Bonhoeffer gay

Marsh wrote that Bonhoeffer had never had a girlfriend before his engagement. Already contributed? Membership connects you to a movement of readers who believe good journalism builds a better world. (RNS) A new biography is raising questions about the life and relationships of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an anti-Nazi dissident whose theological writings remain widely influential among Christians.

The new biography, “Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer,” from University of Virginia religious studies professor Charles Marsh, implies that Bonhoeffer may have had a same-sex attraction to his student, friend and later biographer Eberhard Bethge.

Bonhoeffer and Bethge shared a bank account, gave gifts under both of their names and slept by warm fires, read books, traveled and played the piano together, Marsh writes. Thank you again for your support along the way. In contrast, he has not heard anything from more left-leaning groups and institutions, including Union Seminary, the progressive seminary where Bonhoeffer studied under famed theologian Reinhold Niebuhr during his time in the U.

The idea that Bonhoeffer may have been gay or had same-sex attractions regularly comes up at Bonhoeffer conferences, Marsh said. Join today and support our work. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. In a time of misinformation and noise, HuffPost stays grounded in facts and empathy.

Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an anti-Nazi dissident whom some scholars say felt same-sex attraction. Log in to hide these messages. Although Marsh speculates Bonhoeffer harbored affections for his friend, his biography is one evangelicals can embrace because Marsh writes that he believes Bonhoeffer died a virgin, according to Wesley Hill, who describes himself as a celibate gay Christian.

Join the HuffPost Community. His own psychological struggle with homosexual attraction may help explain how Bonhoeffer, a. A Christian Century review, for instance, suggested Metaxas hijacked Bonhoeffer for his bonhoeffer purposes. Speculation about his likely gay orientation focuses on his love for Eberhard Bethge, who was his best friend and biographer.

Churches honor him on the anniversary of his execution (April 9). By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Join now and protect truth where it matters most.

We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. A review in First Things suggests similar frustration but cautious admiration for the book. Both left-leaning and right-leaning Christians herald the life and writings of Bonhoeffer, who was hanged for his involvement in the unsuccessful plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler in Bonhoeffer was engaged to a woman at the time of his bonhoeffer, observing that he had lived a full life even though he would die a virgin.

Your membership fuels journalism that strengthens democracy. We hope you gay join us once again. Still, Marsh notes, he was possessive and smothering in his attention. The response to the biography has been interesting. But too many Christians have tried to turn Bonhoeffer into a saint, said Nancy Duff, a professor of Christian ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary.

In his typically understated manner, Frank Schaeffer wrote an article, “Dietrich. Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. But out of respect for Bethge and family members, no one had formally broached the subject.

What struck me in reading [the Bonhoeffer-Bethge letters], perhaps in contrast to Marsh and Stackhouse’s views, was how unwieldy our categories are—either “homosexual” or “just friends”—when it comes to classifying a relationship as profound as Bonhoeffer and Bethge’s was.

A new biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Strange Glory, implies that the German theologian experienced same-sex attraction toward Eberhard Bethge, his friend and confidante who later wrote gay biography of Bonhoeffer and oversaw the collection of his works.