Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Harlem

“Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the most significant theologians of the twentieth century. To this day, large audiences are still drawn to his important writings including The Cost of Discipleship, Life Together, and Ethics. But Bonhoeffer is even more widely-known for his remarkable and tragic biography…”

So begins today’s story from Dr. Sky Michael Johnston. 

For further viewing:
Dr. Victoria Barnett, “From Harlem to Berlin: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Experience of American Racism” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_iAL8GvSqk]

Transcript

90 Second Narratives
Season 10: “Seeking Justice”
Episode 2: “Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Harlem” 

Sky Michael Johnston:

Welcome to 90 Second Narratives, the podcast for “little stories with BIG historical significance.” I’m Sky Michael Johnston and this is Season 10 of the show with stories on the theme of “Seeking Justice.” Today, I am sharing the story, “Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Harlem.”

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the most significant theologians of the twentieth century. To this day, large audiences are still drawn to his important writings including The Cost of Discipleship, Life Together, and Ethics. But Bonhoeffer is even more widely-known for his remarkable and tragic biography.

Bonhoeffer was born in Breslau, Germany in 1906. He studied theology in Tübingen and Berlin, earning his doctorate in 1930, and served in various academic and ministerial positions. After the Nazi party took power in Germany in 1933, Bonhoeffer became a leader in what was known as the Confessing Church—a relatively small alliance of German Christians who opposed the large-scale capitulation of the Christian Church during Nazi rule in Germany. Bonhoeffer was arrested in 1943 and from prison participated in a failed coup that included an attempted assassination of Adolph Hitler. Bonhoeffer was executed in 1945 just shortly before the conclusion of World War II.

Especially in light of his tragic death, Bonhoeffer is remembered for giving everything to oppose the injustices of the Nazi regime in his home country. He took a stand against the currents of his nation. One experience that contributed to Bonhoeffer’s moral clarity as his country descended into the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust was a season that Bonhoeffer spent in the United States in 1930 and 1931. Bonhoeffer held a fellowship at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. While in New York, Bonhoeffer learned something about the experience of life in America for African Americans after befriending Frank Fisher who connected Bonhoeffer to Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.

Sometimes an outsider’s perspective can reveal injustices that people are slower to question within the culture and community in which they were raised. Bonhoeffer came from a place of privilege in Germany. But as he spent time in America with an African American community that grappled with the injustices it faced, Bonhoeffer faced those injustices as well. In this way, Bonhoeffer developed concerns for justice in America that were not shared by a majority of Americans. But Bonhoeffer’s experience of living with an oppressed community within a society also shaped his outlook towards his own country. Bonhoeffer’s time in America helped him on his path towards eventually giving up the security of his own privileged social position in Germany for the sake of the oppressed victims of his own government.

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If you would like to learn more about Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s experiences in New York and how it shaped his trajectory as an opponent of the Nazi regime, I suggest that you watch a lecture by Dr. Victoria Barnett entitled, “From Harlem to Berlin: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Experience of American Racism”. It can be found on YouTube with the link in the episode description.

Thank you for listening today. Please come back next episode as Season 10 continues with more true stories on the theme of “Seeking Justice.”