Radical Obedience and Discipleship in the Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer continue to exercise a very profound and powerful influence on the Church and Christian theology today. Bonhoeffer has been described as one of the most interesting figures in the history of modern theology. His critical and prophetic insights into the theology of the twentieth century established a foundation on which any future theology of the Church cannot but reckon. In this book, Nembhard discusses part of the Bonhoeffer theological legacy by concentrating on radical obedience and discipleship in the martyr's theological thought. He believes that the church is yet to come to terms with the radical implications of Bonhoeffer's discipleship project. And this she ought for in a globalized world of information technology, genetic engineering, revolutionary advance in medical technology, unprecedented knowledge of outer space, or in the spectacular or monstrous development of weapons of mass destruction on earth, the groundwork that Bonheoffer laid are critical to the church's mission and identity. It is the writer's considered view that the continued interest in Bonhoeffer is related fundamentally to the prophetic importance of his life and work and the relationship of this to Christian theology and ecclesiology today. Bonhoeffer's brief life did not allow him to expand a great deal on his thoughts, but in his own radical obedience to the call of Christ and the place of the church in response to that call, he has left a legacy of immense worth. The church must not only continue the conversation, but respond concretely in discipleship for the transformation of the world. This book is an important contribution to the conversation to be engaged.