Called by Karl Barth "the brilliant Ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer," this book is finally being recognized as Bonhoeffer's magnum opus and one of the most important works of Christian ethics of the last century. Presented here in a new translation and a striking new arrangement, it is based on intensive study of the original manuscripts and includes copious historical notes and commentary. Written in the midst of the conspiracy to overthrow the Hitler regime, it is nonetheless chiefly concerned with ethics for the postwar time of reconstruction and peace. Focused on Christ, the God who became human, and the vision of a world reconciled with God, the Ethics shuns abstraction, seeks the will of God in concrete historical reality, and calls the church to be a transforming community in the world with a new responsibility in public life. Book jacket.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45), a German theologian, pastor, and ecumenist, studied in Berlin and at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He played a central role in the Confessing Church during the Nazi period and became one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century.