Preface
In the process of completing the Christian Devotional Classics 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