A STATUE of a rather youthful Dietrich Bonhoeffer by the sculptor Tim Crawley is among those of the ten martyrs of the 20th century on the west front of Westminster Abbey. An anniversary of someone whose legacy has been taken up by so many causes, inevitably including some to which Bonhoeffer himself would have strongly objected, raises the question, What we are to do with Bonhoeffer today? Yet, Bonhoeffer recognised and articulated the danger ensuing from the Nazi movement very early on (both before and after Hitler’s rise to power). Like the saints of other times, Bonhoeffer was a complex character (as recent biographies have sought to explore). Yet, like the saints of old, this 20th-century German pastor, theologian, and ecumenist asks challenging questions of us today.

Source: The Times April 10, 2025 23:33 UTC