In the fifth episode of The Rise of Bonhoeffer, we begin in the pivotal year of 1933. As Hitler ascends to power, massive transformations occur in Germany, impacting both society and the church. The episode explores Bonhoeffer's resistance to Nazi influence, the formation and legacy of the Confessing Church, Bonhoeffer's move to London, and his eventual return to Germany to steer an underground seminary at Finkenwalde. Key events such as the drafting of the Bethel Confession, the German Christian movement's alignment with Nazi ideology, and the significance of the Barmen Declaration are explored. This episode uncovers Bonhoeffer’s theological struggles, his unwavering fight against anti-Semitism and authoritarianism within the church, and his turn to the ecumenical movement as allies in waging peace.

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Featured Scholars in this Episode

Victoria J. Barnett served from 2004-2014 as one of the general editors of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, the English translation series of Bonhoeffer’s complete works. She has lectured and written extensively about the Holocaust, particularly about the role of the German churches. In 2004 she began directing the Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum until her retirement.

Reggie L. Williams is an Associate Professor of Theological Studies at St. Louis University. He is the author of “Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethic of Resistance,” which was selected as a Choice Outstanding Title in 2015 in the field of religion. The book focuses on Bonhoeffer’s exposure to Harlem Renaissance intellectuals and worship at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist during his time at Union Seminary in New York from 1930 to 1931.

Lori Brandt Hale, trained in philosophical theology and philosophy of religion, specializes in the life and legacy of German theologian and Nazi resister Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and currently serves as the president of the International Bonhoeffer Society – English Language. She is the co-editor of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Theology, and Political Resistance. She is also the co-author of Bonhoeffer for Armchair Theologians.

Stephen Haynes is the Albert Bruce Curry Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and Theologian-in-Residence at Idlewild Presbyterian Church. He is a Dietrich Bonhoeffer scholar and author or editor of over 14 books including The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon, The Bonhoeffer Legacy, and The Battle for Bonhoeffer: Debating Discipleship in the Age of Trump. In this book, Haynes examines “populist” readings of Bonhoeffer, including court evangelical Eric Metaxas’s book Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.

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Setting the Table in the Midst of Nazis