Bonhoeffer: A Guide for the Perplexed

Description

Joel Lawrence offers a new methodology and a fresh perspective in this book, making it a concise guide to one of the most remarkable martyrs and theologians of the 20th century.

Joel Lawrence is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.He wrote his doctoral thesis, Death Together: Thanatology and Sanctification in the Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, under the supervision of Stephen Plant at Cambridge University.In this work, Joel explored the way in which the work of the death of Christ has a transformative element in the sanctification of the church community.He has presented numerous papers at academic conferences, including a paper on Bonhoeffer at the 9th International Bonhoeffer Congress in Rome.His publications include two works on Bonhoeffer: 'The Other, the Cross and Solidarity in Suffering', inThe Reader (February 2005), which was reprinted in Rethinking Mission (Summer 2005), and 'Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Guide through the Maze', in The Epworth Journal Review (October 2006).

'Joel Lawrence is among the brightest of a new generation of interpreters of Bonhoeffer's theology. In this book, informed by several years of research and teaching, Lawrence gives us a fresh, engaging and wonderfully clear introduction that illuminates the distinctive capacity of Bonhoeffer's theology to serve the present age.' - Stephen Plant, Wesley House, Cambridge, UK -- Stephen Plant 'Bonhoeffer's legacy has had a far-reaching influence on contemporary Christianity, perhaps more so than any other theologian/pastor of the twentieth century. Yet many people are not sure how to understand what he wrote, and are especially perplexed by his theological reflections in his prison letters. Joel Lawrence has recognized this need and has provided an admirable guide through the labyrinth. Identifying the key themes in Bonhoeffer's prison theology, he traces their development from his student years onwards and interprets them in a way that is informed, accessible and readable.' - John W. de Gruchy, University of Cape Town, South Africa. -- John W. de Gruchy 'Fortunately, with every new generation of theologians, there arise those who firmly grasp - and then accurately describe - the legacies of great minds who have shaped our thinking. Joel Lawrence grasps well and describes clearly the theological legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He rightly perceivesthat Jesus Christ is the center of all reality for Bonhoeffer, and then creatively shows how that same Jesus finds expression today in a world that is less and less religious and more and more worldly. This "guide for the perplexed" is designed for all those who stumble on this irony that Bonhoeffer describes: living before God without God! Read on . . .' - John W. Matthews, President of the International Bonhoeffer Society, English Language Section, Apple Valley, MN, USA. -- John W. Matthews "This is a truly indespensible little book." -- Ashley Beck, King's College London Here in this volume we have a very fine and very concise introduction to Bonhoeffer's theology. A brief introductory chapter is followed by focussed studies of three central themes of Bonhoeffer's work, namely Christ, church and world. Taken together, these central chapters provide the explanatory setting within which the author believes it possible to win an understanding of Bonhoeffer's potentially perplexing late reflections upon "religiousness Christianity", and a living faithfully 'as though there were no God'. Those coming to Bonhoeffer afresh together with those who teach his theology will find this a very useful text. - Philip G. Ziegler, University of Aberdeen, UK -- Philip G. Ziegler 'Here in this volume we have a very fine and very concise introduction to Bonhoeffer's theology... Those coming to Bonhoeffer afresh together with those who teach his theology will find this a very useful text.' -- The Expository Times