There is an ever-growing collection of biographies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was executed by the Nazis in 1945. This means that when people are looking to learn about Bonhoeffer, it can be difficult to know where to dive in. While I believe there’s no single strong answer to that question, I do think different biographies do different things well. This post will be a catch-all specifically for biographies about Bonhoeffer. I’ll highlight strengths and weaknesses of each one, in the hopes that this will let readers best choose from among the growing field of Bonhoeffer studies. This post will continue to be updated as I encounter additional biographies, and may be expanded to include related works.
Why am I qualified to do this post? I am not a Bonhoeffer scholar by any traditional means, and I think it is incredibly important to read those scholars. That said, I have read over 100 books by or about Bonhoeffer, his life, and his theology. By no means does this make me an expert, but I think I could at least offer some insights into questions about what biography to read.
Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Charles Marsh
Marsh’s biography, published in 2014, presents Bonhoeffer’s life in a compelling fashion backed by scholarship. It is highly readable but doesn’t skip over details and controversies about Bonhoeffer’s life.
Advantages
-Written to effectively introduce readers to scholarship about Bonhoeffer while also telling his life’s story.
-Turns into a page-turner at times with Marsh’s effective writing style.
-Introduces readers to many topics related to Bonhoeffer’s life and theology in ways that can guide further reflection and study.
Disadvantage(s)
-Somewhat long for a reader attempting to get the basics of Bonhoeffer’s life, at more than 400 pages of text.
It’s For You If…
You want a one stop shop for Bonhoeffer’s biography. This is probably the single best biography in terms of combining scholarly insight, readability, and accuracy about Bonhoeffer’s life without being too dry.
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix
A graphic novel as a Bonhoeffer biography that caught me unawares in 2020. The art style is engaging, and the panels manage to tell the story without being too cluttered with text.
Advantages
-Extremely readable, with language that is easy to understand, even in sections on theology.
-It’s a graphic novel, I mean… come on. But really, this will appeal to adults who like graphic novels and can also be good reading for teens or tweens who want to engage with deeper topics.
-Probably the most unique biography in presentation.
Disadvantage(s)
-Doesn’t have a complete picture of Bonhoeffer’s life due to the focus on Bonhoeffer’s struggle with Nazism. While this is definitely a large part of his life, it doesn’t fully explain his theology or ethics. It’s a graphic novel, so expecting it to do so might be absurd, but it is worth noting that there is some hot debate in Bonhoeffer scholarship about just how involved he was in the plot to kill Hitler, or even whether he was involved at all. All nuance on this and related topics is basically lost with the format here.
-Relies a bit on Metaxas’s apocryphal work (see below).
It’s for you if…
You want a quick, easy read on Bonhoeffer that gives you at least a surface familiarity with his life and work. Or, you want something you could hand to someone who’s not interested in large tomes.
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
This is by far the most popular biography of Bonhoeffer. There’s no doubt that Metaxas’s biography helped the burgeoning interest in Bonhoeffer along. That said, there are serious defects in this biography which lead me to strongly not recommend it as a work for anyone looking into Bonhoeffer’s life.
Advantages
-Popularity- popularity is not a bad thing. It’s great that Metaxas manage to shine a light on Bonhoeffer and encourage so many to read more about him.
-Great subtitle- Bonhoeffer’s life begs to be a major Hollywood blockbuster according to this subtitle.
Disadvantages
-Inaccuracy- I won’t nitpick various tiny facts that Metaxas got wrong. Any biographer can mess up geography or days. It happens. What is at issue is that Metaxas actually undermines much of Bonhoeffer’s own positions by substituting Bonhoeffer’s theology–that of a Lutheran theologian from Germany–with Metaxas’s preferred theology–that of right-leaning American Evangelicalism. For example, Metaxas doesn’t write anything about Bonhoeffer’s views on baptism or the Lord’s Supper, despite Bonhoeffer himself saying the Sacraments are necessary for the church. Why does Metaxas avoid it? Either he’s unaware of Bonhoeffer’s theology here–a major blunder given that Bonhoeffer is a Lutheran pastor–or he’s explicitly leaving it out to avoid offending the Evangelical-Baptist tendencies of his targeted audience, who would strongly disagree with Bonhoeffer’s sacramental theology. Bonhoeffer’s work in the resistance is not given the nuance the evidence requires. Bonhoeffer’s theology is devoid of challenging the reader in Metaxas’s reading. Bonhoeffer is made to be a biblical inerrantist, with Metaxas emphasizing his care for studying the Bible, despite Bonhoeffer’s own words noting that “the theory of verbal inspiration will not do” (DBWE 3:51). In short, Bonhoeffer’s life, theological views, and motivations are all slanted in Metaxas’s representation. Indeed, it shouldn’t escape most readers that Bonhoeffer’s viewpoints begin to seem eerily similar to those of Metaxas’s.
-Distorts the view of Bonhoeffer for many- due to the book’s popularity and its major inaccuracies, it has led to a distorted view of Bonhoeffer’s legacy. One example is the “silence” quote attributed to Bonhoeffer on the inside flap of the book. “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to act is to act.” It’s a great quote, and sounds possibly like something Bonhoeffer would say. The problem is that he didn’t say it. The quote simply is not from Bonhoeffer. And yet it’s in the congressional record as something he said because of the popularity of this book. Now quote misattribution isn’t the end of the world, especially when the quote itself doesn’t necessarily run contrary to the person it’s attributed to. The problem is that Metaxas does things like this constantly. He presents Bonhoeffer as wholly alien to the context in which he operated.
-Somehow still too long for an introductory biography, weighing in at over 600 pages.
It’s for you if…
You’ve gotten a grounding in Bonhoeffer’s life and theology and want to see what the fuss is about. Or, you love writing critical reviews.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance by Ferdinand Schlingensiepen
Schlingensiepen’s biography is broad and intently focused upon Bonhoeffer’s intellectual development and production. It is an excellent work of Bonhoeffer scholarship but perhaps a bit less accessible for the lay reader.
Advantages
-Schlingensiepen’s academic experience and interpersonal connections make him imminently positioned to present an accurate accounting of Bonhoeffer’s life.
-The biography is not American-centric, as even the Marsh biography is in some ways. This biography is more historically based than it is theologically driven.
Disadvantage(s)
-The writing was originally German and the translation, while excellent, retains the dry tone and feel of the work.
-Schlingensiepen seems almost allergic to confronting modern concerns about theological questions that might arise from Bonhoeffer’s thought, making the biography more of a “just the facts, ma’am” approach than an attempt at relevance. This could also be seen as an advantage, depending on the reader.
It’s for you if…
You prefer a factual account of one’s biography to speculation about lesser grounded facts. Or, you would like to see a more modern German take on Bonhoeffer’s life. Or, you prefer to read one of the best scholarly treatments of Bonhoeffer’s life to anything more generalized.
The Doubled Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Women, Sexuality, and Nazi Germany by Diane Reynolds
Bonhoeffer scholarship continues to broaden, and one great advantage of that is that scholars are driven to exploring corners of his life that would not otherwise have been explored. Reynolds here focuses specifically on Bonhoeffer’s life regarding the three subjects noted in the subtitle: women, sexuality, and Nazi Germany. (Full Review Here)
Advantages
-Insightful Commentary- Whether you agree or disagree with Reynolds’s conclusions, she makes a strong case in defense of her points. Truly, I think this biography deserves to be read by anyone who’s serious about engaging with Bonhoeffer’s life.
-Highlights lesser-discussed points- Women are constantly removed from history, but Reynolds puts women back into the narrative of Bonhoeffer’s life. She manages to show how influential many women were on Bonhoeffer’s life, leading to additional questions and avenues for exploration about Bonhoeffer. Additionally, the questions raised about Bonhoeffer’s sexuality elsewhere are highlighted here, with Reynolds deeply analyzing Bonhoeffer’s letters and life to make compelling, challenging arguments.
Disadvantages
-Primary focus is on the topics in the subtitle. Readers will get a fascinating look at Bonhoeffer’s interactions with women, interplay with Nazi Germany, and one of the deepest arguments about his sexuality found anywhere, but won’t have a full picture of his life.
-Highly controversial view of Bonhoeffer’s sexuality, which can be an advantage as it introduces readers to some of the best scholarly arguments on the topic.
It’s For You If…
You’ve read some about Bonhoeffer’s life and are interested in delving deeper into the background of some of his beliefs. You are curious about some of the hubbub surrounding Bonhoeffer’s sexuality in scholarly circles.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Biography by Eberhard Bethge
Long seen as the definitive biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, this one is written by Bethge, Bonhoeffer’s great friend and confidant. It is voluminous in both content and commentary, providing key insights into Bonhoeffer’s thought from someone who knew him intimately.
Advantages
-The book feels absolutely comprehensive in its look at Bonhoeffer’s life.
-Bethge knew the subject well, personally, and this shows on basically every page.
-Bethge gives many insights into the “why” behind what Bonhoeffer was thinking, leading readers to deeper exploration and understanding of Bonhoeffer’s thought.
Disadvantage(s)
-It’s absolutely massive, weighting in at over 1000 pages (including notes/indices).
-There is some necessary bias from a friend of Bonhoeffer (Bethge) writing in a time in which Bonhoeffer wasn’t nearly as popular as he’s become now.
It’s for you if…
Want to feel like you know Bonhoeffer like a friend. Or, you’d like to see what serves as perhaps the baseline study for any student of Bonhoeffer’s life.
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SDG.
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