I found this to be - less than I had hoped for; the essays are good - but not what I had hoped for - inspiration wise. The book is a set of brief, frequently less than a page, essays on various topics of Christian life. If you are a die-hard Bonhoeffer lover you will no doubt love it. Personally I can take or leave Bonhoeffer, and found the "Letters and Papers from Prison" much more useful - to be fair of course "letters and papers" is about 5 times the size of this text.

This book is has selection of texts from Dietrich Bonhoeffers sermons, lectures, books and his letters from prison. Some of the texts are short (only few lines) while others are up to 13 pages long. But here you find theology of the cross, and that in a very broad sense. Here's a short text from this book from page 49: "Jesus is not a human being but the human being. Whatever happens to him also happens to human beings as such; it happens to everyone; and thus also to us. The name Jesus embraces all of humanity and all of God." What happened on the cross happens to humanity, human beings as such, that means all of us! The cross, resurrection and overcoming death was central in Dietrich Bonhoeffers theological work so here's just a glimpse of what one of the greatest theologian in the 20th century said and wrote but highly enjoyable. I only wonder if it wasn't possible to have this book a bit longer? It is 94 pages long and it does not take a long time to read it. But it's a good book.

I use the word stunningly only semi-figuratively. This book purports to be a series of diverse explorations of a great theologian and martyr. It is nothing of the sort. We hear nothing from reformed evangelicals who regard Bonhoeffer as virtually apostate. Instead we have a collection of essays written by those who claim to pass as Lutherans and Anglicans (there is I believe one Roman Catholic) whose next claim to fame after violating the kerygma of Christianity will no doubt be to announce with pride that they are baptizing Dolphins. Consider the statement " People like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi illustrate what Bonhoeffer means (p 118) All one has to do is to read the first page of Bonhoeffer's Ethics to realize that hypothetically however much he may have admired them they represent exactly the OPPOSITE of what Bonhoeffer means. Bonhoeffer is a LUTHERAN and a conservative one at that but these writers are using Bonhoeffer to suit their own agendas (which they concede has often been done) Don't read this book--read The Ethics or Act and Being--notice the influence of Barth. Bonhoffer deserves better than to be left in the hands of the "Honest to God" people. It might also be good to have a look at what Luther said as well.

I am beginnig a series of lesson s on Bonhoeffer and found this volume to be invaluable as a course material.

Cambridge Press and editor John W. DeGruchy have done a great service to those seeking a better understanding of this great theologian and pastor. Bonhoeffer began writing just as Hitler and the Nazis began their rise to power; his life ended by hanging in a concentration camp just days before the Allies arrived. Although his works stand as a powerful argument against the German church's surrender to the terror of Nazism, they are just as powerful and relevant today. The authors are noted Bonhoeffer scholars who share not only a deep respect for the man but a desire to help others understand and appreciate him. Each chapter is well-researched and scholarly, but readable and fascinating. The English-language bibliography is a great resource for further reading and research. This book is a must for everyone interested in learning more about one of this century's greatest theologians.

While the premise is intriging, the final result and manner in which she presents her arguments is dry, boring, and difficult to understand.

Sqeakel M has it wrong. Elshtain is one of the best thinkers and writers around. I wonder what books the first review would find helpful?

This book is a good introduction to the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. FOr those who have never been in contact with Bonhoeffer, the writers give a good overview. For those who have already had some contact, they will find some useful information and good insight into his life. It doesn't give the depth of detail that Eberhard Bethpage gives but it does help to understand a man of deep faith and strong conviction. I highly recommend this book.

After researching and lecturing about this topic of "European churches of early 20th century Germany" at my University, I can clearly state that this is one of the worst written books I have come across. A great deal of the information is inaccurate and poorly translated. Reading several of Huntemann's work, I would have to put the criticism on his translator, Huizinga. To say the least, Huizinga needs to take more time in studying his German before humiliating such an excellent author. As one of my colleagues asked me to include, "we can't wait till the revision comes out."