John D. Godsey – författare

Most of Bonhoeffer's books are now widely known. Premature as his death was, thoughtful people recognize in him one of the most original thinkers of our time. His spiritual legacy-the most striking part of it the result of his meditations in prison under the Nazis -has begun to influence the preaching of the Universal Church. Plainly, such a theologian deserves a full and first-class study. This is now provided by Professor Godsey, who analyses and comments on all the Bonhoeffer books, including some not yet available in English, and on many of the occasional writings, setting them in the context of Bonhoeffer's life and interpreting their intellectual and spiritual significance.

This volume presents two of Bonhoeffer's writings that are vital to understanding his life and thought. The first, "e;Thy Kingdom Come,"e; is a passionate lecture delivered in 1932 -- a year before he left Germany in protest of Nazism. "e;The First Table of the Ten Commandments,"e; written twelve years later from a Nazi prison, is a mature and insightful study of the first three commandments. The book is also a compact and readable introduction to the life and writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. John Godsey's biographical sketch is particularly lucid in discussing Bonhoeffer's significance for our time. In Bonhoeffer, Godsey finds one who understood our world and discerned the universal meaning of Jesus Christ. He also sees one who recalled the church to discipleship while bearing witness to the Christ. This once out-of-print book will be of great interest to all Bonhoeffer students as well as those seeking to learn about his life and thought.