The Plot To Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero

On April 15, 1943, the Gestapo arrived at Dietrich Bonhoeffer's house in Berlin to arrest him for his role in attempting to assassinate Adolf Hitler. His guilt is never in doubt; instead, the book explores the question of what led this Lutheran minister, this pacifist and devout man of the cloth, to plan to kill another human. McCormick briefly covers Dietrich's privileged childhood, a childhood marred only by the death of his older brother in WWI. She traces his spiritual and religious calling, his deep beliefs, his ministries to the poor, and his scholarly theological contributions. Concurrently, and chillingly, McCormick catalogs Hitler's steady rise to power: his election to chancellor of Germany, his suspension of the constitution, and his escalating persecution of Jews, including mass deportations and the Final Solution. Readers see that Bonhoeffer wanted to "use the moral authority of the church to fight Hitler" but could not gather support from the religious community; in a deliberate move, he decided that, like Martin Luther before him, he would "sin and sin boldly," working against Hitler and using his church ministries to conceal his actions. Questions of moral authority drive Bonhoeffer's story, and his execution for the failed attempts at Hitler's life just a few weeks before Germany surrendered raises the provocative question for readers: was it worth it? Archival photographs supplement the text, which is appended with a timeline, source notes, a bibliography, and an index. betty carter

In April 1943, the Gestapo arrested pacifist Lutheran minister Dietrich Bonhoeffer for attempting to assassinate Hitler. Alongside Bonhoeffer's religious calling and theological contributions, McCormick chillingly details Hitler's rise to power. When Bonhoeffer could not gather support from the religious community to fight Hitler, he decided to "sin boldly." Questions of moral authority drive the story; archival photographs supplement the text. Timeline. Bib., ind.