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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How did Bonhoeffer characterize his decision to go to Barcelona, according to Metaxas?

2. What does Metaxas report to be the name of the church wherein Bonhoeffer heard the preaching of Adam Clayton Powell, Sr.?

3. What does Metaxas claim Bonhoeffer discovered of Spanish professors and contemporary Spanish writers?

4. At what age does Metaxas report Bonhoeffer completed his second postdoctoral thesis?

5. Upon what Christian principal was the Barman Declaration that rejected Nazi influence over the German church based, according to Metaxas?

Short Essay Questions

1. What event during Bonhoeffer's trip to Rome does Metaxas suggest to have begun developing Bonhoeffer's understanding of the concept of "church"?

2. What was a criticism of Bonhoeffer's regarding the communal living of American seminary students that was cited by Metaxas?

3. Why does Metaxas suggest that Bonhoeffer was willing to accept pastoral work in England from the Third Reich's Theodor Heckel in the Church Foreign Office?

4. What marked the friendship between Bonhoeffer and Franz Reinhold Hildebrandt according to Metaxas?

5. How does Metaxas paraphrase Martin Luther to explain that faith in the Gospel affects individual lives?

6. How does Metaxas explain how the movie "All Quiet on the Western Front" affected Bonhoeffer?

7. What were the liberal theological ideas promoted by Adolf von Harnack with which Bonhoeffer disagreed, according to Metaxas?

8. For what was Bonhoeffer's father, Karl Bonhoeffer, internationally renowned, according to Metaxas?

9. According to Metaxas, why was Reformation Sunday an important celebration for churches in Germany?

10. How did Bonhoeffer characterize religion in a lecture given while he was an assistant pastor in Barcelona, according to Metaxas?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Upon entering Berlin, Bonhoeffer took exceptions with Adolf von Harnack's approach to theology and proceeded to debate Harnack's positions. Harnack, however, chose to invite Bonhoeffer to study under him during Harnack's final summer seminar and Bonhoeffer accepted the invitation. Explain how Bonhoeffer choosing to learn from people with whom he disagreed was a sign of his character that followed him through his life. Detail how this tendency affected his relationships, his ministries, and his persecution and eventual imprisonment.

Essay Topic 2

When Bonhoeffer returned to Berlin after his year in Barcelona and another year in America, he found the Nazis were asserting themselves over every aspect of the German culture. Examine the book for reasons that Hitler and the Nazis became so appealing to Germany. Identify some of the difficulties that came to Germany due to the Treaty of Versailles as they are detailed in the book and even from sources outside of the book. Use these to help to explain Hitler's rise to power.

Essay Topic 3

Think of yourself as being in the role of a church leader in Nazi Germany in 1934. You are being pressured by the government to accept various intrusions into your church, such as making your youth department part of the Hitler Youth, and taking loyalty oaths to the Nazi Party. Write how you would plan to respond and what steps you would take to prepare your church for your decision, then write the message you would deliver to your congregation telling them of your decision and informing them of the first steps they will need to take so you can lead your church toward where you feel it needs to go.

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This section contains 927 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample