Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

Posted by: len hjalmarson
Church: Aylmer, Ontario Aylmer
Region 4 - Ontario
Date: November 23rd, 2010

This new book by Eric">Eric Metaxas is introduced by Tim Keller. Keller is a solid biblical teacher, and he doesn’t let his Reformed framework limit his perspective. Keller writes in the forward,

“When I became a Christian in college, one of the first books I read was Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship, followed not long after by Life Together. This second book is perhaps the finest single volume ever written on the character of Christian community; it was the first book that sent me on a lifelong journey to discover the meaning of grace.

“It is impossible to understand Bonhoeffer’s <em>Nachfolge </em>without becoming acquainted with the shocking capitulation of the German church to Hitler in the 1930′s. How could the “church of Luther,” that great teacher of the Gospel, ever come to such a place? The answer is that the true gospel is summed up by Bonhoeffer as <em>costly grace,</em> had been lost.

“On the one hand, the church had become marked by formalism. That meant going to church and hearing that God just loves and forgives everyone, so it doesn’t really matter how you live. Bonhoeffer called this <em>cheap</em> grace. On the other hand there was legalism, or salvation by law and good works. Legalism meant that God loves you because you have pulled yourself together and are trying to live a good, disciplined life.”

That’s how the forward begins, and the book is getting good reviews. My copy arrived here about the same day I did. Last year PBS produced a documentary">documentary to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Bonhoeffer’s birth.

Somewhere North writes about the book HERE.

The official website for Eric">Eric Metaxas. The book is roughly 600 pages.