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Lenten Reading Schedule: Exploring the Works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This Lent, we invite you to journey with us through selected readings from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, edited by Robert Coles. This schedule is designed to guide you through the season with 10-12 pages of reading per week, along with optional suggestions for those who wish to dive deeper. The book begins with an outline of Bonhoeffer’s life (pp. 13-14) and a detailed introduction by Robert Coles, which provides valuable context for the readings. While not required, these sections or the documentary Bonhoeffer (available on Amazon Prime and YouTube) can offer helpful background information.

Each week, reflection questions will be provided to deepen your engagement with the text. Additionally, on Sunday, April 6th, Leah will host a lunch after the service for participants who wish to discuss their insights and experiences. To join the lunch or ask questions about the reading schedule, please RSVP to Leah.

Weekly Reading Schedule

Week 1: March 10–16

  • Chapters 1 (“Jesus Christ and the Essence of Christianity”) and 2 (“Christ the Center”), pp. 43–53

  • Optional: Read “Making of a Disciple” (pp. 15–42) or watch the Bonhoeffer documentary for an overview of his biography.

  • Week 1 Reflection Questions:

    • In the first chapter, Bonhoeffer describes Christianity not as another “human way to God” but as “the way of God to people”? Do you agree with this idea? Why or why not? How have you experienced Jesus-centered faith to be the way God comes to you?

    • In chapter 1 Bonhoeffer says, “A king who goes to the cross must be the king of a wonderful kingdom.” What does this statement tell you about Bonhoeffer’s perspective on the difference between “Earthly Empire” and “Divine Kin-dom”?

    • The essay in Chapter 2 was written in 1933, months after Hitler came to power and transformed the republic to a dictatorship. How does keeping this in mind impact what Bonhoeffer is saying to you about authority? How do you think he understands Jesus to be different from leaders like Adolf Hitler or others who were in authority under him?

    • “In the end, there are only two possibilities of encountering Jesus: either man must die or he kills Jesus.” What do you think Bonhoeffer meant by that? Why might that have been a difficult word for those who heard him to receive? What makes it difficult now?

Week 2: March 17–23

  • Chapter 3 (“The Cost of Discipleship”), pp. 53–64

  • Week 2 Reflection Questions:

    • Are there parallels between the “cheap grace” that Bonhoeffer denounced in Nazi Germany and the way Christian churches preach and teach the gospel today?

    • Where have you experienced “costly grace”? What have those costs been? Wheat has the gift of grace brought along with the cost?

    • “The price we are having to pay today in the shape of the collapse of the organized church is only the inevitable consequence of our policy of making grace available to all at too low a cost.” Have you seen a parallel to this on our own time? What has that looked like?

    • How does Bonhoeffer’s statement, “when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die,” apply to Christians today? Are there different forms in which such “death” takes place?

Week 3: March 24–30

  • Chapter 4 (“Life Together”), pp. 65–76

  • Week 3 Reflection Questions:

    • In the beginning of this selection, Bonhoeffer refers to Christian living, like Jesus Christ, “in the midst of enemies.” In Bonhoeffer’s life the visible “enemies” were the agents of Nazi oppression. Are there Christian faith communities in today’s world where Christians find their mission and work embedded “in the midst of enemies”?

    • Describing the essence of the Christian faith community, Bonhoeffer insists that “Christian community means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ.” He adds that in genuine Christian community Christians “belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.” In what ways in the Christian community is Jesus Christ a source for the ways in which Christians become bonded to one another in a life of mutual love and caring?

    • Bonhoeffer warns that, “Every human idealized image that is brought into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be broken up so that genuine community can survive.” How have you seen communities grapple with the distance between “idealized” community and “genuine” community?

Week 4: March 31–April 6

  • Chapter 5 excerpt (“To the Young Brothers in the Church in Pomerania”), pp. 77–87

  • Optional: Read pp. 88–91.

  • Special Event: Lunch discussion after Sunday service on April 6th.

Week 5: April 7–13

  • Chapter 6 excerpts (“The Successful Man” and “Conscience”), pp. 97–104; Chapter 7 (“After Ten Years”), pp. 108–114

  • Optional: Read pp. 92–96 and pp. 105–107.

Week 6: April 14–20

  • Chapter 8 (“Letters from Prison”), pp. 115–127

This Lenten reading schedule is an opportunity to reflect on Bonhoeffer’s profound insights into faith, community, and discipleship as we prepare our hearts for Easter. We look forward to walking this journey together!

 

Looking for more inspiring reads? Explore our full archive of recommended books, carefully selected to reflect Haven’s values of faith, spirituality, and activism. From past favorites to timeless classics, this collection offers resources to deepen your understanding and spark meaningful conversations. Click below to discover the books that have shaped our journey!