Bonhoeffer for the Church: An Introduction

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the most widely read Christian writers of the twentieth century. Although his work has been influential among academics, his widest readership has always been the church. Each Sunday, Bonhoeffer’s writings are referenced in sermons and study groups around the world. And yet no systematic introduction to Bonhoeffer exists for this audience. In Bonhoeffer for the Church, Matthew Kirkpatrick corrects this omission. Structured around topics such as preaching, worship, sacraments, prayer, pastoral care, confession, evangelism, and apologetics, Bonhoeffer for the Church offers an accessible but comprehensive introduction to Bonhoeffer’s life and thought for those in ministry or interested in understanding their life in community better.

In making Bonhoeffer accessible for the church, Kirkpatrick also reveals Bonhoeffer’s astonishing message to the church. Despite his well-known conflicts with the churches and church leaders of his time, the church remained for Bonhoeffer the foundation for God’s redeeming activity to the world and in individual lives. Drawing on the full range of his writings, including his less well-known sermons, diaries, and letters, Bonhoeffer for the Church presents this astonishing vision and shows how Bonhoeffer can revitalize and inspire the life and ministry of the church and our individual relationships. For those who struggle in their ministry, doubt the relevance of the church, or who simply need to be reenergized in their relationships with other Christians, Bonhoeffer for the Church offers a crucially important message.