In this book, Marsh offers a new way of reading the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian theologian who was executed for his role in the resistance against Hitler and the Nazis. Focusing on Bonhoeffer's substantial philosophical interests, Marsh examines his work in the context of the German philosophical tradition, from Kant through Hegel to Heidegger. Marsh argues that Bonhoeffer's description of human identity offers a compelling alternative to post-Kantian conceptions of selfhood. In addition, he shows that Bonhoeffer, while working within the boundaries of Barth's theology, provides both a critique and redescription of the tradition of transcendental subjectivity. This fresh look at Bonhoeffer's thought will provoke much discussion in the theological academy and the church, as well as in broader forums of intellectual life.

Marsh reappraises Bonhoeffer's theology and attempts to reclaim his promise for contemporary theological inquiry, examining his work in the context of the German philosophical tradition from Kant to Heidegger, and its relationship to Karl Barth.

In Recovering the Ecumenical Bonhoeffer, Javier Garcia explores the possibilities for Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theology to revitalize interest in the ecumenical movement and Christian unity today. Although many commentators have lamented the waning interest in the ecumenical movement since the 1960s, the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017, coupled with recent in-roads such as the ecumenical efforts of Pope Francis, have opened new possibilities for the ecumenical project. In this context, Garcia presents Bonhoeffer as a helpful model for contemporary ecumenical dialogue. He finds important points of convergence between Bonhoeffer and Calvin, thereby establishing potential areas of rapprochement between the Lutheran and Reformed traditions. Beyond examining the state of ecumenism and unfolding the ecumenical promise of Bonhoeffer’s thought, Garcia assesses the future of ecumenical engagement in a secular age. Altogether, he proposes a recovery of the ecumenical Bonhoeffer for envisioning new possibilities for church unity in our day.

• This elegantly written biography offers the most intimate, detailed, rounded and supremely human portrait yet painted of the great Christian thinker and martyr • Draws on writings only recently made accessible - including the correspondence between Bonhoeffer and his teen-age fiancé, Maria von Wedemeyer • Fresh insights into the duplicity into which Bonhoeffer was drawn, with intriguing quotes from the bogus diary and letters he composed to distract the Gestapo from his real activities • Packed with fascinating extracts from Bonhoeffer's own letters and papers, creating a vivid sense of the momentous times in which he lived, and of his innermost thoughts and feelings at any given moment 'A good biography takes a reader beyond the life of its subject into the times and places in which they lived. A great biography can leave us with the impression we know a stranger better than we know our friends. Charles Marsh's biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer does all these things. No recent biographer of Bonhoeffer knows his theology or his historical and intellectual context better than Charles Marsh who has, for the past two decades, been the finest Bonhoeffer scholar of his generation. Yet none of this would matter if one did not want to turn the pages. Strange Glory tells Bonhoeffer's story with accuracy and insight but more than that, it is a joy to read.' Stephen J. Plant, Dean of Trinity Hall, Cambridge

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was the intellectual progeny of the competing liberal and dialectical theological camps of his time. Yet he found both camps incapable of properly accounting for Christ’s relation to time and history, which both grounds their conflict and generates further theological problems, both theoretical and practical. In this book Nik Byle argues that Bonhoeffer was able to mine Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time for material theologically useful for moving beyond this impasse. Bonhoeffer sifts through Heidegger’s analysis of human existence and finds a number of moves and concepts useful to theology. These include Heidegger’s emphasis on anthropology over epistemology, his position that one must begin with concrete existence, and that human existence is fundamentally temporal. Bonhoeffer must, however, reject other hallmark concepts, such as authenticity and Heidegger’s entire anthropocentric method, that would threaten the legitimate theological use of Heidegger. Making the appropriate theological alterations, Bonhoeffer applies the useful elements from Heidegger to his Christocentric theology. Essentially, Christ and the church become fundamentally temporal and historical in the same way that human existence is for Heidegger. This sets a new foundation for Bonhoeffer’s Christology with concomitant effects in his ecclesiology, sacramentalism, theological anthropology, and epistemology.

This Companion serves as a guide for readers wanting to explore the thought and legacy of the great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45). The book shows why Bonhoeffer remains such an attractive figure to so many people of diverse backgrounds. Its chapters, written by authors from differing national, theological and church contexts, provide a helpful introduction to, and commentary on, Bonhoeffer's life, work and writing and so guide the reader along the complex paths of his thought. Experts set out comprehensively Bonhoeffer's political, social and cultural contexts, and offer biographical information which is indispensable for the understanding of his theology. Major themes arising from the theology, and different interpretations to it, lead the reader into a dialogue with this most influential of thinkers who remains both fascinating and challenging. There is a chronology, a glossary and an index.

This volume provides a comprehensive resource for those wishing to understand the German theologian, pastor, and resistance conspirator Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) and his writings. During his lifetime he made important contributions to many of the major areas of theology: ecclesiology, creation, Christology, discipleship, and ethics. The Oxford Handbook of Dietrich Bonhoeffer surveys, assesses, and presents the field of research and debates of Bonhoeffer and his legacy, as well as of previous Bonhoeffer scholarship. Featuring contributions from leading Bonhoeffer scholars, historians, theologians, and ethicists, many essays draw attention to Bonhoeffer's positive contributions, while several essays also identify limits and problems with his thinking as it stands. Divided into five parts, the first section provides a detailed outline of Bonhoeffer's biography and the contexts that gave rise to his theology. The contributors explore the dynamic relationship between Bonhoeffer's life and theology. Section two provides rigorous engagements with and assessments of Bonhoeffer's theology on its own terms. Part three demonstrates how Bonhoeffer's ethical claims and engagements are deeply integrated with theological commitments. The fourth section showcases some of the best work drawing upon Bonhoeffer for engaging contemporary challenges, including feminism, race, public theology in South Africa, and contemporary philosophy. In recent decades, Bonhoeffer's theology has provoked significant critical reflection on social and cultural issues. The essays in this section exemplify how his writings can continue to contribute to such reflection today. The fifth and final section consists of essays on resources for the contemporary study of Bonhoeffer and his theology, including sources and texts, biographies and portraits, and readings and receptions. These essays also address pressing historiographical issues and problems surrounding writing about Bonhoeffer's life and theology. This authoritative collection draws together and assesses the very best of existing research on Bonhoeffer and promotes new avenues for research on Bonhoeffer.