<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><head><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--></head><body><div class="yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:18px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">I still haven't seen the movie, but a few of us have. Here's my response to a private email from one colleague:</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Marshall</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydp975c07e7yahoo-style-wrap" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">D**, I'm guessing from your description that the screenplay was not the result of any in-depth study of Bonhoeffer's life or his theology. </div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">I bet the screenwriter didn't even bother to read Eberhard Bethge's biography.</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">What I think he did is to create a cartoon Bonhoeffer character by superimposing the skeletal outline of Bonhoeffer's life onto a thriller movie framework.</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Leaving out the nuances and agonizing complexities of Bonhoeffer's ethical dilemmas as a pacifist.</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">I'm not shocked that this cartoon version of Bonhoeffer has him wishing to "tear down the institutional church." </div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">I think the real Bonhoeffer's life was more profoundly nuanced than that kind of statement. His <i style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Life Together</i> and <i style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">The Cost of Discipleship</i> were written while he supervised the underground seminary at Finkenwalde for students who were preparing to serve the dissenting Confessing Church that opposed the official German Church coalition that embraced Hitler. </div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">His focus on a "religionless Christianity" is a rejection of the 'smells and bells' and medieval belief system Luther inherited from Catholicism in favor of a radical immersion in the secular life of the world.</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">And also a radical following of Jesus rather than middle class cultural norms.</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Something like the monastic life of seminary students at Finkenwalde. Or maybe the O:E.<br clear="none" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"></div><div style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Although Bonhoeffer never abandoned his upper-class entitlement to a rich, privileged life. </div><div style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">I believe that <a shape="rect" href="https://spiritualfriendship.org/2014/08/08/one-more-post-on-the-gay-bonhoeffer/" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydp4db06780enhancr_card_3203739980" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the real Dietrich was in love with his young student Eberhard</a>, who was the beneficiary of his will.<br clear="none" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Dietrich reluctantly became engaged to marry the much younger Maria Von Wedemeyer only after her grandmother relentlessly pushed her on him and only after Eberhard got engaged to Dietrich's niece Renate.</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">I don't get the sense that he was ever hot to make love with Maria. Perhaps their experience of 'true love' was always from an emotional distance, especially after Dietrich's arrest just three months after their announcement. There were letters and supervised visits. That's all.</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">After both became engaged, Dietrich wrote to Eberhard, imagining that </div></div><blockquote style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 40px; border-width: medium; border-style: none; border-color: currentcolor; padding: 0px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><div class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydp975c07e7yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><b style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><font size="2" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Now, we can resume our partnership, and we can travel together in those places where we found so much joy, and we can leave our wives back in Germany, in Berlin, or some place.</font></b></span></div></div></blockquote><div class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydp975c07e7yahoo-style-wrap" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">In other words, they both acquired beards, and Dietrich longed to renew and pursue their spiritual friendship as 'soul mates' or whatever they decided to call it. </div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">But Eberhard was never willing to venture below the belt (as far as we can tell).</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">I'm not at all sure that Dietrich was ever willing to go there, much as he may have longed to do just that. He wrote in prison that he would die a virgin.</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">But since Eberhard's <i style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">whole life</i> was about Dietrich--especially as his martyred mentor and forever lost lover--how <b style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">hard</b> is it to understand the depth of his love in return?</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">At least that's <i style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">my</i> version of Bonhoeffer. Now I'll have to see the damn movie!</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Marshall</div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><span style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><a shape="rect" href="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/frankschaeffer/2014/06/dietrich-bonhoeffer-was-flamingly-gay-deal-with-it/" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353enhancr_card_2830400170" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dietrich Bonhoeffer Was Flamingly Gay-- Deal With It</a></span></div></div><div class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydp4db06780enhancr-link-previews ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydp4db06780ymail-preserve-class ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydp4db06780ymail-preserve-style" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;" dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><h3 style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: "YahooSans VF", YahooSans, "OpenSans VF", OpenSans, "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 0px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><span style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Links in the message <span class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydp4db06780link-enhancr-preview-count" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;">(1)</span></span></h3><div id="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpbc0a6909enhancr_card_3203739980" data-url="https://spiritualfriendship.org/2014/08/08/one-more-post-on-the-gay-bonhoeffer/" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="APPEND" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpbc0a6909yahoo-link-enhancr-card ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpbc0a6909ymail-preserve-class ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpbc0a6909ymail-preserve-style" style="max-width: 288px; font-family: "YahooSans VF", YahooSans, "OpenSans VF", OpenSans, "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px; display: inline-block; position: relative; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><a shape="rect" href="https://spiritualfriendship.org/2014/08/08/one-more-post-on-the-gay-bonhoeffer/" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpbc0a6909yahoo-enhancr-cardlink" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; outline-color: currentcolor !important;" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="288" height="80" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpbc0a6909card ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpbc0a6909yahoo-ignore-table" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(224, 228, 233); width: 288px; border-radius: 2px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><tbody style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><tr style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="80px" style="width: 80px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-radius: 2px 0px 0px 2px; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(224, 228, 233); outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><img src="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/zxRzzEtocMM1hk0TOAFLJw--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTgwO2g9ODA7YXBwaWQ9aWV4dHJhY3Q-/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/2cc907ddfd97c36effa06451c4816a2f5edc42d90761d02e4289a23713e62483?s=200&ts=1732309442.cf.jpg" width="80" height="80" style="width: 80px; vertical-align: middle; border-radius: 2px 0px 0px 2px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true" class=""></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="10px" style="width: 10px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><h2 class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpbc0a6909card-title" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(29, 34, 40); margin: 4px 0px; max-width: 186px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;">One More Post on the “Gay” Bonhoeffer</h2></td></tr></tbody></table></a><div class="ydp980848b7card-controls-injection-wrapper" style="width: 288px; z-index: 3; min-height: 0px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><div class="ydp980848b7p_a ydp980848b7T_fq7 ydp980848b7R_fq7" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><div class="ydp980848b7I_ak5mD ydp980848b7e_dRA ydp980848b7j_2kgqsw ydp980848b7P_wpoVE" style="z-index: 3; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><span style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><div data-test-id="shareButtonAnchor" class="ydp980848b7P_Z1otACY ydp980848b7H_6Fd5 ydp980848b7W_6Fd5" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><button tabindex="-1" class="ydp980848b7c27KHO0_n ydp980848b7b_0 ydp980848b7M_0 ydp980848b7i_0 ydp980848b7I_T ydp980848b7y_1c6GJq ydp980848b7A_6EqO ydp980848b7c1AVi73_6FsP ydp980848b7r_P ydp980848b7C_q ydp980848b7cvhIH6_T ydp980848b7P_0" data-test-id="icon-btn-share_social" title="Share" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><span class="ydp980848b7D_F ydp980848b7ab_C ydp980848b7gl_C ydp980848b7W_6D6F" style="width: 16px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"></span></button></div></span></div></div></div></div><div id="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpfd641762enhancr_card_2830400170" data-url="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/frankschaeffer/2014/06/dietrich-bonhoeffer-was-flamingly-gay-deal-with-it/" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="APPEND" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpfd641762yahoo-link-enhancr-card ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpfd641762ymail-preserve-class ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpfd641762ymail-preserve-style" style="max-width: 288px; font-family: "YahooSans VF", YahooSans, "OpenSans VF", OpenSans, "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px; display: inline-block; position: relative; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><a shape="rect" href="https://www.patheos.com/blogs/frankschaeffer/2014/06/dietrich-bonhoeffer-was-flamingly-gay-deal-with-it/" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpfd641762yahoo-enhancr-cardlink enhancr_card_2621457689" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; outline-color: currentcolor !important;" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="288" height="80" class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpfd641762card ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpfd641762yahoo-ignore-table" style="border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(224, 228, 233); width: 288px; border-radius: 2px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><tbody style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><tr style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="80px" style="width: 80px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-radius: 2px 0px 0px 2px; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(224, 228, 233); outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><img src="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/orrSE.bgVt2AAXC4cR6lsw--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTgwO2g9ODA7YXBwaWQ9aWV4dHJhY3Q-/http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41o8jQGhxhL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg.cf.jpg" width="80" height="80" style="width: 80px; vertical-align: middle; border-radius: 2px 0px 0px 2px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true" class=""></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="10px" style="width: 10px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;"></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="outline-color: currentcolor !important;"><h2 class="ydp980848b7yiv2714530353ydpfd641762card-title" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(29, 34, 40); margin: 4px 0px; max-width: 186px; outline-color: currentcolor !important;">Dietrich Bonhoeffer Was Flamingly Gay--...</h2></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div></div></div><div class="enhancr-link-previews ymail-preserve-class ymail-preserve-style" style="margin-top:10px"><h3 style="font-size:14px;font-weight:400;color:#454545;font-family:"YahooSans VF", YahooSans, "OpenSans VF", OpenSans, "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;text-shadow:1px 1px 0 rgb(255, 255, 255);margin:0;padding:8px 0"><br><br></h3></div></div></body></html>