Bonhoeffer and Continental Thought: Cruciform Philosophy [Paperback]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, best known for his involvement in the anti-Nazi resistance, was one of the 20th century's most important theologians. His ethics have been a source of guidance and inspiration for men and women in the face of evil. Today, Bonhoeffer's theology is being read by Continental thinkers who value his contributions to the recent religious turn in philosophy. In this volume, an international group of scholars present Bonhoeffer's thought as a model of Christian thinking that can help shape a distinctly religious philosophy. They examine the philosophical influences on Bonhoeffer and explore the new perspectives his work brings to the perennial challenges of faith and reason, philosophy and theology, and the problem of evil. These essays add Bonhoeffer's voice to important contemporary debates in the philosophy of religion.

This essay collection explores relationships between the theology of 20th-century Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whom the Nazis executed for his participation in armed struggle against Hitler, and philosophy. Some essays explore the philosophical roots of Bonhoeffer's project and the ways he employed philosophy to do theological work or corrected philosophical assumptions with theological ends. Other essays show the ways Bonhoeffer's theology, especially concerning interactions between human beings, resonates with the philosophy of later Continental philosophers such as Emmanuel Levinas. This collection is insightful and its essays largely careful explorations. However, the essays are also works of fairly technical philosophy and theology that would be most useful to specialists in the field and graduate students working on original research. Libraries with faculty who regularly teach classes on Bonhoeffer or other topics in philosophical theology may wish to consider this volume. Despite its outstanding essays, it is probably too narrow and specialized to be useful in collections that do not support significantl)