Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom (Radio Theatre) Audio CD – CD, July 1, 2007

Here is the glowing report I posted on Facebook about this audio presentation on Bonhoeffer: "If you like to listen to books on CD, I HIGHLY recommend Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom (Radio Theatre), a 3 CD audio theatrical production by Focus on the Family. It's available from Amazon.com for a little over $ 12. It is the fascinating true story of German Christian pastor/teacher, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. this provocative Peabody award-winning dramatization shares the story of his battle against the evils of Nazism, a decadent culture, and compromising church―something that's not so foreign to society today. The story is challenging, compelling, entertaining, but true! Dietrich became so convicted of the cancerous poison of Hitler's rule, that he joined a resistance movement that aimed to assassinate Hitler, and suffered death by hanging for his efforts, just momentarily before Allied liberation forces arrived. The story is dramatically delivered with many voices and sound effects. This CD audio book outclasses any I've ever heard in terms of professional recording style. WELL DONE!!" I've also listened to Eric Mataxes lengthier bio of Bonhoeffer. It was very good but you might get bogged down in the details. You will not get bogged down in this Radio Theater production on Bonhoeffer. It is powerful, moving, relevant, etc.!! By the way, this is an uncompensated, unsolicited review. I was just so impressed with it that I had to promote it on Facebook, and recommend it here.

All of the Focus on the Family Radio Theater dramatizations are first-class entertainment. They use top-notch voice actors, music and sound effects. But of all of them, Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom is far and away the best. It uses all of the above-mentioned factors to tell a real-life story that is powerful and moving.Dietrich Bonhoeffer, born in 1906, came from a distinguished German family. But from an early age he chose not to follow in his father's academic footsteps but instead to pursue a calling in the ministry. Although disturbed by the treatment of blacks that he had witnessed during his time in seminary in the United States, he was nevertheless convinced that nothing like that could happen in Germany and that the religious leadership should stay out of politics. But shortly after he finished seminary, returned to Germany and entered full-fledged ministry Hitler came to power. Disturbed by the discrimination against Jews that began almost immediately, Bonhoeffer's outspoken criticism of these policies alienated him from the German church that was coming increasingly under Hitler's control. But Dietrich Bonhoeffer refused to silently sit by and watch his beloved Germany descend into madness, and his brave actions eventually cost him the ultimate price.This is not a happily-ever after story; there are no happy endings here. But this is a powerful, true story about one man's brave stand for righteousness in the face of overpowering evil, even including actual sound clips of Hitler's speeches. Highly recommended.

This elevated, high-principled production won the prestigious Peabody award. Required listening for everyone who is devoted to freedom. Bonhoeffer's inspired, inspiring theology transcends both fundamentalism and liberalism, rendering their differences irrelevant. In the face of fascism, and in the face of a craven Christianity capitulating to Hitler, Bonhoeffer helped to redefine Christianity not only for his generation, but for generations to come (including ours, now confronted with the virulent madness of the Islam of Hitler's Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, incarnated today in the likes of ISIS, HAMAS, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, and the Muslim Brotherhood). The production perfectly chronicles the precipitous decline of reason, the concomitant rise of fanaticism and superstition, as the brightness of the idyllic Germany of Bonhoeffer's childhood vanishes, fading incomprehensibly, like a star wandering more and more deeply astray in the distance and darkness. The production captures the brightness of Bonhoeffer's star shining more and more brilliantly in the midst of all of this . . . "and the darkness comprehended it not."Another plus: this radio drama also acknowledges Bonhoeffer's love of Black gospel music, a discovery that, among others, also provided him with the spiritual strength to resist Nazism, to mock death.

It is difficult for me to believe everyone who reads the message of Jesus, as presented in the Bible, does not consider, at some point in his/her walk, that being a true follower of Christian teaching requires one to be a pacifist. I define pacifism to require the will not to use force to impose your will on another. Bonhoeffer, fought as good a fight as any person I know, but when faced with a Hitler mentality he justified the use of force to kill Hitler. Easy to understand but Jesus did not use force on the Sanhedrin or on Rome. The question to ask yourself is, are you worshiping the God of your belief system, or are you trusting in your pride of the accuracy of that belief?

I'm glad I bought this audio recording because it was very interesting and I learned a lot about Bonhoffer's life. However, when I bought it, I thought is was actually a recording of a book about his life, so the dialogue and "radio theater" style threw me off a bit. It was a good recording and Bonhoeffer was an amazing man, but if you already know about Bonheoffer's life, you'd be a little dissapointed because the story wasn't deep.It's also a good recording for kids to listen with parents because it's in a dialouge format. I suggest they listen with parents so mom and dad can explain about Hitler, etc. and parents can explain why Bonheoffer's courage was so admirable.

excellent production, extremely entertaining and inspirational. Put it right up on the book shelf next to 'The Hiding Place'.

Amazing story of a person who lived his faith in Jesus