Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a prodigious intellect and a prolific writer. He was amongst those who immediately saw through the facade of Hitler’s National Socialism and challenged it in ways few others of his time did.

While given several opportunities to be outside of Germany, he purposefully chose to return; he had to heed his calling, and in the end, was martyred. Yet, his life and writings provide a depth of insight and understanding that may serve others as a guide or inspiration through challenging political times.

OVERVIEW

It is essential to remember that he was first a theologian, and his faith served as the lens through which he understood the challenges and threats of National Socialism to the church, the nation, and the world. That means, many of his works that will be read are at times deeply intellectual and highly theological, grounded in the Lutheran tradition, and yet often go beyond what that tradition held and thought. You do not need to be a Lutheran or a Christian to participate in this reading group; you just need to want to examine someone new living in the very old human situation of a totalitarian state. Each month we will read a part of his biography and pair that with some of his writings. Part of the seminar will focus on the biography, and part on his works. Some may find that they focus on the biography, others on the writings, and yet both are integral to a greater understanding of the man himself and crucial to understanding the times in which he lived. All meetings will be conducted with a deep respect for individuals and the personal experiences they bring forth that are connected to the themes discussed.

MEETING AND READING SCHEDULE

This group will meet on the 2nd Sunday of the month (with two exceptions) in the Bound at the Athenæum, 2-3:30pm.

Two books are required reading for this group:
Text 1: Marsh, Charles. Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Alfred A. Knopf, 2014 (suggested vendor)

Text 2: Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Bonhoeffer Reader. Edited by Clifford J. Green and Michael P. DeJonge, Fortress Press, 2013 (suggested vendor)

Sun, September 14
Strange Glory Chapters
1: Eternity’s Child
2: Italy is Simply Inexhaustible
3: University Studies

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapter
3: Sanctorum Communio

Sun, October 19 (note date change)
Strange Glory Chapter
4: Greetings from the Matador

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapters
4: Jesus Christ & the essence of Christianity
5: Basic Questions of a Christian Ethic

Sun, November 9
Strange Glory Chapters
5: Covered in the Moss of Tradition
6: I Heard the Gospel Preached in Negro Churches

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapter
8. Lecture on War
9. Concerning the Christian Idea of God
(TBD 10. Theology of Crisis)

Sun, December 14
Strange Glory Chapters:
7. Under the Constraint of Grace
8. Theological Storm Troopers

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapters
17. The Right to Self-Assertion
19. Christ and Peace
20. The Fuhrer and the Individual in the Younger Generation

Sun, January 11
Strange Glory Chapter
9. Crying in the Wilderness

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapters
25. Fano Theses Paper & Address: The Church and the Peoples of the World
26. The Confessing Church and the Ecumenical Movement

Sun, February 8
Strange Glory Chapter
10. A New Kind of Monasticism

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapters
29. Discipleship
30. Life Together

Sun, March 8
Strange Glory Chapters
11. I Must be a Soujourner & a Stranger
12. Christmas Amid the Ruins

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapters
24. What Should a Student of Theology Do Today?
33. Christ, Reality, & Good. Christ, Church, and World.
34. Ultimate and Penultimate Things

Sun, April 12
Strange Glory Chapter
13. Killing the Madman

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapter
44. Letters and Papers from Prison

Sun, May 17 (note date change; meeting in the mezzanine-level Art Room)
Strange Glory Chapter
14. The Greatest of Feats on the Journey to Freedom

The Bonhoeffer Reader Chapter
42. What Does it Mean to Tell the Truth?

GROUP FACILITATOR

Before becoming an educator, Leonard (Lenny) Cambra had spent six years studying to be a Catholic priest with the Missionary Order of St. Charles, an order of priests and nuns dedicated to working with migrants and refugees. He loves philosophy, history, and the humanities in general. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Letters from St. John’s Seminary College; three master’s degrees in Religious Studies, Education, and Spanish from Providence College and Rhode Island College, respectively; and a doctoral degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. While in the past, he led reading groups on Plato and Aristotle, this year, he feels circumstances are such that a completely different topic is in order.

This group has reached capacity. To be added to a waitlist, please email readinggroups@provath.org with BONHOEFFER as the subject line.

The Athenæum is deeply grateful to our wonderful volunteer leaders. Please note library reading groups are not classes or courses, but rather a way for individuals to discuss readings together, guided by both expert and amateur enthusiasts. Participants should expect discussion-based, not lecture-style meetings.

BROWSE

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a prodigious intellect and a prolific writer. He was amongst those who immediately saw through the facade of Hitler’s National Socialism and challenged it in ways few others of his time did.