Dr. Mark Thiessen Nation, professor of theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, will present a lecture, “Bonhoeffer the Assassin?: Challenging a Myth, Recovering Costly Grace” Wednesday, February 23, 3:30-5 at Eastern Mennonite University, Martin Chapel.<\/p>\n
Nation will challenge the long-held assumption that Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and pastor, was arrested, imprisoned and executed because of his involvement in plots to assassinate Hitler. \u00a0Instead, Nation will argue that it was Bonhoeffer\u2019s costly discipleship\u2014which led a Nazi official to call him \u201ca pacifist and enemy of the state\u201d\u2014that led to his arrest, imprisonment and execution.<\/p>\n
Bonhoeffer is known for his popular books, The Cost of Discipleship<\/em> and Life Together<\/em>.\u00a0 He is less well-known for his early and active opposition to the Nazi persecution of the Jews, and the “new monasticism\u201d he introduced to the seminary he directed. He was also seen as so dangerous that he was banned from public speaking and publishing.<\/p>\n This presentation is a summary of a book Nation is writing with two EMS graduates, Anthony Siegrist and Daniel Umbel. \u00a0Nation will present his summary of their research at the University Colloquium in Martin Chapel from 3:30-5. The book is scheduled for publication next year by Baker Academic Press. \u00a0This book will be the first to make the argument that Bonhoeffer was not involved in any assassination attempts.\u00a0 But as importantly, it will attempt to re-claim the central legacy of Bonhoeffer, a call to discipleship.<\/p>\n “If we are successful in our argument,” said Nation, “It will require a complete reexamination of the Bonhoeffer legacy.”<\/p>\n University colloquiums are free and open to the public.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"