Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas

Eric Metaxas delivers an extensive biography of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Metaxas chronicles Bonhoeffer’s life from childhood, through his academic years, his pastoral years, time spent with the German Resistance against Hitler, and finally ends with his execution. Throughout the biography, Metaxas inserts letters and writings that further help us to understand the thought process behind Bonhoeffer’s actions. Additionally, Metaxas includes a lot of history to help the reader understand the culture and times in which Bonhoeffer lived.

I LOVED this biography. I would HIGHLY recommend it to everyone I know. I haven’t read much Bonhoeffer, but reading about his life and the small snippets of his writings makes me want to immediately go out and read everything he’s ever written. This work was inspiring and often quite convicting. There were times when Metaxas was very wordy and he really enjoyed using clichés, but I was willing to look past all that because of how incredible the story was. And the fact that Bonhoeffer actually lived and did all these things rather than just being some made up hero figure is what really makes this biography so great. It shows us that we can live truly powerful lives if we completely commit ourselves and our wills into God’s hands. Don’t be daunted by how long this book is. Every once in awhile it seems to drag, but it is truly worth the time.

*I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Book Review: "Saint Patrick" by Jonathan Rogers

BookSneeze® provided me with a complimentary copy of this book so that I could review it.

"Saint Patrick" is part of a Thomas Nelson series called “Christian Encounters.” The point of the series is to make church history more accessible for the general believer. In the “Saint Patrick” book, Rogers attempts to get behind the legends and consumerism of St. Patrick’s Day to the true life of the actual saint. Rogers examines the history available about Patrick and puts him into context. Additionally, there is an Appendix with writings attributed to St. Patrick.

I thought the premise of this book – seeking the true man behind the legend – was great, but it didn’t turn out exactly as I expected. There was a lot of speculation on Rogers’ part (though, as an academic, I know that this is the best he could do with the sources available to him). I suppose I was more interested in the grandiose stories than I realized, so I was expecting more of those. However, for the purpose of the book, and the series in general, I think Rogers did a good job of presenting the real Patrick and introducing the reader to the history. This book was a little dry at times, but it definitely made me more interested in learning about the true Patrick. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in an academic introduction to the true St. Patrick and the Irish culture of his time.

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