keeps it empty so that our communion with another may be kept alive, even at the cost of pain.")
(Other than a few shared insights from isolation: "When you have deliberately suppressed every desire for so long, it burns you up inside, or else you get so bottled up that one day there is a terrific explosion", "My longing to have someone to talk to is far worse than physical hunger", "... but I was glad to be alone again. I often wonder how I shall adapt myself to company again after this.", and "It is nonsense to say that god fills the gap: he does not fill it, but keeps it empty so that our communion with another may be kept alive, even at the cost of pain.")
February 8, 2008
In prison for his resistance against the Nazi regime, Bonhoeffer struggles with what it means to be a christian in the postmodern world. Here is where he begins to formulate his idea of "religionless Christianity." he writes with the urgency, immediacy, and raw emotion of a man wrestling WITH and at the same time resting WITHIN a real God in a real world gone mad. He writes with the power of kierkegaard and the quiet passion of Buber all at the same time. This book helped me find the courage to face my own hard questions of faith head on.
February 4, 2017
I know, I know. Bonhoeffer-lovers everywhere wonder "Two stars, buddy?"
While I greatly enjoy reading the letters, journals, and other assorted writings of musicians, actors, politicians, and thinkers, this one just really didn't do it for me. Far better to stick with "Cost of Discipleship," "Life Together," "Ethics," etc. as this was more what I was looking for.
There is some of that contained here, but it is largely personal letters to friends and family from prison about mundane matters that, while fascinating to some, just didn't interest me. Took four months to slog through this.
While I greatly enjoy reading the letters, journals, and other assorted writings of musicians, actors, politicians, and thinkers, this one just really didn't do it for me. Far better to stick with "Cost of Discipleship," "Life Together," "Ethics," etc. as this was more what I was looking for.
There is some of that contained here, but it is largely personal letters to friends and family from prison about mundane matters that, while fascinating to some, just didn't interest me. Took four months to slog through this.
July 20, 2021
Humble, personal, richly theological and deeply challenging for the church, these letters and papers from Bonhoeffer’s time in prison are so very human and in that honesty and vulnerability offer questions and reflections on the world, religion, faith, Christology, power, weakness and suffering. I may have had to read this book for an essay but it is one I will return to in my own ministry.
December 26, 2024
51 Stellen aus dem Buch:
„Da die Zeit das kostbarste, weil unwiederbringlichste Gut ist, über das wir verfügen, beunruhigt uns bei jedem Rückblick der Gedanke etwa verlorener Zeit. Verloren wäre die Zeit, in der wir nicht als Menschen gelebt, Erfahrungen gemacht, gelernt, geschaffen, genossen und gelitten hätten.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 9)
„Nichts von dem, was wir im anderen verachten, ist uns selbst ganz fremd.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 17)
„Wir müssen lernen, die Menschen weniger auf das, was sie tun und unterlassen, als auf das, was sie erleiden, anzusehen. Das einzig fruchtbare Verhältnis zu den Menschen — gerade zu den Schwachen — ist Liebe, d.h. der Wille, mit ihnen Gemeinschaft zu halten.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 17)
„Es ist unendlich viel leichter, in Gemeinschaft zu leiden als in Einsamkeit.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 22)
„Uns bleibt nur der sehr schmale und manchmal kaum noch zu findende Weg, jeden Tag zu nehmen, als wäre er der letzte, und doch in Glauben und Verantwortung so zu leben, als gäbe es noch eine große Zukunft.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 23)
„[D]en Optimismus als Willen zur Zukunft soll niemand verächtlich machen, auch wenn er hundertmal irrt.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 24)
„Nun kommt ja der Frühling mit Macht.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 28)
„Inzwischen ist der Tag vorübergegangen, und ich hoffe nur, es sieht in Euch ebenso friedlich aus wie in mir; ich habe vieles Gute gelesen und Schöne gedacht und gehofft.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 29)
„Gerade wenn man persönlich etwas Schweres erlebt, möchte man, daß die echten Freuden des Lebens […] daneben ihr Recht behalten.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 30)
„Mit dem Ja, das sie zueinander gesprochen haben, haben sie ihrem ganzen Leben in freier Entscheidung eine neue Wendung gegeben; sie haben allen Fragen und Bedenklichkeiten, die das Leben jeder dauernden Verbindung zweier Menschen entgegenstellt, in froher Gewißheit Trotz geboten und sich in eigener Tat und Verantwortung ein Neuland für ihr Leben erobert.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 33)
„[E]ure Wege waren meist geebnet, ehe ihr sie betratet, in jeder Lebenslage konntet ihr euch durch eure Familien und Freunde geborgen wissen […]“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 34)
„Seid nicht rechthaberisch gegeneinander, urteilt und richtet nicht übereinander, erhebt euch nicht übereinander, schiebt nie einander die Schuld zu, sondern nehmt euch auf, wie ihr seid, und vergebt einander täglich und von Herzen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 39)
„Bei Fritz Reuter heißt es so schön: ,so egal und sacht fließt kein Lebenslauf, daß er nicht mal gegen einen Damm stößt und sich im Kreise dreht, oder daß ihm die Menschen Steine ins klare Wasser schmeißen, na, passieren tut jedem was — und er muß dafür sorgen, daß sein Wasser klar bleibt, daß Himmel und Erde sich in ihm spiegeln kann‘ — damit ist eigentlich alles gesagt.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 42)
„Ganz wunderschön waren die Feuerlilien, die Kelche öffnen sich morgens langsam und blühen nur einen Tag, am nächsten Morgen sind neue da, übermorgen werden die letzten geblüht haben.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 45)
„Es ist merkwürdig, wie einen in solchen Nachtstunden ganz ausschließlich der Gedanke an diejenigen Menschen, ohne die man nicht leben möchte, bewegt und das Eigene völlig zurücktritt oder geradezu ausgelöscht ist. Man spürt dann erst, wie verwoben das eigene Leben mit dem Leben anderer Menschen ist, ja, wie das Zentrum des eigenen Lebens außerhalb seiner selbst liegt und wie wenig man ein Einzelner ist.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 50)
„Aber letzten Endes faßt sich, jedenfalls für mich, die ‚Welt’ doch zusammen in ein paar Menschen, die man sehen und mit denen man zusammensein möchte.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 55)
„Weihnachten ist vorüber. Es hat mir ein paar stille, friedliche Stunden gebracht und vieles Vergangene war ganz gegenwärtig.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 61)
„Es fehlt mir nichts — als Ihr alle.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 76)
„Der Wunsch, alles durch sich selbst sein zu wollen, ist ein falscher Stolz. Auch was man anderen verdankt, gehört eben zu einem und ist ein Stück des eigenen Lebens […]“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 86)
„Das Bedürfnis, mich an einem stillen Sonntagvormittag mit Dir zu unterhalten, ist so groß und der Gedanke, daß so ein Brief vielleicht auch Dir eine einsame Stunde unterhaltsamer machen könnte, so verlockend, daß ich, ohne zu wissen, ob, wie und wo Dich diese Zeilen erreichen, Dir schreiben will.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 87)
„Als ich gestern Deinen Brief las, war es mir, als gäbe eine Quelle, ohne die mein geistiges Leben zu verdorren begann, nach langer langer Zeit wieder die ersten Tropfen Wasser.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 90)
„Ich frage mich selbst oft, wer ich eigentlich bin, der, der unter diesen gräßlichen Dingen hier immer wieder sich windet und das heulende Elend kriegt, oder der, der dann mit Peitschenhieben auf sich selbst einschlägt und nach außen hin (und auch vor sich selbst) als der Ruhige, Heitere, Gelassene, Überlegene dasteht und sich dafür (d.h. für diese Theaterleistung, oder ist es keine?) bewundern läßt?“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 91)
„Nach meinen Erfahrungen gibt es nichts Quälenderes als die Sehnsucht. Manche Menschen sind in ihrem Leben von früh auf schon so durcheinandergeschüttelt worden, daß sie sich eine große Sehnsucht sozusagen garnicht mehr leisten, sie haben sich abgewöhnt, den inneren ‚Spannungsbogen’ über lange Zeiten hinaus auszudehnen und schaffen sich kurzfristigere und leichter zu befriedigende Freuden als Ersatz.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 94)
„[E]s gibt nichts, was uns die Abwesenheit eines uns lieben Menschen ersetzen kann und man soll das auch garnicht versuchen; man muß es einfach aushalten und durchhalten; das klingt zunächst sehr hart, aber es ist doch zugleich ein großer Trost; denn indem die Lücke wirklich unausgefüllt bleibt, bleibt man durch sie miteinander verbunden.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 102)
„[D]ie Dankbarkeit verwandelt die Qual der Erinnerung in eine stille Freude.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 102)
„Man wird nicht für sich allein ein ‚Ganzer‘, sondern nur mit anderen zusammen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 109)
„[V]ielleicht ist schon die Art, in der man nach bestimmten Dingen fragt und nach andern nicht, ein gewisser Hinweis auf das Wesentliche.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 110)
„Es gibt am Morgen meines heutigen Geburtstages für mich nichts Natürlicheres, als Dir zu schreiben und mich daran zu erinnern, daß wir acht mal hintereinander diesen Tag zusammen gefeiert haben.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 113)
„Ich weiß, daß Du heute an mich denkst, und wenn in diesen Gedanken nicht nur das Vergangene, sondern auch die Hoffnung auf eine — wenn auch veränderte, so doch gemeinsame Zukunft enthalten ist, dann bin ich sehr froh.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 114)
„Selbst der rührende kleine Blumenstrauß, den mir einige hiesige Mitbewohner gepflückt haben, stand in meinen Gedanken an dem Bett Eures kleinen Jungen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 115)
„Die Grenzen zwischen Widerstand und Ergebung sind also prinzipiell nicht zu bestimmen; aber es muß beides da sein und beides mit Entschlossenheit ergriffen werden.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 120)
„‚Drück mir den Daumen’ hört man hier unzählige Male am Tag; es wird dem teilnehmenden Gedenken also irgendeine Kraft zugesprochen und man will sich in entscheidenden Stunden nicht allein, sondern von andren unsichtbar begleitet wissen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 126)
„Wünsche, an die wir uns zu sehr klammern, rauben uns leicht etwas von dem, was wir sein sollen und können. […] Es gibt erfülltes Leben trotz vieler unerfüllter Wünsche; das ist es wohl, was ich eigentlich sagen wollte.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 128)
„[I]ch bin begierig, wie die Zukunft unsern Weg weiterführt, ob es noch einmal irgendwie ein gemeinsamer wird; etwa in beruflicher Tätigkeit, — was ich mir sehr wünschen würde — oder ob wir uns mit dem Vergangenen zufrieden geben müssen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 129)
„Die tiefe Verwurzelung in dem Boden der Vergangenheit macht das Leben schwerer, aber auch reicher und kraftvoller.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 151)
„[…] in Sorgen und Traurigkeit den Grundton der Freude in Dir wachhalten […]“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 152)
„Das Bild der Polyphonie verfolgt mich immer noch. Als ich heute etwas Schmerz darüber empfand, nicht bei Euch zu sein, mußte ich denken, daß auch Schmerz und Freude zur Polyphonie des ganzen Lebens gehören und selbständig nebeneinander bestehen können.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 160)
„Wir weinen mit den Weinenden und freuen uns zugleich mit den Fröhlichen; wir bangen — (— ich wurde gerade wieder vom Alarm unterbrochen und sitze jetzt im Freien und genieße die Sonne —) um unser Leben, aber wir müssen doch zugleich Gedanken denken, die uns viel wichtiger sind, als unser Leben.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 162 f.)
„Welch' eine Befreiung ist es, denken zu können und in Gedanken die Mehrdimensionalität aufrechtzuerhalten.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 163)
„Das Abschiednehmen, das Erlebnis der Vergangenheit, ob es nun die gestrige Stunde oder vergangene Jahre sind — beides fließt rasch ineinander — ist für mich eine immer wiederkehrende Aufgabe und Du selbst schriebst einmal: ‚das Abschiednehmen übt sich merkwürdig schlecht.‘“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 166)
„Es fiel die Tür ins Schloß,
ich höre deine Schritte langsam sich entfernen und verhallen.
Was bleibt mir? Freude, Qual, Verlangen?
Ich weiß nur dies: du gingst — und alles ist vergangen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 167)
„Nacht, lösche aus, was brennt, schenk mir volles Vergessen,
sei mir wohltätig, Nacht, übe dein mildes Amt,
dir vertrau ich mich an.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 169)
„Und so muß man sich durch die kleinen Gedanken, die einen ärgern, immer wieder hindurchfinden zu den großen Gedanken, die einen stärken.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 176)
„Kürzlich las ich den merkwürdigen und schönen Satz des Euripides bei einer Wiedersehensszene nach langer Trennung: ‚So ist doch auch das Wiedersehen ein Gott.‘“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 184)
„[…] weil ich nur zu Dir so ins Unreine zu reden wage und davon Klärung erhoffe.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 187)
„Bin ich das wirklich, was andere von mir sagen?
Oder bin ich nur das, was ich selbst von mir weiß?
unruhig, sehnsüchtig, krank, wie ein Vogel im Käfig,
ringend nach Lebensatem, als würgte mir einer die Kehle,
hungernd nach Farben, nach Blumen, nach Vogelstimmen,
dürstend nach guten Worten, nach menschlicher Nähe,
zitternd vor Zorn über Willkür und kleinlichste Kränkung,
umgetrieben vom Warten auf große Dinge,
ohnmächtig bangend um Freunde in endloser Ferne,
müde und leer zum Beten, zum Denken, zum Schaffen,
matt und bereit, von allem Abschied zu nehmen?“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 188)
„Entschuldige bitte diese anspruchsvollen Weisheiten! Sie sind Bruchstücke aus nicht geführten Gesprächen und insofern gehören sie zu Dir.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 201)
„[W]as ist mir das schönste Buch oder Bild oder Haus oder Gut gegenüber meiner Frau, meinen Eltern, meinem Freund? So kann allerdings nur sprechen, wer wirklich in seinem Leben Menschen gefunden hat.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 207)
„Ich spüre, wie untauglich diese Worte sind, das zu bewirken, was sie möchten, nämlich Dich auch in Deiner Einsamkeit fest und froh und gewiß zu machen. Dieser einsame Geburtstag braucht für Dich ja wahrhaftig nicht ein verlorener Tag sein, wenn er Dir zum Anlaß wird, einmal wieder die Fundamente klar zu legen, auf denen Du weiterleben willst.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 210)
„Am dankbarsten bin ich für die Menschen, denen ich nahe begegnet bin […]“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 211)
„Spielgefährten zuerst
auf den weiten Fahrten des Geistes
in wunderbare,
entfernte Reiche,
die im Schleier der Morgensonne
wie Gold erglänzen,
denen am heißen Mittag
die leichten Wolken des blauen Himmels
entgegenziehen,
die in erregender Nacht
beim Scheine der Lampe
wie verborgene, heimliche Schätze
den Suchenden locken.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 214)
„Da die Zeit das kostbarste, weil unwiederbringlichste Gut ist, über das wir verfügen, beunruhigt uns bei jedem Rückblick der Gedanke etwa verlorener Zeit. Verloren wäre die Zeit, in der wir nicht als Menschen gelebt, Erfahrungen gemacht, gelernt, geschaffen, genossen und gelitten hätten.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 9)
„Nichts von dem, was wir im anderen verachten, ist uns selbst ganz fremd.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 17)
„Wir müssen lernen, die Menschen weniger auf das, was sie tun und unterlassen, als auf das, was sie erleiden, anzusehen. Das einzig fruchtbare Verhältnis zu den Menschen — gerade zu den Schwachen — ist Liebe, d.h. der Wille, mit ihnen Gemeinschaft zu halten.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 17)
„Es ist unendlich viel leichter, in Gemeinschaft zu leiden als in Einsamkeit.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 22)
„Uns bleibt nur der sehr schmale und manchmal kaum noch zu findende Weg, jeden Tag zu nehmen, als wäre er der letzte, und doch in Glauben und Verantwortung so zu leben, als gäbe es noch eine große Zukunft.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 23)
„[D]en Optimismus als Willen zur Zukunft soll niemand verächtlich machen, auch wenn er hundertmal irrt.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 24)
„Nun kommt ja der Frühling mit Macht.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 28)
„Inzwischen ist der Tag vorübergegangen, und ich hoffe nur, es sieht in Euch ebenso friedlich aus wie in mir; ich habe vieles Gute gelesen und Schöne gedacht und gehofft.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 29)
„Gerade wenn man persönlich etwas Schweres erlebt, möchte man, daß die echten Freuden des Lebens […] daneben ihr Recht behalten.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 30)
„Mit dem Ja, das sie zueinander gesprochen haben, haben sie ihrem ganzen Leben in freier Entscheidung eine neue Wendung gegeben; sie haben allen Fragen und Bedenklichkeiten, die das Leben jeder dauernden Verbindung zweier Menschen entgegenstellt, in froher Gewißheit Trotz geboten und sich in eigener Tat und Verantwortung ein Neuland für ihr Leben erobert.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 33)
„[E]ure Wege waren meist geebnet, ehe ihr sie betratet, in jeder Lebenslage konntet ihr euch durch eure Familien und Freunde geborgen wissen […]“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 34)
„Seid nicht rechthaberisch gegeneinander, urteilt und richtet nicht übereinander, erhebt euch nicht übereinander, schiebt nie einander die Schuld zu, sondern nehmt euch auf, wie ihr seid, und vergebt einander täglich und von Herzen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 39)
„Bei Fritz Reuter heißt es so schön: ,so egal und sacht fließt kein Lebenslauf, daß er nicht mal gegen einen Damm stößt und sich im Kreise dreht, oder daß ihm die Menschen Steine ins klare Wasser schmeißen, na, passieren tut jedem was — und er muß dafür sorgen, daß sein Wasser klar bleibt, daß Himmel und Erde sich in ihm spiegeln kann‘ — damit ist eigentlich alles gesagt.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 42)
„Ganz wunderschön waren die Feuerlilien, die Kelche öffnen sich morgens langsam und blühen nur einen Tag, am nächsten Morgen sind neue da, übermorgen werden die letzten geblüht haben.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 45)
„Es ist merkwürdig, wie einen in solchen Nachtstunden ganz ausschließlich der Gedanke an diejenigen Menschen, ohne die man nicht leben möchte, bewegt und das Eigene völlig zurücktritt oder geradezu ausgelöscht ist. Man spürt dann erst, wie verwoben das eigene Leben mit dem Leben anderer Menschen ist, ja, wie das Zentrum des eigenen Lebens außerhalb seiner selbst liegt und wie wenig man ein Einzelner ist.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 50)
„Aber letzten Endes faßt sich, jedenfalls für mich, die ‚Welt’ doch zusammen in ein paar Menschen, die man sehen und mit denen man zusammensein möchte.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 55)
„Weihnachten ist vorüber. Es hat mir ein paar stille, friedliche Stunden gebracht und vieles Vergangene war ganz gegenwärtig.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 61)
„Es fehlt mir nichts — als Ihr alle.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 76)
„Der Wunsch, alles durch sich selbst sein zu wollen, ist ein falscher Stolz. Auch was man anderen verdankt, gehört eben zu einem und ist ein Stück des eigenen Lebens […]“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 86)
„Das Bedürfnis, mich an einem stillen Sonntagvormittag mit Dir zu unterhalten, ist so groß und der Gedanke, daß so ein Brief vielleicht auch Dir eine einsame Stunde unterhaltsamer machen könnte, so verlockend, daß ich, ohne zu wissen, ob, wie und wo Dich diese Zeilen erreichen, Dir schreiben will.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 87)
„Als ich gestern Deinen Brief las, war es mir, als gäbe eine Quelle, ohne die mein geistiges Leben zu verdorren begann, nach langer langer Zeit wieder die ersten Tropfen Wasser.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 90)
„Ich frage mich selbst oft, wer ich eigentlich bin, der, der unter diesen gräßlichen Dingen hier immer wieder sich windet und das heulende Elend kriegt, oder der, der dann mit Peitschenhieben auf sich selbst einschlägt und nach außen hin (und auch vor sich selbst) als der Ruhige, Heitere, Gelassene, Überlegene dasteht und sich dafür (d.h. für diese Theaterleistung, oder ist es keine?) bewundern läßt?“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 91)
„Nach meinen Erfahrungen gibt es nichts Quälenderes als die Sehnsucht. Manche Menschen sind in ihrem Leben von früh auf schon so durcheinandergeschüttelt worden, daß sie sich eine große Sehnsucht sozusagen garnicht mehr leisten, sie haben sich abgewöhnt, den inneren ‚Spannungsbogen’ über lange Zeiten hinaus auszudehnen und schaffen sich kurzfristigere und leichter zu befriedigende Freuden als Ersatz.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 94)
„[E]s gibt nichts, was uns die Abwesenheit eines uns lieben Menschen ersetzen kann und man soll das auch garnicht versuchen; man muß es einfach aushalten und durchhalten; das klingt zunächst sehr hart, aber es ist doch zugleich ein großer Trost; denn indem die Lücke wirklich unausgefüllt bleibt, bleibt man durch sie miteinander verbunden.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 102)
„[D]ie Dankbarkeit verwandelt die Qual der Erinnerung in eine stille Freude.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 102)
„Man wird nicht für sich allein ein ‚Ganzer‘, sondern nur mit anderen zusammen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 109)
„[V]ielleicht ist schon die Art, in der man nach bestimmten Dingen fragt und nach andern nicht, ein gewisser Hinweis auf das Wesentliche.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 110)
„Es gibt am Morgen meines heutigen Geburtstages für mich nichts Natürlicheres, als Dir zu schreiben und mich daran zu erinnern, daß wir acht mal hintereinander diesen Tag zusammen gefeiert haben.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 113)
„Ich weiß, daß Du heute an mich denkst, und wenn in diesen Gedanken nicht nur das Vergangene, sondern auch die Hoffnung auf eine — wenn auch veränderte, so doch gemeinsame Zukunft enthalten ist, dann bin ich sehr froh.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 114)
„Selbst der rührende kleine Blumenstrauß, den mir einige hiesige Mitbewohner gepflückt haben, stand in meinen Gedanken an dem Bett Eures kleinen Jungen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 115)
„Die Grenzen zwischen Widerstand und Ergebung sind also prinzipiell nicht zu bestimmen; aber es muß beides da sein und beides mit Entschlossenheit ergriffen werden.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 120)
„‚Drück mir den Daumen’ hört man hier unzählige Male am Tag; es wird dem teilnehmenden Gedenken also irgendeine Kraft zugesprochen und man will sich in entscheidenden Stunden nicht allein, sondern von andren unsichtbar begleitet wissen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 126)
„Wünsche, an die wir uns zu sehr klammern, rauben uns leicht etwas von dem, was wir sein sollen und können. […] Es gibt erfülltes Leben trotz vieler unerfüllter Wünsche; das ist es wohl, was ich eigentlich sagen wollte.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 128)
„[I]ch bin begierig, wie die Zukunft unsern Weg weiterführt, ob es noch einmal irgendwie ein gemeinsamer wird; etwa in beruflicher Tätigkeit, — was ich mir sehr wünschen würde — oder ob wir uns mit dem Vergangenen zufrieden geben müssen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 129)
„Die tiefe Verwurzelung in dem Boden der Vergangenheit macht das Leben schwerer, aber auch reicher und kraftvoller.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 151)
„[…] in Sorgen und Traurigkeit den Grundton der Freude in Dir wachhalten […]“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 152)
„Das Bild der Polyphonie verfolgt mich immer noch. Als ich heute etwas Schmerz darüber empfand, nicht bei Euch zu sein, mußte ich denken, daß auch Schmerz und Freude zur Polyphonie des ganzen Lebens gehören und selbständig nebeneinander bestehen können.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 160)
„Wir weinen mit den Weinenden und freuen uns zugleich mit den Fröhlichen; wir bangen — (— ich wurde gerade wieder vom Alarm unterbrochen und sitze jetzt im Freien und genieße die Sonne —) um unser Leben, aber wir müssen doch zugleich Gedanken denken, die uns viel wichtiger sind, als unser Leben.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 162 f.)
„Welch' eine Befreiung ist es, denken zu können und in Gedanken die Mehrdimensionalität aufrechtzuerhalten.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 163)
„Das Abschiednehmen, das Erlebnis der Vergangenheit, ob es nun die gestrige Stunde oder vergangene Jahre sind — beides fließt rasch ineinander — ist für mich eine immer wiederkehrende Aufgabe und Du selbst schriebst einmal: ‚das Abschiednehmen übt sich merkwürdig schlecht.‘“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 166)
„Es fiel die Tür ins Schloß,
ich höre deine Schritte langsam sich entfernen und verhallen.
Was bleibt mir? Freude, Qual, Verlangen?
Ich weiß nur dies: du gingst — und alles ist vergangen.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 167)
„Nacht, lösche aus, was brennt, schenk mir volles Vergessen,
sei mir wohltätig, Nacht, übe dein mildes Amt,
dir vertrau ich mich an.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 169)
„Und so muß man sich durch die kleinen Gedanken, die einen ärgern, immer wieder hindurchfinden zu den großen Gedanken, die einen stärken.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 176)
„Kürzlich las ich den merkwürdigen und schönen Satz des Euripides bei einer Wiedersehensszene nach langer Trennung: ‚So ist doch auch das Wiedersehen ein Gott.‘“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 184)
„[…] weil ich nur zu Dir so ins Unreine zu reden wage und davon Klärung erhoffe.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 187)
„Bin ich das wirklich, was andere von mir sagen?
Oder bin ich nur das, was ich selbst von mir weiß?
unruhig, sehnsüchtig, krank, wie ein Vogel im Käfig,
ringend nach Lebensatem, als würgte mir einer die Kehle,
hungernd nach Farben, nach Blumen, nach Vogelstimmen,
dürstend nach guten Worten, nach menschlicher Nähe,
zitternd vor Zorn über Willkür und kleinlichste Kränkung,
umgetrieben vom Warten auf große Dinge,
ohnmächtig bangend um Freunde in endloser Ferne,
müde und leer zum Beten, zum Denken, zum Schaffen,
matt und bereit, von allem Abschied zu nehmen?“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 188)
„Entschuldige bitte diese anspruchsvollen Weisheiten! Sie sind Bruchstücke aus nicht geführten Gesprächen und insofern gehören sie zu Dir.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 201)
„[W]as ist mir das schönste Buch oder Bild oder Haus oder Gut gegenüber meiner Frau, meinen Eltern, meinem Freund? So kann allerdings nur sprechen, wer wirklich in seinem Leben Menschen gefunden hat.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 207)
„Ich spüre, wie untauglich diese Worte sind, das zu bewirken, was sie möchten, nämlich Dich auch in Deiner Einsamkeit fest und froh und gewiß zu machen. Dieser einsame Geburtstag braucht für Dich ja wahrhaftig nicht ein verlorener Tag sein, wenn er Dir zum Anlaß wird, einmal wieder die Fundamente klar zu legen, auf denen Du weiterleben willst.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 210)
„Am dankbarsten bin ich für die Menschen, denen ich nahe begegnet bin […]“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 211)
„Spielgefährten zuerst
auf den weiten Fahrten des Geistes
in wunderbare,
entfernte Reiche,
die im Schleier der Morgensonne
wie Gold erglänzen,
denen am heißen Mittag
die leichten Wolken des blauen Himmels
entgegenziehen,
die in erregender Nacht
beim Scheine der Lampe
wie verborgene, heimliche Schätze
den Suchenden locken.“ (Bonhoeffer 2022 [1951]: 214)
November 16, 2022
Both challenging and thought provoking
January 5, 2023
Simply outstanding and ultimately heartbreaking knowing that such a mind could be taken from us so early.
Bonhoeffer’s letter in May 1944 on the day of baptism of Dietrich Wilhelm Rudiger Bethge is simply prophetic.
I got my boys to immediately read it between them and discuss together! Sound advice for young men 80 years on!
Bonhoeffer’s letter in May 1944 on the day of baptism of Dietrich Wilhelm Rudiger Bethge is simply prophetic.
I got my boys to immediately read it between them and discuss together! Sound advice for young men 80 years on!
December 23, 2022
I read this as part of a project which I'm calling 'Rescue Bonhoeffer from Eric Metaxas,' which is necessary because Bonhoeffer's popularizer has turned into a hobgoblin on a string (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/re...). There's plenty in here that's good and worthy of reflection, but I just increasingly get the sense that Bonhoeffer the guy was kind of elitist snob-- he uses the word 'bourgeoise' repeatedly and approvingly to comment on his tastes and opinions, for instance. And he doesn't have any patience with weakness, and he doesn't seem interested in evangelism or teaching those who don't have his advantages. Probably a hero, but not someone I'd like to hang out with.
(Maybe Metaxas can have him. And we'll just all agree that if a Christian has a chance to kill Hitler, he probably should. And keep the line for 'Hitler' at 'Actual Hitler,' Metaxas.)
(Maybe Metaxas can have him. And we'll just all agree that if a Christian has a chance to kill Hitler, he probably should. And keep the line for 'Hitler' at 'Actual Hitler,' Metaxas.)
November 24, 2021
Oh Dietrich. Every page exudes patience, sweetness, perseverance, discipline. But disjointed private letters, never meant for publication, can only offer so much.
These are mostly the musings of an idiosyncratic polymath. Here are notes on the obscure theological debates of the 1930s, on countermelodies and Kierkegaard and clericalism. The war and his incarceration seem incidental, and most of his intellectualising is so intricate and specific to his own academic projects it’s hard to glean general principles.
But I was encouraged by: How he redeems the time. How he uses the rhythms and liturgy of the Christian year to steady his heart. His continual outward-looking concern for others. His gratitude for mundane, small blessings which loom large through the eyes of faith.
In sum - probs better to read a straight-up biography?
These are mostly the musings of an idiosyncratic polymath. Here are notes on the obscure theological debates of the 1930s, on countermelodies and Kierkegaard and clericalism. The war and his incarceration seem incidental, and most of his intellectualising is so intricate and specific to his own academic projects it’s hard to glean general principles.
But I was encouraged by: How he redeems the time. How he uses the rhythms and liturgy of the Christian year to steady his heart. His continual outward-looking concern for others. His gratitude for mundane, small blessings which loom large through the eyes of faith.
In sum - probs better to read a straight-up biography?
February 2, 2020
I read an older edition from the library, and I’m interested enough in both his letter writing style and content to eventually purchase and read the newest, expanded edition.
I will say, though, that it’s especially disappointing to read various 20th century religious thinkers and writers that I’ve heard to be relatively radical, only to find them definitely somewhat radical (and really refreshing and lots for me to think about) but so completely traditional in their ideas about gender and marriage roles, and even worse, sticking to the Bible style of phrase in referring to everyone through masculine signifiers. Sometimes I understood he truly meant a kind of all-encompassing male-term, but at other usages, I wasn’t so sure.
I will say, though, that it’s especially disappointing to read various 20th century religious thinkers and writers that I’ve heard to be relatively radical, only to find them definitely somewhat radical (and really refreshing and lots for me to think about) but so completely traditional in their ideas about gender and marriage roles, and even worse, sticking to the Bible style of phrase in referring to everyone through masculine signifiers. Sometimes I understood he truly meant a kind of all-encompassing male-term, but at other usages, I wasn’t so sure.
February 26, 2017
The brilliance of this book lies in the intimacy you get with the authors (mostly Bethge and Bonhoeffer). The cheerfulness and resilience displayed by Bonhoeffer, implicated in many of his letters, are extremely admirable. What can be quite hard about reading these letters with little background knowledge is the high degree of familiarity assumed. Because Bethge and Bonhoeffer were very close, they could express a world of thought in half a sentence, which makes it sometimes hard for an outsider to grasp the complete meaning. Still, even for the reader less acquainted with Bonhoeffer's other works, this is a great way to pick his brain a little bit, 70 years later.
July 17, 2020
Probably more than you really need, and the first few hundred pages are mostly quite dull reading ('Dear Mum, please send chocolate and volume three of seventeen of Schneergartenwiegrunde's 'Systematic Theory'), and then you feel bad for finding it dull because you remember that he's literally in a Nazi prison for trying to kill Hitler, and perhaps *you* are the problem? The theology is lovely, and fascinating, though, and well worth reading. The edition is handsome and readable, and I don't think most people will miss the extra 800 pages of notes from the critical, non-reader's edition, unless you need to know who Schneergartenwiegrunde was, and don't have access to DuckDuckGo.
May 19, 2009
Rev. Bonhoeffer's prison writings; written while he was imprisoned by the Nazis. I would recommend any of this great man's writings. However, I would not recommend this as a first book for someone unfamiliar with his work. Because it is largely comprised of his letters, it can be a bit disjointed and confusing to someone unfamiliar with his thought. Best to start with "The Cost of Discipleship" or the "Ethics".
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