Book Review – “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” by Eric Metaxas
Posted: April 30, 2012 Filed under: Book Reviews, Christianity, Religion, Theology | Tags: bonhoeffer, book, book review, christ, christian, dietrich, eric, god, jesus, martry, metaxas, pastor, prophet, religion, review, spy, theology 3 Comments »
I don’t even know where to begin on this one. I finished this book three entire weeks ago and haven’t written a review yet because I literally can’t figure out where to start. I’ll just be blunt and openly editorial.
This book is one of the best I’ve ever read. Book, was your word there. Not biography. Not war history. Not Christian nonfiction. Book. Granted, for me it was the perfect storm from the word ‘go’ – I love biography, war history, and Christian nonfiction. I also love learning about pastor-theologians. So I was admittedly predestined to love this book. Regardless, I would suggest this book to anyone. It’s a compelling story, and it happens to be true.
For those not in the know concerning the man about whom the book was written (like me, prior to reading it), Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who did his best to sabotage Adolf Hitler during the 1930s-40s. Sometimes his tactics were in secret; sometimes they were in the open. Whatever the action, Bonhoeffer moved against the Nazi government with smart, calculated plans that included no element of self-concern whatsoever.
But Dietrich Bonhoeffer was more than just a political activist. Read the rest of this entry »
Book Review – “Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther” by R.H. Bainton
Posted: March 20, 2012 Filed under: Book Reviews, Christianity, Religion, Theology | Tags: bible, biography, book, book review, christ, faith, god, jesus, luther, martin, religion, review, theology Leave a comment »
So let’s face it, reading Christian biography isn’t always the most thrilling experience. To really get anything out of it, you have to throw yourself headlong into the world of the subject (sometimes experiencing culture shock) and really labor to grasp the significance of how they interacted with their environment. Depending on your author, this can sometimes require background knowledge, and worst of all…time. In short, benefitting spiritually from Christian biography is work. Well, I have loving news for you, Americans: sometimes it takes a little effort on your part to learn and grow spiritually.
That being said, Roland Bainton’s biography of Martin Luther is surprisingly easy to read (for a decades-old Reformer bio written by a British guy). Anyway, I’m moderately fond of this book. Here’s the good and bad.
The good: Bainton isn’t overly concerned with the obscure details of Luther’s birth and upbringing; rather, he picks up the story as the 21-year old Luther is knocked to the ground by a peal of thunder and gives his life to God on the spot. (If you’re looking for a more comprehensive look at Luther’s life, you might consider Read the rest of this entry »
