Dietrich Bonhoeffer Biographies

Many St. John, Ocean Springs parishioners have seen Bonhoeffer's recently released biopic. 

In 2016, we formed a "Bonhoeffer Reading Group."  For several months, we read Bonhoeffer together.  Many of the participants in that group have seen the new film.  Subsequently, I am frequently asked about the story's reliability as told in the new movie.  

Eberhard Bethge’s Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Biography remains, in many respects, the definitive theological biography of Bonhoeffer. Written in 1967, Bethge aimed to rehabilitate Bonhoeffer’s image in the English-speaking world, where his reputation suffered after World War II. In both America and England, Bonhoeffer was paradoxically dismissed as both a Nazi who served in the German military and a traitorous conspirator in the plot to assassinate a legitimately elected leader. Bethge’s exhaustive account of Bonhoeffer’s theological formation and trajectory continues to offer nuanced and insightful readings shaped by Bethge’s theological acumen. As Bonhoeffer’s closest friend and confessor, Bethge brings a singular depth to his portrayal. However, one might wonder how the confessional relationship shaped his decisions about what to disclose and withhold.

However, Bethge’s work reflects the limitations of its time. He lacked access to the letters and documents now available to scholars, and his treatment of Bonhoeffer’s engagement to Maria von Wedemeyer is frustratingly brief by contemporary standards. For a biography incorporating these newer resources with impressive historical detail, many turn to Ferdinand Schlingensiepen’s Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906–1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance. Schlingensiepen’s work has become a trusted reference among Bonhoeffer scholars, offering a cautious, fact-driven narrative. His readings of Bonhoeffer’s theological writings are often concise, though not without their merits. Yet, many frequently note that Schlingensiepen’s meticulous reporting can feel dry, especially for those encountering Bonhoeffer for the first time. This impression may be exacerbated by a somewhat stiff translation of the original German. Nonetheless, Schlingensiepen’s careful approach is a valuable anchor in a field sometimes prone to interpretive overreach.

Similar strengths, albeit in shorter works, can be found in Renate Wind’s Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in the Wheel and Christiane Tietz’s Theologian of Resistance: The Life and Thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Like Schlingensiepen, these biographies are precise, reliable, and restrained, though they do not break new ground. Tietz’s volume benefits from its connection to the critical editions of Bonhoeffer’s works published by Fortress Press, making it an excellent companion for those studying Bonhoeffer’s writings, whether in the more comprehensive critical editions or the newer, reader-friendly versions.

By contrast, Charles Marsh’s Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer offers a vivid and imaginative portrait emphasizing Bonhoeffer’s humanity. Marsh’s theological expertise and narrative skill shine as he explores Bonhoeffer’s growing awareness of his privilege and flaws. His account of Bonhoeffer’s travels in the American South, where he confronted racism and social injustice, is particularly compelling. Marsh connects these experiences to Bonhoeffer’s theological education under Reinhold Niebuhr at Union Theological Seminary, illuminating how Bonhoeffer’s exposure to systemic racism transformed ideas he had initially dismissed. Marsh also highlights how Bonhoeffer’s pastoral instincts shaped his theology, leading him to prioritize the church's life over the academy—a striking stance for a theologian of his intellectual stature.

Barry Harvey’s Taking Hold of the Real: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Profound Worldliness of Christianity impresses me with how thoughtfully he navigates Bonhoeffer’s later ideas on “this-worldly” or “religionless” Christianity. Harvey perhaps offers the most sober and textually grounded account of how these concepts might have emerged organically from Bonhoeffer’s theological journey.

Yet, despite this wealth of insightful works, much remains to explore. Despite the abundance of excellent biographical and theological reflections on Bonhoeffer—both in the books mentioned here and countless others—there’s still an elusive quality when aligning all the elements that make for a genuinely profound theological biography. We long for a narrative that weaves together good storytelling, nuanced and expert readings of theological texts, and historical rigor without falling into undue speculation.

In our current era, once again shadowed by genuine threats of fascism and tyranny, Bonhoeffer’s example is almost impossible not to look to as a beacon of resistance. We yearned for heroes who stood firm in the face of oppression. Yet Bonhoeffer’s formidable theological acumen presents its own challenge. His profound texts resist accessible summary or simple incorporation into a broad biographical narrative. They demand full engagement, inviting us to wrestle with complex ideas without oversimplifying.

Perhaps this is a reminder that the journey of understanding figures like Bonhoeffer is ongoing—a pilgrimage that requires patience, depth, and a willingness to embrace the complexities. It prompts us to ask: How can we honor the richness of his thought while making it accessible to those seeking guidance in tumultuous times? In seeking to tell his story, we may find ourselves drawn deeper into the very mysteries and challenges that he grappled with—a journey that mirrors our quest for faithfulness in a world fraught with uncertainty.

These works offer a distinct perspective on Bonhoeffer’s life and thoughts. Whether one seeks exhaustive detail, cautious reliability, or a deeply humanized portrayal, the range of biographies reflects Bonhoeffer's witness's enduring complexity and relevance.

However, the biography upon which the film is based is not a reliable guide. Eric Metaxas’s Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy was written to make Bonhoeffer appealing to American Evangelicals whose theology involves engagement in various culture-war issues. In doing so, Metaxas aligns Bonhoeffer with the resistance of contemporary conservative Christians against progressive stances on these matters.