Bonhoeffer Phenomenon [Paperback]

Stephen R. Haynes (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 080063652X | ISBN-13: 978-0800636524 | Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Stephen Haynes's provocative study articulates the many motives and agendas that readers and scholars have brought to their study of Bonhoeffer, making it difficult to assess objectively the relationship of his political and religious commitments, the real meaning of his theology, and his words and actions on behalf of Jews. Reading Haynes's book helps us learn not only what Bonhoeffer has to teach us but also what it is we most desire to learn.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the last 20 years, various groups have petitioned Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance authority in Jerusalem, to award Dietrich Bonhoeffer the designation of "Righteous Gentile," but so far all such requests have been denied. Many of these petitioners view Bonhoeffer as a model of the Christian church's resistance to the Nazi effort to rid Europe of Jewish people, and as a theologian for a post-Holocaust era. But Haynes, associate professor of religion at Rhodes College, argues effectively that the truth is more complicated than the simple and appealing image that scholars and the media have presented. Despite Bonhoeffer's deeds, which Haynes finds exemplary, his theology, when read as a whole, is troubling. At best, Haynes claims, it reveals a deep ambivalence about Jews, and at worst, the traditional Christian belief that the Jews, as "killers" of God, must suffer for that deed until they are, en masse, converted. Haynes concludes that a careful analysis of Bonhoeffer's praxis and theology does have significance for post-Holocaust Christians, but too many contemporary portraits of him are the result of "superficial reading, hopeful interpretation, and overactive speculation." Haynes's book, largely a review of Bonhoeffer scholarship, will find an audience primarily among academics and clergy. (Apr.)
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Review

"This book has been waiting to be written..." -- John W. de Gruchy, editor of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Fortress Press, 1991)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Fortress Press (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080063652X
• ISBN-13: 978-0800636524
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,922,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen R. Haynes is Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis. He has a wife, three kids and a beagle. He likes running, cycling, and following college football. He knew his interest in Dietrich Bonhoeffer was rubbing off on his family when his four-year old son said recently: "Dad, how did Bonhoeffer die?"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informed, informative, fascinating reading, August 9, 2004

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bonhoeffer Phenomenon (Paperback)

The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon: Portraits Of A Protestant Saint by Stephen R. Haynes (Associate Professor of Religion, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee) offers a groundbreaking assessment of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his continuing mystique and popularity among seminar students, theologians, and the Christian community so many years after his martyrdom at the hands of the Nazis. After the informative introduction "Beyond the Historical Bonhoeffer", this descriptive analytical history addresses the question "Who is Bonhoeffer for Us?" in terms of Seer (The Radical Bonhoeffer), Prophet (The Liberal Bonhoeffer), Apostle (The Conservative Bonhoeffer), and Bridge (The Universal Bonhoeffer). The next major section is dedicated to "Interpreting the Bonhoeffer Phenomenon" in terms of Saint (The Function and Form of Christian Hagiography), Cult (Expressions of the Bonhoeffer Phenomenon), and Domestication (The Perils of Protestant Sainthood). Enhanced with expensive notes, a substantial bibliography, and a thoroughly "user friendly" index, The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon is informed, informative, fascinating reading and a "must" for academic as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and writings.