Bonhoeffer Abridged: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (book review)
There are names in Christianity that are thrown out there like Big Bird and Elmo to a toddler crowd. Names like John Piper, Francis Chan, C.S. Lewis, A.Z. Tozer, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. There are many more but you get the idea. It's basically a bunch of guys with some good quotes (and one with an awesome children's book series), right? Sometimes these quotes and their authors are thrown out there like anyone who's anyone should know who they are! That's frustrating to me on one hand because a lot of Christians are ready for the meat they throw out; they are new and just need uncomplicated milk teaching.
However, I feel like I'm ready for more meaty teachings and so I decided to read more about some of these guys. I've made it through a John Piper book. I've read several books from Chan. I've read more of C.S. Lewis than the Chronicles of Narnia (which are always good). And so Bonhoeffer was next on my list (if I had a list, that is). I picked up Eric Metaxas' book, "Bonhoeffer Abridged." I haven't read an abridged book since reading "Little Women" as a child, but I was glad to read this version of the book.
There was just enough information about Bonhoeffer's growing up in Germany and his family. There was just enough information about Hitler's rise to power and what Bonhoeffer (and colleagues) thought. There was just enough to pique my interest.
I thought "Bonhoeffer Abridged" very interesting about many a good things I didn't know about World War II. Mostly when I read about that, I read Holocaust accounts. I was very glad to read about the Christian church leaders standing up for the church and Christ - even when so many went astray. I wish they taught more about that in history classes because for a very long time, I just thought "what happened to the Christians in Germany?"
Great book. Great man. Tragic in his early death when liberation was so near. Seems like that happened a lot in that time.
Disclaimer: I received this book in order to write an honest review. All opinions reflect my own and not others'.
However, I feel like I'm ready for more meaty teachings and so I decided to read more about some of these guys. I've made it through a John Piper book. I've read several books from Chan. I've read more of C.S. Lewis than the Chronicles of Narnia (which are always good). And so Bonhoeffer was next on my list (if I had a list, that is). I picked up Eric Metaxas' book, "Bonhoeffer Abridged." I haven't read an abridged book since reading "Little Women" as a child, but I was glad to read this version of the book.
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| image via BookLook |
There was just enough information about Bonhoeffer's growing up in Germany and his family. There was just enough information about Hitler's rise to power and what Bonhoeffer (and colleagues) thought. There was just enough to pique my interest.
I thought "Bonhoeffer Abridged" very interesting about many a good things I didn't know about World War II. Mostly when I read about that, I read Holocaust accounts. I was very glad to read about the Christian church leaders standing up for the church and Christ - even when so many went astray. I wish they taught more about that in history classes because for a very long time, I just thought "what happened to the Christians in Germany?"
Great book. Great man. Tragic in his early death when liberation was so near. Seems like that happened a lot in that time.
Disclaimer: I received this book in order to write an honest review. All opinions reflect my own and not others'.
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