Ethics is the culmination of Dietrich Bonhoeffers theological and personal odyssey and one of the most important works of Christian ethics of the last century. Using the acclaimed Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works English translation and adapted to a more accessible format, this new edition features an insightful introduction by Clifford Green and supplemental material from Victoria J. Barnett.
Written in the midst of the conspiracy to overthrow the Hitler regime, it is nonetheless chiefly concerned with ethics for the postwar time of reconstruction and peace. Though caught up in the vortex of momentous forces in the Nazi period, Bonhoeffer systematically envisioned a radically Christocentric, incarnational ethic for a postwar world, purposefully recasting Christians relation to history, politics, and public life. Focused on Christ, the God who became human, and the vision of a world reconciled with God, Ethics shuns abstraction, seeks the will of God in concrete historical reality, and calls the church to be a transforming community in the world with a new responsibility to public life.
This edition allows all readers to appreciate the cogency and relevance of Bonhoeffers vision.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the most significant Protestant theologians of the twentieth century, a legacy sealed by his imprisonment in a German concentration camp and eventual execution. His resistance against Nazism and pivotal role in the Confessing Church movement have been key points of illumination for many on the nature of Christian political witness and action. Millions have been inspired by his rich reflections on the Christian life, especially his beloved works on discipleship and ethics. As a professor, seminary leader, and ecumenical theologian, Bonhoeffer's work also profoundly shaped academic theology, especially systematic theology, and the life of the church.
Clifford J. Green is professor emeritus of theology, Hartford Seminary, Connecticut, and author of numerous works on Bonhoeffer. He is the executive director of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works.
Charles C. West has been a missionary in China, associate director of the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches, and a seminary professor. He is currently professor emeritus of Christian ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary.