Part 1, Prologue and Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis

This biography of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, martyred by Adolf Hitler at the end of World War II, draws substantially on Bonhoeffer's own writings as it chronicles the development of his conservative Christian faith and how a determination to live according to that faith led him into a conspiracy to kill Hitler. At the same time as it focuses on Bonhoeffer's determination to understand and live God's will, the narrative also explores themes related to the nature and value of loyalty, and the value of friendship.

"Prologue"

The author describes how, in July of 1945, shortly after the official end to World War II, a memorial service was conducted at a church in London, England (see "Objects/Places - Holy Trinity Church") for a German citizen, executed in the last days of the war. The author...