This is a brilliantly written biography of a true Christian hero, martyr, and saint--if Lutherans canonized saints, Dietrich Bonhoeffer would be among the first, although he would deny that he deserved it. Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor in Germany when Hitler came to power and was part of the Resistance (including the Valkyrie plot to kill Hitler). He was from a brilliant and aristocratic family, scientists on his father's side and theologians on his mother's side, and he became a theologian and committed Christian in the truest sense. Metaxas never leaves the reader in doubt about how this will end--with Bonhoeffer's execution by the Nazis--but the story of how Bonhoeffer became the brave, thoughtful, and faithful man he was is inspiring and so many of his teachings have the ring of truth. Always he tried to turn the attention of his followers and listeners away from himself and toward a personal relationship with the Lord. Metaxas builds on other biographies of Bonhoeffer and had access to sources and letters previously unavailable. (Metaxas wrote the biography of William Wilberforce that is the "companion book" to the movie Amazing Grace.) This book is has wit, insight, history, theology, and thought-provoking reading for any person of faith. Highly, highly recommended.
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