This book is a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The time frame is from the early 1900’s through his death by execution from the Nazi regime during the waning days of World War II. I enjoyed the book and learned a great deal and rate it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The book provides great historical account of World War II from a different perspective that I have not been previously exposed. It delved into the feelings and the sentiment of Germans during this time period. I learned that there was quite a bit of support against the Nazi regime in Germany from people like Bonhoeffer. It provided an account of the numerous plots to assassinate Hitler and Bonhoeffer’s participation.
The reason why I read the book was because I wanted to understand how Bonhoeffer grew in his faith and dedication as a Christian and how it carried him through his life and these turbulent times. His walk with Christ required the same process that every Christian is asked to do, which is quiet time with the Lord in prayer and Bible study on a daily basis. There was not something special that he did, but he was consistent and dedicated, which allowed the Lord to impact Bonhoeffer with His grace and reveal His desired path for this man.
I learned how Bonhoeffer came to realize what he must do to be obedient to the Lord’s wishes and that nothing else mattered. Among the things that was important to Bonhoeffer was his reputation as a pastor and scholar. He threw all of that aside and considered it rubbish in order to be obedient to God in his participation as a spy and in the various plots to assassinate Hitler.
The difficult part about the book for me was that there were many excepts from writings by Bonhoeffer and others, which required a mental shift in gears to jump from the author’s writing style to the writing style of others.
