The Bonhoefferian

The Bonhoeffers: Portrait of a Family
by Sabine Leibholz-Bonhoeffer
Covenant Publications, Chicago, 1994.
188 pages
ISBN 910452-78-4

Reviewed by Chris L. Rice 

Frits Delange writes in Waiting for the Word that “the significance of family relations for Bonhoeffer’s theology cannot be overestimated.” This beautiful little book of reflections from Bonhoeffer’s twin sister Sabine really helps to lend color to the mosaic painted by Eberhard Bethge’s biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. For example, one should take note that Dietrich spent time with Sabine and her family before and after his second trip to the United States in 1939. Bonhoeffer’s family relationships were much tighter than is normally expected of a modern family, his formed and deepened his education, his understanding of community, and really served as a touchstone for his love for humanity. Alongside books like I Knew Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Zimmerman and Gregor Smith, Sabine’s book is a must-have for anyone wanting to know Dietrich Bonhoeffer.