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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Modem Martyr: Taking a Stand Against the State Gone Mad Alex Rankin London Middle School, Topeka, Kansas Junior Division Historical Paper, National History Day 2006 Competition "Daring to do what is right, not what fancy may tell you, valiantly grasping occasions, not cravenly doubting— freedom comes only through deeds, not through thoughts taking wing. Faint not nor fear, but go out to the storm and the action, trusting in God whose commandment you faithfully follow; freedom, exultant, will welcome your joy."' DIETRICH BONHOEJTER penned this poem during his last days, knowing that his death at the hands of the German SS was imminent.^ He awoke early on the morning of April 9, 1945, inside the walls of Flossenbiirg concentration camp, well aware of the fate which awaited him. Guards marched to his cell and ordered him to remove his prison garb in one final attempt at humiliation.' As SS officers mocked him on his walk to the gallows, Bonhoeffer remained commit- ted to the convictions for which he was about to die. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hanged as a traitor to his country, but loyal to the beliefs he held sacred. An SS doctor who witnessed Bonhoeffer's execution wrote, "I was most deeply moved by the way this loveable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer.... He climbed to the steps of the gallows, brave and composed.. .1 have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.'"* Bonhoeffer took a courageous stand against the madness of the German govemment, and paid the ultimate price for doing so—death. Bonhoeffer's life began on February 4, 1906, in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland) when he and his twin sister, Sabine, were bom to Paula and Karl Bonhoeffer, the sixth and seventh of eight children. The Bonhoeffers were a respectable and well-to-do family. Karl was a prominent psychiatrist and neu- rologist at the University of Berlin, while Paula was the daughter of a Chaplain in the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II and one of the few women of her generation to have obtained a college degree. Bonhoeffer grew up in a close-knit family and was taught at home during his early years by his mother. Her emphasis on moral and intellectual integrity was shared by all the Bonhoeffer family and later The History Teacher Volume 40 Number 1 November 2006

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Page 1: Dietrich Bonhoeffer a Modern Martyr Taking a Stand Against the State Gone Mad

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Modem Martyr:Taking a Stand Against the State Gone Mad

Alex RankinLondon Middle School, Topeka, KansasJunior Division Historical Paper, National History Day 2006 Competition

"Daring to do what is right, not what fancy may tell you,valiantly grasping occasions, not cravenly doubting—

freedom comes only through deeds, not throughthoughts taking wing.

Faint not nor fear, but go out to the storm and the action,trusting in God whose commandment you faithfully follow;

freedom, exultant, will welcome your joy."'

D I E T R I C H B O N H O E J T E R penned this poem during his last days, knowingthat his death at the hands of the German SS was imminent.^ He awoke early onthe morning of April 9, 1945, inside the walls of Flossenbiirg concentrationcamp, well aware of the fate which awaited him. Guards marched to his cell andordered him to remove his prison garb in one final attempt at humiliation.' As SSofficers mocked him on his walk to the gallows, Bonhoeffer remained commit-ted to the convictions for which he was about to die. Dietrich Bonhoeffer washanged as a traitor to his country, but loyal to the beliefs he held sacred. An SSdoctor who witnessed Bonhoeffer's execution wrote, "I was most deeply movedby the way this loveable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard hisprayer.... He climbed to the steps of the gallows, brave and composed.. .1 havehardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.'"* Bonhoeffertook a courageous stand against the madness of the German govemment, andpaid the ultimate price for doing so—death.

Bonhoeffer's life began on February 4, 1906, in Breslau, Germany (nowWroclaw, Poland) when he and his twin sister, Sabine, were bom to Paula andKarl Bonhoeffer, the sixth and seventh of eight children. The Bonhoeffers were arespectable and well-to-do family. Karl was a prominent psychiatrist and neu-rologist at the University of Berlin, while Paula was the daughter of a Chaplainin the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II and one of the few women of her generation tohave obtained a college degree. Bonhoeffer grew up in a close-knit family andwas taught at home during his early years by his mother. Her emphasis on moraland intellectual integrity was shared by all the Bonhoeffer family and later

The History Teacher Volume 40 Number 1 November 2006

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proved to be a major force in Bonhoeffer's theological ideals. The Bonhoeffersopposed Hitler and Nazism from its beginnings;^ they considered Hitler's rise topower a misfortune.^

At age 14, Bonhoeffer surprised his family by declaring that he was tobecome a theologian. The family, though morally concerned, was religiouslyindifferent, so his announcement was met with considerable bewilderment. Hewas a bright child and it was expected that he would follow his father intopsychiatry. When his family, in an attempt to dissuade him, criticized the Churchas weak and self-serving, Bonhoeffer responded: "If the Church is really whatyou say it is, then I shall have to reform it!"' His father later wrote that hethought a quiet, uneventful minister's life would have been almost a pity forDietrich ,8

In 1923, Bonhoeffer began his theological studies at Tubingen University. Hecontinued his collegiate studies at the University of Berlin, completing his 1927dissertation Sanctorum Communio {The Communion of Saints), at the remark-able age of 21, This dissertation was hailed by Karl Barth, a well-knowntheologian of that time, as "a theological miracle."'

Bonhoeffer accepted an appointment as the assistant pastor of a Lutheranchurch in Barcelona when he was 22, His months in Spain between 1928 and1929 came at the beginning of the Great Depression, giving Bonhoeffer a first-hand look at true poverty. From 1930-31, Bonhoeffer studied at Union Theologi-cal Seminary in New York, While in the United States, be was involved in theministry of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, where he witnessed thehistoric black church's passionate commitment to social justice, racial equalityand human rights. This experience caused Bonhoeffer to see the growing racismagainst Jews in his own country in a new light.'" He began to believe thatChristians should be committed to social and racial justice for those whomsociety looked down upon.

Bonhoeffer returned to Berlin in 1931, and was ordained as a pastor in theLutheran Church. He took a position as a lecturer in theology at Berlin Univer-sity and began receiving widespread recognition for his lectures and writings.Though his star was on the rise, so too was Adolf Hitler's, In January 1933,Hitler became Chancellor of Germany and within months had managed to enactthe "Law for the Restoration of the Civil Service," the first major anti-Jewishstatute of the era. This law contained the so-called "Aryan Clause" whichexcluded Jews from positions in government, universities and churches.

Greatly disturbed by Hitler's anti-Semitic laws, Bonhoeffer gave a lecture inApril 1933 to a group of German Church leaders entitled "The Church and theJewish Question." This talk is widely recognized as one of the earliest andstrongest responses of any Church leader to Nazi anti-Semitic actions." It wasthe first public stand Bonhoeffer took against the German government, but nothis last. In his speech, Bonhoeffer called upon the Church to defend the victimsof state persecution. Specifically, he called upon the Church to fight politicalinjustice in three ways: First, to question state injustice and call the state toresponsibility; second, to help the victims of injustice, whether they were Churchmembers or not. Third, and most importantly, Bonhoeffer called upon the

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Church to "fall into the spokes of the wheel itself in order to halt the machineryof injustice.'^ Bonhoeffer was convinced that the Church had an explicit ethicalcommitment to those persecuted by Nazism.'^

In the fall of 1933, Bonhoeffer left his university position in Berlin because,he explained, he could not remain while his "non-Aryan" colleagues were barredfrom such positions.''' He became a pastor to two German-speaking churches inLondon.

In 1933-34, the German Evangelical Church faced a crisis, one that ultimatelysplit the Church. Many ecumenical leaders favored Hitler's efforts to unify theProtestant churches into one "Reich Church," and adopt creeds to align thechurches with National Socialism. But Hitler's desires were opposed by manyother pastors who wanted the Church to maintain its independence and integrity.When the so-called "German Christians" adopted a prohibition on clergy of"non-Aryan extraction," a group of dissident pastors formed the "ConfessingChurch," which later became the headquarters of the Protestant resistance againstHitler in Germany. Bonhoeffer, living in London, was not directly involved inthe split of the Church during 1934, but was supportive of the events whichresulted in the creation of the new Church.

Bonhoeffer retumed to Germany in 1935, when he was offered a positionteaching at Finkenwalde, an illegal Confessing Church seminary. Most of hisstudents were banned from training for and earning positions in the officialGerman Evangelical Church. Pressure from the Gestapo reached those atFinkenwalde with the passage of the 1937 Himmler Decree, which outlawed theeducation and examination of Confessing Church candidates. Shortly thereafter,the Gestapo closed Finkenwalde and many of Bonhoeffer's students were ar-rested.'^

Pressure began to mount on Bonhoeffer due to his public stance against theNazi party, including his lectures against their anti-Semitic policies and his workwith the Confessing Church. In 1936, he was declared a "Pacifist and Enemy ofthe State," then in 1938, he was forbidden to live or work in Berlin.'* Germany'santi-Semitism was unleashed during the infamous Kristallnacht on November 9,1938, as Germans ran the streets looting Jewish shops, vandalizing and bumingsynagogues, and savagely beating defenseless Jews. Bonhoeffer retumed toBerlin after this to discredit the attempts by Germans to attribute the violence toGod's vengeance on the Jews for the death of Christ. Bonhoeffer was greatlydisturbed that not one word of protest was heard from any of the officialProtestant Churches." His public protests against the violence of Kristallnachtgained Bonhoeffer even more attention from the Nazis. His closest friends andfamily began to encourage him to retum to the safety of New York, where hecould preach and eam a living. Fearing for his safety, and at the urging of hisfriends, Bonhoeffer accepted a position at Union Seminary in New York.

Bonhoeffer set sail for New York on June 2,1939, intending to stay there forat least a year. However, the guilt of leaving his fellow pastors and countrymenbehind soon overtook him. He wrote to a friend, "I have made a mistaike incoming to America...I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction ofChristian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with

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my people."'^ He returned to Germany on July 8, 1939. One historian capturedthe immensity of this decision with the following words:

The image of Bonhoeffer boarding ship, voluntarily preparing to sail back-straight into the hell that Germany had become, into resistance, into the greatlikelihood of his own death—is an unforgettable scene and a poignant moment inthe history of the Church in the twentieth century."

Bonhoeffer's return to Germany in 1939 was the turning point of his life. Hetook a new and bolder stand against the tyranny in Germany. ̂ ^ His preachingintensified to the point that, in 1940, he was banned by the Gestapo from anypublic speaking whatsoever.^' His various acts of resistance against the Naziregime, including overt conspiracy, increased significantly.

Bonhoeffer was, nevertheless, constantly at risk of being drafted into militaryservice. To avoid this, Hans von Dohnanyi, his brother-in-law, got him a positionas a "confidential agent" in the German military intelligence, the "Abwehr." Inthe Abwehr, Bonhoeffer was ostensibly to use his church contacts to evaluate thepolitical condition in Scandinavia, Britain, the United States and Switzerland.Instead, Bonhoeffer became a double-agent, using those connections to spreadinformation of the resistance movement to the Allies. While working in theAbwehr, Bonhoeffer was involved in a plot to help Jews escape from Germany,code-named "Operation 7."

Bonhoeffer also joined a small resistance group within the Abwehr that wasactive in planning to assassinate Hitler. The Gestapo became suspicious of theAbwehr's activities, and in April 1943, several conspirators, including Bonhoeffer,were arrested. He was incarcerated in Berlin's Tegel prison. At first, the Gestapohad no specific evidence against Bonhoeffer of any wrongdoing. Because of this,he was allowed to write and have visitors while at Tegel. After a July 1944assassination attempt on Hitler by several of his top-ranking officers, however,the Gestapo discovered information relating to the earlier resistance efforts ofBonhoeffer and the Abwehr conspirators. His privileges to have visitors wererevoked and, in early 1945, Bonhoeffer was moved to the Buchenwald concen-tration camp. In April he was moved to Flossenburg, where, on Hitler's orders,he and other Abwehr conspirators, including Admiral Wilhelm Canaris andHans Oster, were hanged for their alleged roles in various assassination attempts,Bonhoeffer was 39 years old. Later that month, his brothers-in-law Hans vonDohnanyi and Rudiger Schleicher, and his brother Klaus were also executed fortheir ties to the Abwehr conspirators. Three weeks later Hitler was dead and thewar in Europe was over. One historian has noted that, in carrying out so manyexecutions toward the end of the war, it was as though, with the end in sight, Nazileaders had decided to eradicate the moral leadership of postwar Germany .̂ ^

Aside from Bonhoeffer's stand against Germany's anti-Semitic treatment ofthe Jews, he is most well-known for his many writings, during the years prior toand during his imprisonment, detailing his convictions regarding resistance toNazi tyranny. Chief among these is The Cost ofDiscipleship. Written in 1937, itwas an extensive analysis of the Sermon on the Mount, and refiected on the

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Struggle of German Christians to remain faithful to their beliefs, rather thansuccumb to the whims of a tyrannical regime.^^ In 1942, he wrote the Christmasessay. After Ten Years^^ to remind his co-conspirators of the ideals underlyingtheir opposition to Nazism for which they were willing to give their lives. Duringhis imprisonment, he wrote extensively to his friend Eberhard Bethge and others.These letters and poems formed the book Letters and Papers From Prison P Itspublication following his death caused people from all over the world to begin toappreciate Bonhoeffer's constant probing into the meaning of the Christian faithand the role of Christians in opposing tyranny. Many collections of his writings,including sermons, lectures, poems and letters, have been published since hisdeath. A new, 16-volume Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, currently in the process ofbeing published, will make many of his letters and other writings available to thepublic for the first time.̂ * Clearly, his influence continued beyond his death.

Bonhoeffer's death was initially felt most keenly in the intemational Churchcommunity, rather than in his native Germany.^^ Many Confessing Christianshad never heard of Bonhoeffer until after 1945.̂ * Given this history, his post-wartheological influence on the Christian Church is even more impressive. Hisletters and theological works continue to influence Christian thought,^' and formany Christians, his resistance against Nazism and the profound insights in hiswritings, offer ethical and theological models for the modem world.'°

While Bonhoeffer was not the only German Church member to oppose theNazi's militaristic and racist stances, be was virtually alone in demanding thatthe Nazi persecution of the Jews have some response from the churches, includ-ing outright resistance." He became a cmcial link in the ecumenical chain tryingto foster resistance to Nazism throughout Europe and the world. One Churchleader who knew Bonhoeffer declared:

He was one of the first as well as one of the bravest witnesses against idolatry. Heunderstood what he chose, when he chose resistance.... He was crystal clear in hisconvictions; and young as he was,...he saw the truth and spoke it with a completeabsence of fear.'̂

Bonhoeffer's resistance went so far as to advocate the assassination of theFuhrer, and the defeat of Germany. As he said in 1941, "I pray for the defeat ofmy country, for I think that is the only possibility of paying for all the sufferingthat my country has caused in the world."" Another time he said, "If we claim tobe Christians, there is no room for expediency. Hitler is anti-Christ. Therefore,we must go on with our work and eliminate him whether he is successful ornot,"'" Bonhoeffer's involvement in plots to assassinate Hitler disturbs manyChristians; however, he believed that rather than wait on God for a dramaticrescue from evil, the Church was called on to take responsible action to counterthe oppression.^' Bonhoeffer once explained of his involvement in both theresistance and assassination efforts:

If a drunken driver drives into a crowd, what is the task of the Christian and theChurch? To run along behind to bury dead and bind up the wounded? Or isn't it, ifpossible, to get the driver out of the driver's

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Many now agree with the sentiment expressed by Martin Luther King, Jr., whenhe stated, "If your opponent has a conscience, then follow Gandhi and non-violence. But if your enemy has no conscience like Hitler, then followBonhoeffer.""

Bonhoeffer left a legacy that was in stark contrast to the Church leaders of hisday. He sacrificed a life of privilege and the security of positions in state-approved churches and universities, rather than compromise his conscience byremaining in Nazi-controlled institutions. His outspoken stand against Germany'santi-Semitic policies, as well as his own actions taken in resistance to Hitler,were done without concern to his own safety or professional future. He trulylived his belief that Christians could not stand by while evil surrounded them.His choice of integrity over ambition stands as an example to Christians andhumanity in any context.'* Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and death exemplified thatspiritual power will surely prevail over the forces of evil, but Christians musttake an active part in the struggle.^'

In 1995, shortly after the fiftieth anniversary of his death, Bonhoeffer wasofficially exonerated by a Berlin court of the treason charges for which he wasexecuted,'"'

True martyrs, like Bonhoeffer, are rare,

Bonhoeffer in his skylit cellbleached by the flares' candescent fall,

pacing out his own citadel,

restores the broken themes of praise,encourages our borrowed days,

by logic and his sacrifice.

Against wild reasons of the statehis words are quiet but not too quiet.

We hear too late or not too late.'"

- Geoffrey Hill

Notes

1, Quoted from "Stations on the Road to Freedom." Dietrich Bonhoeffer, TheMartyred Christian, ed. Joan Winmill Brown, (New York: MacMillan, 1983), 91.

2, Wendy Murray Zoba, "A Crisis of Discipleship," Christianity Today, 3 April1995,31,

3, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer"; available from Wikipidea web site <http://en,wikipedia,org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer>; accessed 9 December 2005.

4, David P, Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," Christianity Today, 3April 1993,27; Victoria Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ecumenical Vision," Christian

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Modem Martyr 117

Century, 26 April 1995, 454; Victoria Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer," available fromUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum web site: <http://www.ushmm.org/bonhoeffer/b6.htm>; Intemet; accessed 9 December 2005.

5. Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 28.6. Burton F. Nelson, "Family, Friends & Co-Conspirators," Christian History,

Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991): 18.7. Victor Shepherd, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer," available from Victor Shepherd web

site: <http://www.vicotrshepherd.on.ca/Heritage/deitrich.htm>; Intemet; accessed 9 De-cember 2005.

8. Burton F. Nelson, "Pastor Bonhoeffer," Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4(1991): 40.

9. Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 28; Geffrey B. Kelly, "The Life andDeath of a Modem Martyr," Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991): 8.

10. Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 28.11. Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer;" <http://www.ushmm.org/bonhoeffer/b3.htm>;

Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 29.12. "Daring Thoughts," Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991): 12; Bamett,

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer;" <http://www.ushmm.org/bonhoeffer/b3.htm>.13. Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer," <http://www.ushmm.org/bonhoeffer/bl .htm>.14. Ibid., <http://www.ushmm.org/bonhoeffer/h4.htni>.15. "Bonhoeffer, Agent of Grace"; available from PBS web site: <http://

www.pbs.org/opb/honhoeffer/man/timeline.html>; Intemet; accessed 17 January 2006.16. Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer," <http://www.ushmm.org/bonhoeffer/b4.htm>;

"Bonhoeffer, Agent of Grace."17. Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 30; Geffrey B. Kelly, "The Life and

Death of a Modem Martyr," Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991): 10.18. Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 30; Kelly, "The Life and Death of a

Modem Martyr," 10; Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer," <www.ushmm.org/honhoeffer/b5.htm>.

19. Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 30.20. Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer," <http://www.ushmm.org/bonhoeffer/b5.htm>.21. "Bonhoeffer, Agent of Grace," <http://www.pbs.org/opb/bonhoeffer/man/

timeline.html>.22. Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ecumenical Vision." 454.23. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ed. Robert Coles (Maryknoll, NY:

Orhis Books, 1998), 53; Clifford Green, "Exploring Bonhoeffer's Writings," ChristianHistory, Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991): 34.

24. Kelly, "The Life and Death of a Modem Martyr," 8; Bonhoeffer, DietrichBonhoeffer, ed. Robert Coles, 108.

25. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers From Prison, ed. Eberhard Bethge(New York: Simon & Schuster, 1953); Green, "Exploring Bonhoeffer's Writings," 35.

26. Wayne Whitson Floyd, Jr., "Bonhoeffer's Many Faces," Christian Century, 26April 1995, 446; "Bonhoeffer, Agent of Grace," <http://www.pbs.org/opb/bonhoeffer/resources ycollections.html>.

27. Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ecumenical Vision," 454.28. Ibid.29. Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer," <http://www.ushmm.org/bonhoeffer/bl .htm>.30. Ibid.31. Bamett, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ecumenical Vision," 454.32. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost ofDiscipleship, rev. ed. (New York, NY: Collier

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118 AlexRankin

Books, 1963), in forward by G. A Bell, 7; Nelson, "Family Friends & Co-Conspirators,"18,

33. Richard V. Pierard, "Radical Resistance," Christian History, Vol, 10, No, 4(1991): 30.

34. Ibid,35. Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 32,36. Albert Schoenheff, "Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Message of a Life"; available

from Faith Streams web site <http://www,faithstreams,com/ME2/Sites/dirmod.asp?sid>;Internet; accessed 17 January 2006.

37. "Bonhoeffer, Agent of Grace," <http://www,pbs,org/opb/bonhoeffer/man/index,html>,

38. Gushee, "Following Jesus to the Gallows," 28.39. Ibid; Pierard, "Radical Resistance," 31.40. E.N.I., "Bonhoeffer Exonerated of Treason Charge," Christian Century, 9

October 1996,929.41. Geoffrey Hill, "Christmas Trees," Tenebrae (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Com-

pany, 1979), 41.

Bibliography

— Primary Sources —

Bethge, Eberhard.Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Biography, ed. Victoria J. Barnett, rev. ed.Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2000.

This is a lengthy and comprehensive biography of Bonhoeffer by his close friend,Eberhard Bethge, I consider this to be a primary source because Bethge lived duringBonhoeffer's lifetime and knew him personally. It contained many photos of Bonhoefferand his family and included many details not found in other sources,

Bethge, Eberhard and Phillip M. Hofinga. "My Friend Dietrich." Christian History,Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991): 40.

This article, written by Bonhoeffer's friend and colleague, Eberhard Bethge, containsa brief overview of some of the lessons learned from Bonhoeffer's life during the decadessince his death,

Bonhoefrer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipteship, rev. ed. New York, NY: CollierBooks, 1963.

This is one of the most famous of Bonhoeffer's writings, providing a detailed analysisof the Sermon on the Mount and its application to modem Christians. It was originallywritten by Bonhoeffer in the mid-1930s and published in Germany in 1937. It helped meto understand the depth and significance of Bonhoeffer's theological beliefs. It alsocontained a forward by a former church pastor who was a colleague of Bonhoeffer, Iquoted from this forward in my paper.

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Modem Martyr 119

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ed. Robert Cole. Maryknoll, NY: OrbisBooks, 1998.

This is a collection of some of Bonhoeffer's shorter, but better-known writings,including "Life Together," written during his years teaching at the Finkenwalde semi-nary; "Ethics," written between 1940 and 1943 but never finished, which outlined hisbelief that Christians must act responsibly on behalf of others, even when faced withpersecution; and "After Ten Years," an essay written to co-conspirators to remind them ofwhat they were fighting for. These short pieces were very insightful into how powerfuland inspiring many of Bonhoeffer's writings were,

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Letters and Papers from Prison, ed. Eberhard Bethge and R i lFuller. New York, NY: Macmillan Press, 1953.

This is a collection of letters Bonhoeffer wrote to friends and family while in prisonfrom 1943 until his death in 1945, This paper helped me to understand how Bonhoefferfelt during his imprisonment and how he continued to focus on his beliefs,

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Martyred Christian, ed. Joan Winmill Brown. New York,NY: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1983.

This is a collection of 160 of Bonhoeffer's lesser-known writings and poems. Itcontains his poem "Stations on the Road to Freedom," which I cite in my paper,

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. True Patriotism, ed. Edwin H. Robertson. New York, NY:Harper and Row, 1973.

This is a collection of letters, lectures and other writings of Bonhoeffer from 1939 to1945, The writings cover several events in Bonhoeffer's own words which I did not findin other sources. For example, it includes letters regarding "Operation 7," a plot he wasinvolved in to smuggle Jews out of Germany, accounts of his arrest and some of hisinterrogations by the Gestapo, part of a play which wrote in prison, and an account byfellow prisoners of his last days. It was very helpful in reading about these events fromfirst-hand sources,

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. A Testament to Freedom, ed. Geffrey B. Kelly and E. BurtonNelson. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.

This collection of Bonhoeffer writings includes dozens of sermons, lectures, poems,letters and other writings not generally published elsewhere. This collection was pub-lished to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Bonhoeffer's death, and to provideBonhoeffer scholars with additional writings refiecting his theology. It helped me under-stand that Bonhoeffer was a prolific writer, covering a vast array of topics and formats.

"Daring Thoughts." Christian History, Vol. 10, No.4 (1991): 12.This short essay provided excerpts from Bonhoeffer's critical lecture, "The Church

and the Jewish Question," I considered it a primary source because it quoted directly fromBonhoeffer's actual writings. It was helpful to give a more complete account of thislecture that I was able to obtain from other sources.

"Ending Bonhoeffer's Traitor Status." Christian Century, 6 March 1996,257.This article discussed why it was important for Bonhoeffer's traitor status to be

officially overturned by a German court, I included this as a primary resource because itwas written contemporaneously with efforts to absolve Bonhoeffer from his treasoncharge.

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E.N.I. "Bonhoeffer exonerated of treason charge." Christian Century, 9 October1996,929.

This was a news account of Bonhoeffer's exoneration from treason charges in 1995,1included this as a primary resource because it was written contemporaneously with effortsto absolve Bonhoeffer from his treason charge.

Holocaust Heroes web site. "Bonhoeffer Deserves to Be Named 'Righteous Amongthe Nations."' Available from <www.holocaust-heroes.com/bonhoeffer.html>.Internet; accessed 16 January 2006.

This is a summary of a petition filed in 1999 requesting that Dietrich Bonhoeffer berecognized by Israel's Yad Vashem as a "Righteous Gentile" for his work to save Jews, Iincluded this as a primary resource because it includes a copy of the affidavit of Dr,Eberhard Bethge, Bonhoeffer friend and biographer, in support of the petition. Theaffidavit details how Bonhoeffer jeopardized his life in helping to smuggle Jews fromGermany to Switzerland during is time with the Abwehr, It was helpful because itemphasized that Bonhoeffer's sole reason for his work with Abwehr was to provide acover to help him accomplish his rescue of Jews and to defeat the Nazis,

/ Knew Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ed. Wolf-Dieter Zimmermann and Ronald GregorSmith. New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1966.

This is a wonderful collection of remembrances of Bonhoeffer by family members,friends, students, colleagues and fellow prisoners. It was one of the most helpful sourcesI read because of the details it provided about Bonhoeffer as a person and how heimpacted those around him,

Schoenherr, Albrecbt. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Message of a Life." Availablefrom FaithStreams web site: <http://www.faithstreams.com/ME2/Sites/dirmod.asp?sid>. Internet; accessed 17 January 2006.

This is a wonderful essay by a former student of Bonhoeffer's who later became achurch leader in post-war Germany. It gives insight into what it meant for someone fromBonhoeffer's upper-middle class background to study theology, and how his upbringinginstilled in him a strong self-discipline. Most importantly, it discussed Bonhoeffer'sbeliefs that led him to oppose the Nazis treatment of the Jews, how he knew what leavingAmerica in 1939 was likely to mean for him, and how his faith allowed him to remain socalm and faithful in the face of his imprisonment and death,

— Secondary Sources —

Barnett, Victoria. "Dietricb Bonhoeffer." Available from United States HolocaustMemorial Museum web site: <http://www.usbmm.org/bonhoeffer/blJitm>. Internet;accessed 9 December 2005.

This was one of the more helpful articles in understanding Bonhoeffer's true legacyresulting from his resistance to the Nazis. It also provided helpful analysis that I did notfind in other sources,

Barnett, Victoria. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ecumenical Vision." Christian Century, 26April 1995,454.

This article focuses mainly on Bonhoeffer's stance against the Nazi party's involve-ment with the German churches, and Bonhoeffer's disappointment with the Church'sresponse to the anti-Semitism,

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Modem Martyr 121

"Bonhoeffer, Agent of Grace." Available from the PBS web site: <http://www.pbs.org/opb/bonhoeffer/man/index.html>. Internet; accessed 17 January 2006.

This website by PBS is designed primarily to promote PBS's 2001 film aboutBonhoeffer, However, it also contained a very comprehensive biography of Bonhoeffer,an extensive list of sources used in the making of the film, a timeline of Bonhoeffer's lifeand an important discussion of Bonhoeffer's legacy. Not only were these sources veryhelpful, but it also contained a quote about Bonhoeffer from Martin Luther King, Jr,,which I did not find elsewhere,

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer," Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991): 22.This was a relatively short yet helpful article which listed in chronological order major

events in Bonhoeffer's life.

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer." Available from Wikipedia web site: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer>. Internet; accessed 9 December 2005.

This article was about early influences in Bonhoeffer's life, mainly family members,

Floyd, Jr., Wayne Whitson. "Bonhoeffer's many faces." Christian Century, 26 April1995,444.

This article discusses inconsistencies between Bonhoeffer's opposition to Germany'santi-Semitism, and some of his writings. It also mentioned a new sixteen volume work ofBonhoeffer's writings which is in the process of being published.

Galli, Mark and Barbara Galli. "Did You Know." Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4(1991): 28.

This article related 27 little-known facts about Bonhoeffer, which helped me gain abetter understanding of his early life and family background.

Green, Clifford. "Exploring Bonhoeffer's Writings" Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4(1991): 34.

This article gave a short description of some of Bonhoeffer's more important workslisted in chronological order. It showed me how Bonhoeffer's thought changed over theyears.

Gushee, David P. "Following Jesus to the Gallows." Christianity Today, Vol. 39, No.4 (1995): 26.

This article gave a very thorough overview of Bonhoeffer's entire life, and includedmany people and events which deeply infiuenced Bonhoeffer's beliefs. I quoted from itmany times in my paper.

Hill, Geoffrey. Tenebrae. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1979.This is a collection of poems by well-known British poet, Geoffrey Hill, It includes the

poem, "Christmas Trees," regarding Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which I used in my paper,

Hoffman, Peter. "German Resistance to Hitler." Available from Bonhoeffer Docu-mentary web site: <http://www.bonhoeffer.coni/bak3.htm>. Internet; accessed 17January 2006.

This article provided background information for the award-winning PBS documen-tary on Bonhoeffer, which will be aired nationally on February 6,2006, to commemoratethe lOO"" anniversary of Bonhoeffer's birth. The Hoffman article provided some unique.

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122 Alex Rankin

interesting insights into the political climate faced by Bonhoeffer and all of Germanyfrom the time of Hitler's rise to power in 1933 until the end of the war, and a variety ofresistance efforts during that time.

Kappelman, Todd. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Man and his Mission." Availablefrom Probe Ministries Web site: <http://www.probe.org/content/view/57/91/>.Internet; accessed 9 December 2005.

This article examined three of Bonhoeffer's most influential works, "The Cost ofDiscipleship," "Ethics," and "Letters and Papers From Prison." It helped me to under-stand some of the important aspects of these writings.

Kelly, Geffrey B. "The Life and Death of a Modern Martyr." Christian History, Vol.10, No. 4 (1991): 8.

This article provided a good overview of Bonhoeffer, and emphasizes the thingswhich shaped his theology. I quoted from this article in my paper.

McLaughlin, Matt. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)." Available from Boston Col-laborative Encyclopedia of Western Theology web site: <http://people.bu.edii/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/coarses/mwt/dictionary/mwt_themes_780>. Internet; ac-cessed 9 December 2005.

This article dealt with one of Bonhoeffer's works, "Ethics". It also discussedBonhoeffer's concern over several theological issues.

Nelson, Burton F. "Family, Friends & Co-Conspirators." Christian History, Vol. 10,No. 4 (1991): 18.

This provided biographical information on Bonhoeffer's important relatives, friends,and church associates. It was helpful in putting these people in perspective in his life.

Nelson, Burton F. "Pastor Bonhoeffer." Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991): 38.This article was mainly about Bonhoeffer's experiences as a minister. It had detailed

accounts of events in his life, which, from his actions, gives me a clearer look atBonhoeffer's personality and attitude toward others.

Pierard, Richard V. "Radical Resistance." Christian History, Vol. 10, No. 4 (1991):30.

This anicle told of Bonhoeffer's initial stance against the Nazi's during their rise topower, leading ultimately to his death. It gave me a very clear view of the disgust whichBonhoeffer had for the Nazi infestation of Germany,

Shepherd, Victor. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer." Available from Victor Shepherd web site:<http://www.victorshepherd.on.ca/Heritage/deitrichJitm>. Internet; accessed 9 De-cember 2005.

This article discussed in more detail Bonhoeffer's decision to become a theologian,and the steps which he took to be ordained a Lutheran pastor. It also discussed the impacthis ministering had on fellow prisoners. It contained an important quote which I used inmy paper,

"Who Is Dietrich Bonhoeffer?" Available from the International Dietrich BonhoefferSociety web site at <http://www.dbonhoeffer.org/node/3>. Internet; accessed 17January 2006.

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