Martin, Michael J. Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Martin, Michael J.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Morgan Reynolds  144p  $28.95 978-1-59935-169-2   ms/hs     Series: Champion of Freedom (Morgan Reynolds) VG-BNS    Biography  

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a 20th century martyr, may not be a familiar historical figure to readers.  He was a rising theologian in Nazi Germany who became one of Christianity’s most influential personalities of that era.  A pastor, writer, and lecturer, Bonhoeffer was determined to fight the Nazis’ anti-Christian policies, joining the Resistance and becoming a double agent.  When his cover was eventually compromised, Bonhoeffer was executed as an enemy of the state, just days before World War II ended.

The paradox of a German Lutheran pastor integrally involved in several plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler makes fascinating reading.  Without becoming didactic, Martin describes the evolution of a man who was considered by many of his contemporaries to be the epitome of a great Christian, and Bonhoeffer’s struggle with justifying his Christian beliefs and national loyalty in the face of the Nazi regime’s policies and practices.  "If you board the wrong train," he warned, "it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction."

From the time of his youth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer strove to discern God’s will in his life.  He lived a life of action in which he modeled his faith by living by his ideals.  Set in the historical and political context of the rise of the Holocaust, Martin’s well-researched text provides a seamless presentation of complex issues.

The series Champion of Freedom focuses on individuals who dedicated their lives to fighting for freedom and democracy, providing in-depth coverage of each subject, along with a balanced discussion of historical and political issues that he or she fought.                   --Hilary Welliver