{"id":270,"date":"2024-12-06T05:09:59","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T05:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.johnjackman.com\/?p=270"},"modified":"2026-04-08T02:04:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T02:04:40","slug":"bonhoeffer-pastor-spy-assassin-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.johnjackman.com\/?p=270","title":{"rendered":"Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin – REVIEW"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by John Jackman<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Movies are not academic documentaries; they are storytelling and drama.  Filmmakers must always take some license to fit a complex story into two hours, and indeed is it hard not to add embellishments that make for better cinema: “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story” said Mark Twain.  Making a movie about a revered historical religious figure is a daunting challenge; someone will always be unhappy with the way you tell the story of their favorite religious leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say this because I\u2019ve done it; for my 2009 movie Wesley<\/strong><\/em> we struggled to compress just a few years of John Wesley\u2019s complex story into two hours.  Many lauded the film, others hated it \u2013 often scholars who complained that their favorite hobby horse had been overlooked.  So I approach reviewing Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin<\/strong><\/em> with some caution, particularly because I have strong opinions about Bonhoeffer, who I studied extensively in seminary, and whose writings profoundly affected my own theology.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The timing of the release of Bonhoeffer <\/strong><\/em>is part of the problem, though the filmmakers might have foreseen that.  Eric Metaxas\u2019 book Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy<\/em> (2011) has been lambasted by scholars, and has been used by the Christian Right to support violent action.  Metaxas himself has deepened the controversy by seeming to call for violent bloodshed to defend Donald Trump\u2019s false claim that he won the 2020 election, and his advocacy of what sounds like a totalitarian takeover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, a large group of scholars and the descendants of the Bonhoeffer family publicly decried the misuse of Bonhoeffer\u2019s name and thought to support Christian Nationalism (links at end of article).  They condemned Metaxas\u2019 book and the new movie \u2013 though unfortunately none of them had been able to preview the movie at the time.  The similarity of titles was a mistake, and poor decisions by Angel Films in the early promotion (showing Bonhoeffer holding a pistol, or wearing an explosive vest for instance) made it seem that the movie was based on Metaxas\u2019 book.  A special preview at the Museum of the Bible in Washington last month stirred that pot even more, since Eric Metaxas was the speaker and host. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Todd Komarnicki <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The film\u2019s writer and director Todd Komarnicki (the writer of Sully<\/em> and producer of Elf<\/em>) denied any association. Komarnicki recently told podcaster Tripp Fuller that the movie was not based on Metaxas\u2019 work at all. He seemed offended by the idea, maintaining that the movie was his personal interpretation of Bonhoeffer.  \u201cI\u2019m not trying to say this is the definitive Bonhoeffer,\u201d he said, \u201cbut rather, this is the man that I encountered in his writing, and how it touched me as an artist and as a Christian.\u201d  But this is the problem: despite his extensive writings, Bonhoeffer is at times a tabula rasa<\/em> on which readers can project their own opinions. And I am willing to bet that Komarnacki read the Metaxas book before doing other research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The timing of the release is also interesting because it happens just after an election that some feel marks the beginning of the end of the great American Experiment.  A man who openly admires authoritarian rulers, who keeps a copy of Hitler\u2019s speeches on his bedstand, has now been elected president for the second time \u2013 but this time with many traditional guard rails removed.  Hitler was also regarded by the right as a \u201csavior sent by God\u201d and many German churches were swayed to not only acquiesce to Hitler, but to regard him as God\u2019s agent and hand.  Nazi Bibles were published with revisions, including a couple of extra commandments.  Now, all this is shown clearly in Komarnicki\u2019s movie; and most people watching the movie will note the similarities to recent events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went to see Bonhoeffer<\/em> at a preview just before the official wide release.   I felt that I had to see the movie for myself before passing any judgment.  First, let me address Bonhoeffer<\/em> just as a movie; then I will look at where Komarnicki fails to capture the complex subject of his film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The movie is actually pretty well done, especially when compared to the normal \u201cfaith film\u201d of the past.  Production values are excellent, the acting is generally quite good, and the direction is mostly good.  Jonas Dassler (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) is compelling in many scenes, though there are places where the acting and the writing seem clich\u00e9d.  The film uses a \u201cflashback\u201d structure (from Bonhoeffer in prison) to collapse the time, but in online reviews many people found this confusing \u2013 some because they didn\u2019t know the story, and other because they did<\/em> know the story and were confused by liberties taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Historically, the script is pretty accurate for a film of this nature \u2013 but that\u2019s quite a low standard!    Komarnicki takes many historical liberties that were not needed for condensing the story.  The film does show Bonhoeffer\u2019s time at Union Seminary in New York and his friendships in Harlem with the Abyssinian Baptist Church.  This is mostly fictionized, however, and while it shows his exposure to American racism, it falls short in conveying the strong pacifist resistance to racism that Bonhoeffer witnessed, which was a huge shaping influence on his theology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here\u2019s where the film goes astray: Bonhoeffer was a profound pacifist, and I have the feeling that (like many people), Komarnicki doesn\u2019t adequately understand pacifism.  Bonhoeffer had been in touch with Mahatma Gandhi in the early 1930s, and learned more from the saints at Abbysinian Baptist Church (MLK didn\u2019t invent peaceful resistance).  Adam Clayton Powell Sr. has been credited with teaching Bonhoeffer about love of enemies, resisting systems of injustice, Christ’s presence with the poor, and the idea of “cheap grace”. Like Gandhi, Bonhoeffer believed \u201cThere are many causes that I am prepared to die for, but no causes that I am prepared to kill for.\u201d  In the movie, Bonhoeffer enthusiastically abandons that position, and the complex, carefully thought out theology he had espoused, and participates actively in the plot to kill Hitler. Komarnicki\u2019s Bonhoeffer talks about the necessity to have \u201cdirty hands,\u201d an ethical concept that the real Bonhoeffer never used or referred to that I can find.  Miles Werntz writes in Christianity Today<\/em>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rather than depicting a man of deep theological convictions and subtle intellect, Bonhoeffer<\/strong><\/em> tells the story of a man for whom moral convictions are a flexible and useful tool, a man whose actions are determined not by concerns for the church\u2019s witness but by perceived historical necessity. It is the story of a Bonhoeffer willing to do anything\u2014including disavow the teachings of Jesus as he understood them\u2014to assassinate Adolf Hitler.<\/p>\nChristianity Today<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


Victoria Barnett, the editor of Bonhoeffer\u2019s collected works, describes the movie \u201cas a very romanticized \u2018Christian hero\u2019 fantasy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[Bonhoeffer\u2019s] legacy is actually a very critical one of the failures of his church in Christianity. How would we read him if we were not looking for a hero story, but reading him for insight and guidance into how to be a good person in this world? It\u2019s a fantasy. They\u2019ve made lots of things up to actually contradict who he was and what he did.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Forward<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


But \u2013 didn\u2019t Dietrich Bonhoeffer actively participate in the plot to kill Hitler?  That\u2019s the popular view.  His brother-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi did.  But much of the popular myth of Bonhoeffer is imagination, people filling in blanks.  Scholars today point out that there is no evidence that Dietrich actually helped or actively participated in the plot.  He probably knew about it, but even that is speculation.  He was active in the resistance, and knew many people involved in the plot, but he certainly did not abandon his own theology, as he seems to in the movie.  Instead, he confirmed his continued belief in pacifism in letters from prison.  Bonhoeffer\u2019s own actions of Christian resistance\u2014spreading information to international contacts, and assisting with sending Jews to Switzerland\u2014were consistent with his long-standing convictions.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Bonhoeffer: Preacher, Spy, Assassin<\/strong><\/em> does not seem to promote Christian nationalism (as some feared), and does indeed get many things right.  However, it fails to hit the mark in significant ways, in particular understanding how profound Bonhoeffer\u2019s bravery was.  Like Jan Hus, he stood publicly and courageously against the might of empire, knowing that he would likely pay the ultimate price. He proclaimed truth in the face of fascism.  Miles Werntz, writing in Christianity Today<\/em>, concludes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What we needed was a film about a man concerned with how God might be calling the church to be steadfast amid the great temptation to mold our faith to our politics.<\/p>\nChristianity Today<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Warren Throckmorton voices a slightly different perspective:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is good that the movie is triggering discussion about how to respond to a totalitarian regime. We are now living in the shadow of that possibility. This is new ground for American Christians and we need to deal with it.<\/p>\nThe Throckmorton Initiative<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


I would encourage church groups to see the movie, but to be forearmed with solid information and an awareness of the inaccuracies  — and use it as a springboard for conversation.  I can see some very fruitful discussions happening on difficult topics, especially in our current times.  I would also encourage Christians to read Bonhoeffer\u2019s actual writings rather than third-party interpretations.  In our time, the Church needs to wrestle with his profound thought in a significant way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

___________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Jackman is pastor of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, NC and organizer of the Debt Jubilee Project<\/a>.  He wrote and directed Wesley<\/a><\/strong> (2009) and Newton\u2019s Grace<\/a><\/strong> (2013) as well as numerous documentaries.  He studied Dietrich Bonhoeffer\u2019s writings under Dr. Charles Hargis at Moravian Theological Seminary.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

___________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LINKS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Letter from the Bonhoeffer Family:
https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1SIKs7_yO3nbPFjRb4FV8wi-WKwghBvUP\/view<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Letter from Bonhoeffer Scholars:
https:\/\/bonhoeffersociety.org\/2024\/10\/16\/sign-our-petition-stop-misusing-dietrich-bonhoeffer-to-support-political-violence-and-christian-nationalism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead Actors of Movie Condemn Christian Nationalism:
https:\/\/bonhoeffersociety.org\/2024\/11\/04\/statement-lead-actors-in-bonhoeffer-spy-pastor-assassin-speak-out-together-against-the-misuse-of-bonhoeffers-legacy\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s No Such Thing As A Bonhoeffer Moment<\/a> \u2013 Victoria Barnett<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recommended Reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonhoeffer the Assassin? Challenging the Myth, Recovering His Call to Peacemaking<\/em><\/a> by Mark Thiessen Nation, Anthony G. Siegrist, Daniel P. Umbel (Baker Academic)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dietrich Bonheoffer: A Biography<\/em><\/a> by Eberhard Bethge (Fortress Press)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in the Wheel<\/em><\/a> by Renate Wind (Eeerdman)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theologian of Resistance: The Life and Thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer<\/em><\/a> by Christiane Tietz (Fortress Press)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer<\/em><\/a>. By Charles Marsh (Knopf Doubleday Publishing)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonhoeffer\u2019s Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethic of Resistance<\/em><\/a> by Reggie Williams (Baylor University Press)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recommended Viewing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Pacifist, Nazi Resister<\/em><\/a> a documentary by Martin Doblmeier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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