Hymns from prison: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Authors & translators:
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich

April 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the end of World War II. It also marked the anniversary of the death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed by the Nazis just days before German troops began surrendering to the Allied forces.

Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, dissident anti-Nazi, and founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity’s role in the secular world, in which he called for a “religionless Christianity”, have become widely influential and are described in his book The Cost of Discipleship. His association with those who plotted to assassinate Hitler meant that his death became inevitable. He was executed aged 39 in Flossenburg concentration camp.

The collection of his writings titled Letters and Papers from Prison includes (in some editions) poems that speak of faith from the perspective of his personal situation. At least two of these have been crafted into hymns – including “We turn to God when we are sorely pressed” (StF 640). This is a hymn that speaks with striking clarity of God’s own suffering, which stands alongside that of human individuals and communities. Get to know the hymn here.

“By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered” is another text that touches with powerful honesty upon the challenges of personal grief and suffering, while upholding a passionate trust in God’s presence and care.

Read more about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (4 February, 1906 – 9 April, 1945)

    • Wikipedia - more detailed links and bibliography; and includes a discussion of the disputed circumstances surrounding his execution
    • BBC Radio 4 - in an episode from BBC Radio 4’s Great Lives series, Matthew Parris discusses the life and influence of Bonhoeffer with Bonhoeffer admirer and TV actor David Soul
Hymns for Today by Brian Wren
Hymns of resurrection

Privacy information

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies. You can set your privacy choices below. Changes will take effect immediately.

For more information on our use of web storage, please refer to our Privacy Policy

Strictly necessary storage

ON
OFF

Necessary storage enables core site functionality. This site cannot function without it, so it can only be disabled by changing settings in your browser.

Analytics cookie

ON
OFF

When you visit our website we use Google Analytics to collect information on your journey through the website. This information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you. Google provides a Google Analytics opt-out add on for all popular browsers.

Marketing cookie

ON
OFF

When you visit our website we use a Facebook Pixel to collect information on your journey through the website. This information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you.

Your privacy choices for this site

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies to enhance your experience beyond necessary core functionality.