Anxious Souls Will Ask... The Christ-Centered Spirituality of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

by John W. Matthews

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2005

Overview

This brief yet brilliant book shows that the prison reflections of Dietrich Bonhoeffer contain profound inspiration for all who desire to walk more closely with Jesus in today’s troubled and often troubling world. Illuminating the context and content of Bonhoeffer’s life and thought, Anxious Souls Will Ask... uses writings of the famous Christian martyr to critique the spirit of the age and to encourage in contemporary Christians the depth of commitment required to stand firm against the contemptuous winds of postmodern culture.

Key Features

• Explores the prison reflections of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Examines the context and content of Bonhoeffer’s life and thought
• Encourages Christians to stand against the winds of postmodern culture

Contents

• The Solid Foundation
• The Crumbling Pillars
• The New Pillars Needed
• The Pillars Outside of the Prison (Writings)
• The Discipline Needed to Know When the Pillars Need Replacement
• Epilogue
• Appendix 1: Selections from Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison
• Appendix 2: Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Appendix 3: Secondary Resources for Further Study

Praise for the Print Edition

John Matthews has been captivated by Dietrich Bonhoeffer for thirty years, long before the film brought this modern Christian martyr back into the public eye. This book will take you into Bonhoeffer’s struggle of terror and faith in his Letters and Papers from Prison. Guided by Matthews’s keen mind and pastoral courage, you will be led past the crumbling pillars of worn religiosity to the hidden disciplines through which Christians live in difficult times.

—David L. Tiede

Anxious Souls Will Ask . . . is a powerful and poignant companion to Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison. Newcomers to Bonhoeffer’s text and Bonhoeffer scholars alike will benefit from the fruits of John Matthews’s pilgrimage alongside Bonhoeffer.

—Jean Bethke Elshtain

Product Details

• Title: Anxious Souls Will Ask... The Christ-Centered Spirituality of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Author: John W. Matthews
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 104
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Topic: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

About John W. Matthews

John W. Matthews is senior pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, Minnesota, and vice president of the International Bonhoeffer Society’s English Language Section.