Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (born Feb. 4, 1906, Breslau, Ger.—died April 9, 1945, Flossenbürg), German Lutheran pastor and theologian. He attended the Universities of Berlin and Tübingen, and from 1931 he lectured in theology at the University of Berlin. He became a leading spokesman for the Confessing Church and was active in the resistance movement under the guise of employment in military intelligence. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1943. The discovery of documents connecting him with the 1944 attempt on Adolf Hitler’s life led to his execution a month before the end of World War II. One of the most insightful theologians of the 20th century, he argued for a new vision of Christianity that would abolish the division between the sacred and profane and abandon the traditional privileges of the church in favour of active involvement in the world’s problems. His best-known works include The Cost of Discipleship (1937), Ethics (1949), and Letters and Papers from Prison (1951).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Article
Dietrich Bonhoeffer summary
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
July Plot Summary
July Plot, abortive attempt on July 20, 1944, by German military leaders to assassinate Adolf Hitler, seize control of the government, and seek more favourable peace terms from the Allies. During 1943 and early 1944, opposition to Hitler in high army circles increased as Germany’s military
ecumenism Summary
Ecumenism, movement or tendency toward worldwide Christian unity or cooperation. The term, of recent origin, emphasizes what is viewed as the universality of the Christian faith and unity among churches. The ecumenical movement seeks to recover the apostolic sense of the early church for unity in
theology Summary
Theology, philosophically oriented discipline of religious speculation and apologetics that is traditionally restricted, because of its origins and format, to Christianity but that may also encompass, because of its themes, other religions, including especially Islam and Judaism. The themes of
Germany Summary
Germany, country of north-central Europe, traversing the continent’s main physical divisions, from the outer ranges of the Alps northward across the varied landscape of the Central German Uplands and then across the North German Plain. One of Europe’s largest countries, Germany encompasses a wide