“Mark DeVine has provided a most important service for the Christian community at-large with this illuminating work on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This volume provides an insightful and well written account of Bonhoeffer's life and work. Moreover, DeVine combines his historical interpretation with compelling applications for the church of our day. I heartily recommend this significant publication.”

David S. Dockery
President, Union University

“Here is a fresh, accurate and compelling portrayal of Bonhoeffer, his life and thought, written by a bright Southern Baptist theologian who knows his subject well. Mark DeVine makes Bonhoeffer come alive and commends him as a tonic for today's self-satisfied church that needs to learn again the meaning of obedience, discipleship, community, suffering, and hope.”

Timothy George
Dean, Beeson Divinity School at Samford University
Executive Editor, Christianity Today

for
my wife, Jackie
sine qua non

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter One: At All Costs

Chapter Two: Knowing and Doing the Will of God

Chapter Three: The Community of Believers

Chapter Four: Witness and Relevance

Chapter Five: Freedom, Suffering, and Hope

Endnotes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I WISH TO THANK Mary Glazener, whose appreciation of Bonhoeffer inspired my own interest in his life and work. I also thank my wife, Jackie, and my assistant, Mindy Rose, for proofreading the manuscript and my colleague Dr. Michael McMullen, at whose suggestion I submitted the initial proposal. I also wish to thank the president and trustees of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for granting an academic sabbatical during which much of the research for this project was completed. Thanks are due also to my editor John Landers and to Judi Hayes.

INTRODUCTION

IN THIS VOLUME I shall attempt to make Bonhoeffer speak to us today. More specifically, I shall endeavor to exploit aspects of Bonhoeffer's life and work that speak to concerns relevant to evangelical Christians. Defining evangelical presents significant difficulties, but for our purposes British historian David Bebbington's four indicators will suffice: evangelicals are marked by concern for conversion, the Bible, evangelism, and Christ. Evangelicals claim an experience with the living Christ by which they have been converted to become his followers. This experience is often called the new birth. Evangelicals are further marked by acknowledgment of the Bible as the authoritative Word of God. Evangelical doctrine and practice should arise from and be judged by the writings of the Old and New Testaments. Evangelicals accept the happy duty to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through which they hope for converts. Finally, evangelicals emphasize Jesus Christ, his person and his work, as the central, perfect, and eternal revelation of God to humanity. In any case, my purpose here is not to engage the question of how to place Bonhoeffer ...