While in prison during the Third Reich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer raised several “core questions� in his correspondence with his close friend Eberhard Bethge: How shall future generations live? Who is Jesus Christ actually, for us, today? What does it mean to be truly human? And who am I? In Bonhoeffer’s Questions, John W. de Gruchy explores the development of each question in the course of Bonhoeffer’s life, how he attempted to answer them, and how each prompted further questions in an ongoing conversation with himself, with others, and now with us today. De Gruchy does this within the framework of his own life-long and life-changing conversation with Bonhoeffer in the context of South Africa from the beginning of the apartheid era to the present day. He also describes how he has come to know Bonhoeffer as a theological witness to Christ, a prophet of God’s justice, and a Christian humanist before proceeding with a series of questions addressed to Bonhoeffer with the reader in mind. These range from the debate about God and the future of Christianity to the involvement of Christians and the church in political struggles today.

Creation and Fall originated in lectures given by Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the University of Berlin in the winter semester of 1932-33 during the demise of the Weimar Republic and the birth of the Third Reich. In the course of these events, Bonhoeffer called his students to focus their attention on the word of God the word of truth in a time of turmoil.

This Companion serves as a guide for readers wanting to explore the thought and legacy of the great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45). The book shows why Bonhoeffer remains such an attractive figure to so many people of diverse backgrounds. Its chapters, written by authors from differing national, theological and church contexts, provide a helpful introduction to, and commentary on, Bonhoeffer's life, work and writing and so guide the reader along the complex paths of his thought. Experts set out comprehensively Bonhoeffer's political, social and cultural contexts, and offer biographical information which is indispensable for the understanding of his theology. Major themes arising from the theology, and different interpretations to it, lead the reader into a dialogue with this most influential of thinkers who remains both fascinating and challenging. There is a chronology, a glossary and an index.

Kairos is used in the New Testament to signify a pivotal moment in history: a critical time of judgement and opportunity where chaos must be faced and one must change their ways before it becomes irreparable. Confronted by the Covid-19 pandemic and mandatory isolation, John de Gruchy felt a similar need to adapt and respond. In doing so, he found a deepening in his desire for authentic humanity, genuine community, and the opportunity affirm his conviction that true humanity is rooted in God, wisdom, and the struggle for justice. Mixing theology, history, anecdote, spirituality, social commentary, and practical suggestions, This Monastic Moment reflects on this period, and argues that now is the opportune time to embrace the opportunity God has given to receive the coming kingdom in greater fullness. This urgency echoes St Benedict of Nursia's  call to 'listen', 'wake up', and 'run' while there is still light before 'the darkness of death'. With consideration given both to contemplation and action, to prayer and justice, de Gruchy's own personal pilgrimage provides the tools to embark upon, or aid, your own.  

Christianity, Art and Transformation explores the historical and contemporary relationship between the arts and Christianity with reference to the transformation of society. Several major themes are discussed, among them the power of images, the relationship between aesthetics and ethics, the nature of beauty and its redemptive capacity, aesthetic existence and Christian discipleship, and the role of art in the public square and in the life of the Church. The book is a contribution to the study of theological aesthetics from both an ecumenical and Reformed perspective, global in its scope yet rooted in the author's South African context.

Christianity, Art and Transformation is a journey of exploration that is both historical and contemporary, theological and practical. The reader is invited to share in the journey beginning in the life of the early church, traveling through the history of European Christianity and art, and arriving in southern Africa. Many themes weave through its pages, among them the nature of beauty, good taste, the power of sacred images, aesthetics and ethics, and the role of art in society and the church today.

This Companion serves as a guide for readers wanting to explore the thought and legacy of the great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45). Its chapters, written by authors from differing national, theological and church contexts, provide an introduction to, and commentary on, Bonhoeffer's life and work, guiding the reader along the paths of his thought. Experts set out Bonhoeffer's political, social and cultural contexts, and offer biographical information that is indispensable for the understanding of his theology. There is a chronology and a glossary.

The need for global democratisation is now widely recognised, but there is considerable debate about what this means and how it can be achieved. In this important study John de Gruchy examines the historic and contemporary roles of Christianity in the development of democracy. He traces the gestation of modern democracy in medieval Christendom, and then describes the virtual breakdown of the relationship as democracy becomes the polity of modernity. Five twentieth-century case studies - the USA, Nicaragua, sub-Saharan Africa, Germany and South Africa - demonstrate the extent to which ecumenical Christianity has begun to reconnect with democracy and act as its contemporary midwife. De Gruchy argues that democracy needs to rediscover its spiritual heritage, while Christianity needs to develop a theology adequate for its participation in the realisation of a just democratic world order.

How can one genuinely follow Jesus today, and what does that mean about one's lifestyle, social and political commitments, and ethical stance? In this fine work, internationally renowned theologian John de Gruchy answers that question. Reviving an almost silenced tradition, he lifts the banner of Christian humanism - not secular humanism with a Christian veneer, but a critical retrieval of Christianity's core convictions and values in ways that are both critical of and yet constructively engaged with secular culture in serving the well-being of humanity.

In this stimulating book, John W. de Gruchy points out the relevance of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's thought for the life of the church in South Africa, engaging in dialogue the theology of Bonhoeffer and the theology of South Africa. Both Bonhoeffer's theology and his life bore witness to the need for Christians to come face to face with the pressing political and social issues of the day. Bonhoeffer believed that to bear an authentic witness to Christ in certain settings was to go against the stream; the church in South Africa, says de Gruchy, faces the challenge to be just such a "troublesome witness." He finds in Bonhoeffer's theology direction and liberation for the oppressed -- as well s for the privileged, who need to be "freed for others." Throughout, the book demonstrates the abiding significance of Bonhoeffer's theology, which, according to de Gruchy, derives from the fact that he was, before all else, a witness to Jesus Christ. John de Gruchy is Robert Selby Taylor Professor of Christian Studies and Director of the Religion and Social Change Unit in the University of Cape Town.