Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I cannot recommend highly enough Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance.  It is more manageable and a quicker read than the classic Bethge biography of Bonhoeffer but equal in its impact.  While not a hagiographical text the story of Bonhoeffer's life always inspires me as a tale of courage and faith; a life I can strain to emulate but quite beyond my present capacity. Reading this book during Lent helps me think about how the ethical life causes us to face our many contradictions and the shifting sands of our fickle souls when we stand before the piercing, clarity of Gods gaze and try to meet the challenges of the world faithfully.  Bonhoeffer's involvement in the attempt to assassinate Hitler is a fascinating case study in ethical fidelity in a situation that may seem clear in retrospect but was not clear to most of his German contemporaries. His faith in the face of death is a true Easter proclamation.