Educational Media Reviews Online

One of the 20th century’s leading activist theologians, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) might have initially seemed an unlikely candidate for that title. Born into privilege, one of eight children of a well-known German psychiatrist, Bonhoeffer was raised in a family known for strong political convictions though hardly for religious ones. But the death of Dietrich’s older brother in World War I changed the young man. At 18, to the surprise of his family, he joined the seminary, and at 21 earned his doctorate in theology. His dissertation, which defined the Church as the “physical manifestation of Christ on Earth” and “Christ existing as community” was dubbed a “theological miracle” by his instructor. Throughout his short life, Bonhoeffer was obsessed with the idea of the Church as community, as an entity which addressed social as much as spiritual issues. It was this obsession, set against the backdrop of the Third Reich, which would ultimately cost Bonhoeffer his life.

Bonhoeffer’s criticism of Hitler began immediately. Three days after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, Bonhoeffer delivered a live radio address skeptical of the new Fuhrer. The broadcast was cut off before Bonhoeffer could finish. Soon after, in his paper “The Church and the Jewish Question,” he challenged the Church to fight Jewish persecution. He headed a breakaway - and illegal - seminary in Finkenwalde, Germany (later closed by the Gestapo) and published writings critical of the Third Reich. Most significantly, he joined the resistance and was active in plots to assassinate Hitler.

His influences were many and varied. A stint as guest lecturer at Union Theological Seminary in the early 1930’s introduced him to Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church. Bonhoeffer was profoundly inspired by the political and social engagement of that Church, so unlike the rigid formalism of his own. Writing that “the black Christ is preached with rigorous passion and vision” he also ruefully noted “In America, blacks sing before audiences of whites who applaud them wildly yet still deny them equal rights.” He was highly influenced by Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, believing that it should be followed literally, and was an admirer of Gandhi.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested in 1943 and put in prison for his involvement in the resistance. He used the time to work on a new book, “Letters and Papers from Prison,” which was published posthumously by a friend. After the final attempt on Hitler’s life in 1944, Hitler ordered the deaths of all conspirators. Bonhoeffer was executed on April 9, 1945, just a few weeks before Hitler took his own life.

Featuring extensive stills of the theologian and excerpts from his writings, “Bonhoeffer” is an effective introduction to this extraordinary figure. Interviews with theologians, historians, bishops -- and especially relatives and former students -- shed light on a complex man. Production values are high, although the actor reading Bonhoeffer’s writings is occasionally difficult to understand. A solid overview of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life and work, this is recommended for high school, college, and general adult audiences.