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Who Am I? Bonhoeffer as a Historical Mentor in Prayer: Part 2

Preface

In the process of completing the  series, I was inspired to dig into material which I wrote on the prayer life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer for Theology and Practice of Prayer[footnote]SF/ST 777: Theology and Practice of Prayer. Laurie Mellinger, Ph.D. Evangelical Seminary. Summer 2012. Course Description: This course explores various aspects of the interplay between theology and prayer. What we believe about God determines how and why we pray; this has also been true for Christians throughout the history of the Church. We will examine both historical persons and methods of praying from a variety of Christian traditions, and discuss their potential for deepening our own relationships with God. This course provides the opportunity for students to study and experience a variety of Christian prayer forms, and to discern the theological foundations upon which they rest. We will take a historical approach, discussing prayer in the Scriptures and its application in the lives of persons of prayer throughout the Christian era. We will also consider the place and practice of prayer in the contemporary church, both for individuals and for corporate gatherings.[/footnote] Click here for Who Am I? Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a Historical Mentor in Prayer: Part 1. As you read Part 2, reflect upon how you respond to your

  • upbringing: familial — including expectations and educational/cultural power (or lack of it), cultural, educational, ethnic, religious, socio-economic . . .
  • your international/cross-cultural relationships
  • academic mentors and gatekeepers, particularly when one’s conscience is challenged.
  • community — how do you understand/define your closest/deepest community?
  • Lord (i.e., Jesus the Christ) with your head, heart, and hands in all aspects of life (including vocation).
  • “legacy” as you perceive it to be developing.

Who Am I? – A Glimpse of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Context

Karl Bonhoeffer (1868–1948), father of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), was appointed Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at University of Berlin, the most highly-regarded chair in Germany at the time. Source: Monatsschrift für Psychiatrie und Neurologie. Photographer: unknown. Taken before 1938. Public Domain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bonhoeffer.JPG [Retrieved 11/2/2013. 3:50 pm].
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was born into a “middle-class,” aristocratic Prussian family which moved to a Berlin suburb when his father Dr. Karl Bonhoeffer (1868-1948) was appointed Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at University of Berlin, the most highly-regarded chair in Germany at the time. Karl and his wife Paula (1874-1951) valued education, the arts, the state, the church as an institution, the family, and the Protestant work ethic. The children’s early schooling began with Paula and was continued by governesses from the Herrnhut community. Paula’s mother was a German countess. Her father was a practical theology professor and a military chaplain, who briefly served Kaiser Wilhem II. She had a grandfather who had been a famous church historian at the University of Jena. [Read more…] about Who Am I? Bonhoeffer as a Historical Mentor in Prayer: Part 2

Who Am I? Bonhoeffer as a Historical Mentor in Prayer: Part 1

Preface

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945): German pastor/theologian who wrestled with Nazi-rule and founded the Confessing Church. Photo taken in 1939. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany license. Attribution: Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1987-074-16 / CC-BY-SA.

In the process of completing the  series, I was inspired to dig into material which I wrote on the prayer life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer for Theology and Practice of Prayer[1]. My intention had been to do such last fall, but I found my time too pressed with transitioning into my new role as Associate Director of the Emerging Scholars Network. I will begin the series with the introduction to Who Am I? Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a Historical Mentor in Prayer. I am very interested in your thoughts/insights regarding the life, ministry, and academic writing/study not only of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but also of the people of God whom he served (and/or tried to serve) during a significantly challenging period of German (and international) history.

Introduction

How Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s (1906-1945) “theology is interwoven with the course of his life” (Eberhard Bethge 1997, viii) and the various influences upon it attracts attention from many circles. In addition to his writings, libraries abound with publications by popular biographers[2], family who survived World War II[3], close friends and acquaintances[4], pioneers of the liberation movements[5], members of the “death of God” movement[6], advocates of religionless Christianity[7], and those engaged in dialogue with patriotism, pacifism, and resistance[8]. A number of movies, plays, and television shows attempt to act out the drama of Bonhoeffer’s involvement in the resistance to the Nazi party before and during World War II, which ultimately led to his hanging 23 days before the surrender of Nazi forces[9].

In what manner does one find Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whom Eric Metaxas calls Pastor, martyr, prophet, spy (Thomas Nelson, 2011), also a prominent figure in the history of Christian prayer for the church? Bonhoeffer’s conversion led to his acknowledgement of Christ as the Lord of all of life and the world, even in its “religionless form.” He found and taught the historic liturgical practices of the church as vital to daily discipleship and the pastoral vocation. Bonhoeffer’s “rule of life” incorporated the praying of the Psalms with an emphasis on their value at the beginning of a day filled with “righteous action.” [Read more…] about Who Am I? Bonhoeffer as a Historical Mentor in Prayer: Part 1