Episode Transcript
Welcome back SOS army. Oh, I love that SOS army. Can we do that? Do you think we have an army yet? I love how you just want to change like the ism every every time every every time I don't care But I think there's something I think there's something to army. Let's go. Okay, this is sort of sophisticated And I'm Pete, of course on mic two and that's Amanda over there on mic one Amanda. Say hello Hello, dear listeners Wonderful. If you forgot already, this podcast is where we try our best to, let's say, leave judgment at the front doorstep and explore some pretty big ideas and maybe offend a couple of people along the way, and hopefully. Laugh a little while we're at it. Am I right? You're right. And let's be real. You're offending way more than just a couple people along the way. I'm positive of it, actually. I'm actually trying not to. I'm trying to be funny. Yeah, well. I guess it doesn't hit with everybody. Not everybody, but that's okay. Bum bum. Because half the time, who are we kidding? We're really just here to sound smarter on topics that might help us survive the next time we need to use some of our brain at our next big event. That is totally true. But. No promises. Don't forget. We're only sort of sophisticated. So why don't we jump right into it then? What's our topic, Pete? Lay it on us. Oh dude, I'm totally excited. We're going to learn about some dude who came up with one of my favorite quotes ever. Are you ready? I'm ready. Here we go. Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Silence in the God will not hold us guiltless people, not to speak, is to speak, not to act, is to act. And he said this when he was just a preacher, before he decided he'd become a spy. And then an assassin, Amanda. Wait, but did he say people? No, he didn't say people. Oh, okay, okay. I added people, but he said everything else. So wait, he was actually a preacher turned assassin? And do I actually believe you or is this, again, a level five lie? Shhh. Okay, this is actually not a lie. This is a level zero lie. So we're talking about a dude named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The German theologian, pastor, and resistance fighter who totally stood up to the Nazis and gave them shit for being douchebags. Go Bonhoeffer. So wait, he was a resistance fighter? Seriously? Seriously? Seriously, uh, not even close, okay? Because when I was researching, I didn't even see that, so I was just clarifying. No, no, no, no, okay, so first of all, Star Wars stole Resistance Fighter from him, okay? He came first, dude, this was like 1940, okay? Oh, good point. Yeah, Star Wars wasn't even around. But look at What? 1940? Star Wars was totally around. Ow, Star Wars was around in 19, like, 77. Really? Yes, thank you. Oh, it seems like it's way older than that. Maybe 1979? I don't even know. Yes. Oh. I can't believe you just said that. Okay. Anyway. Um, I was just so proud of you for watching a movie. This is so excellent. Yay. Realistically, it's because I've been on the ride. All right. Fine. Whatever. Um, okay. And the whole reason we're doing this episode in the first place is because they just released that new movie all about his life and his insane story. And we got to go see it. It's called Bonhoeffer, pastor, spy, assassin. And today we're going to give everyone the backstory on this dude. So when we go watch the movie, we'll be all sophisticated and stuff and learning about Diedrich Bonhoeffer helps us be more cultured, right, because it sort of shoves in our face the whole idea of everyone's personal morals and ethics and how far you were willing to go to stand up for what you really believe in, right? His fight against the Nazis shows us how we have a responsibility to each other and how to act in the face of adversity. So I think by learning about how he lived, we can take away a piece of how we should live and hopefully have the courage to stand up for what's right. So all in all, I think he set a good example, for sure. Uh, I love that. Thanks for saving me there. Way to weave it all together for our listeners. I really appreciate that you can do that. Okay. But on a whole nother note, uh, Amanda, word of the day, let's go. Ready? Bulant. Bulant. Bulant, like bully, Baba. or like cheerful or full of energy, like combining the words jubilant and ebony. an energy, but it's not an end. So I was like, man, whatever It boo it. Boo. Yeah. Okay, so, so you already half of that, like you already know the word. You already know what it means then. No, I don't. You just said like, cheer for a full of energy. Well, I was joking. No, that's what the word means. Okay. It actually does? Yes, that's what it means. Okay, so it sounds like this one's already loaded then. Like, in your repertoire. In your repertoire. Well, I guess it is. Repo Repo Repo tois. Okay, whatever. Alright, are you ready? Then, fine. Ready? A boolean. Just A boolean. Got it. It's a boolean. Okay. Alright, but first What? Can we start with Little Baby Bonhoeffer? While I was researching my parts for the episode. Yes. I researched work I did skip the early years because I know you like that part. I do those are my face actual history part of it But don't do like five year old Bonhoeffer or anything kind of start with more like what got him passionate about justice And why did he become a preacher and then an air quotes? Resistance fighter. Oh my god. You just air quoted so early in the app. I love that. Okay Um, I don't even know if it was actually an air quote Really placed, but it was good. It was good. Um, I got to do a little baby Bonhoeffer before we get to the good stuff I have to but like a little bear with me. Okay. Alright, so once upon a time in a sleepy little town called Breslau Germany, I thought we were going quick, but okay All right. Let me fast forward. I'll go so much faster. It's actually called Rosow, Poland, thanks to like the border redrawing that went on after World War II. a little baby named Dietrich Ebullient Bonhoeffer was born. I love that. Whatever, it's done early, great. He was super, he was super cheerful. Way back in February of 1906, and honestly, no one thought anything of it because, um, he was the sixth kid born in a family that would eventually be eight kids. His dad, Carl, was kinda a big deal psychiatrist. His mom, Paula, was a teacher of the arts and came from, like, a seriously respected family. So baby D, you could say, had a solid mix of genes like, total foundation, Amanda, for sure. I mean, sounds like he was like stacked for success. Oh, he was stacked. He was stacked, baby. In more ways than one. I don't know! What are you talking about? Okay, so Dietrich. And all his sibs were like super supported by mom and pop to say the least. Not only were they taught like science and math and stuff, but because they were like devout Christians, they also learned a lot about ethics and morals and social responsibility. You know, all the shit kids hate nowadays, basically mom strongly suggested. Christianity didn't mean just go to church. It meant live an excellent life and be responsible to the world. Like care. Right. And so for Dietrich growing up in a super intellectual, super open minded home, which by the way, Amanda, check this bread, three educators, three lawyers, a physicist, and a theologian. Holy shit. Like those eight kids went nuts. Anyway, him and his bros and sisses were pushed to be excellent and always ask like the big existential questions. It's like. Like, big, big. Like, I mean, like, what's the meaning of life? Do we really have free will? Like, like, like dinner conversation stuff for the Bonhoeffers. Like, kind of like at your house, Amanda, you know? It's absolutely like my house with our conversation cards. Let's go! You have conversation cards? Yes, so if you ever come over for dinner, at dinnertime, we have a box. Put those out. And you pick a color. Yes. And then you read the question, and they are very deep questions. Like, if there was one thing in your life that you would change, what would it be? You're the best mom. And why? Um, me and Gabby totally did the same thing. Oh really? When the kids were growing up. Yes! It was like, family dinner time at our house was amazing. I think dinners are very important. I would argue, I don't know much about Bonhoeffer, but I would argue, um, eight kids, they were super smart. They were probably doing better than we were, because we were still like flinging spaghetti against the wall. I'm not going to lie. Fair enough. Okay. Were they homeschooled? Who? These eight kids. Totally. Mom was managing the shiat out of them. Right, but did she, were they homeschooled? They didn't go to a school? I can't answer that question. I, you want to Google that shit right now? Go for it. Sure do. Find out. Chat, GPT. Can I get back on track while you're Googling? Yes. Uh, okay. So it goes without saying that Dietrich was like super smart and stuff. Okay, like, he would read a book every night smart, like, voracious, voracious, voracious should have been our word of the day, voracious reader, Amanda. It's a good word. But what kind of books was he reading? Oh my god, you asked me the hard, like, I don't, I don't, why am I researching this? Well, I mean, if it was important. Okay, like, classical literature, probably, epic poems, who doesn't love an epic, again, was he homeschooled? History? Oh, he was homeschooled for the first few years of his life. Okay, so he was taught, right, so go mom, go mama Paula, she was an educator. That makes a lot of sense. Okay. But listen, let me get, let me keep going here. Okay. By far his favorite, like subjects were philosophy and theology. He read all the big names while most kids were learning how to color little Dietrich's over there, just philosophizing and figuring out how to change the world. I'm telling you, the more you read, the smarter you get. That's why I make the girls do it all the time. Cause one day they'll look back and they're going to appreciate it and say, thank you mama for making me read. And I'm just as smart as Bonhoeffer. Uh, your kids are going to be better than Bonhoeffer. Okay. Good. Seriously, I don't know about that, but okay, maybe maybe well, I uh, spoiler alert. Hopefully they don't get assassinated. Exactly Okay, become a spy. Yes spy dun dun dun. Okay. All right. Wait, here's where it gets interesting Okay He was only 14 years old and like probably 500 books deep and he's sitting at the dinner table one night and he announces to Everybody that he's decided to become a theologian bold move, right dude 14 He comes from a family with a bunch of scientists and scholars and he's like, yeah, no You Uh, I'ma be a preacher man, mama. Well, good for him. And I'm assuming his parents supported him. They did. Okay. Well, it took a minute, but they did for sure. And, uh, the rest is history. He grows up to be a total bad ass. I don't know if you can say bad ass for preacher, but maybe you were meaning for the spy and assassin part. Uh, well, there's that part. Yeah. Okay. Wait, but before you get into that, let me just basically sum up his childhood. Some, some, some. So one, he grew up educated AF in a huge family by brainiac parents who super supported them and learned a bunch of deep shit at the dinner table. Yep. Two, super Christian. And a bullion. And a bullion. Yes, that's two for two! There it is. I love it. And three, when he was 14 he was ready to take on the world and wanted to be a preacher man. Nailed it. Perfect segue. Okay. It seems a little, not the same, like, the trajectory there seems a little off, but you're just so brainiac and you're just gonna go be a preacher man. I'm just saying. But that's all I guess the super Christian part. Amanda, you know our tagline? It's all connected. Okay, let's go. It's all connected. Then connect it. Okay, uh, well you're gonna connect it, so I'm just kidding. Now it's your turn, so I did baby Bonhoeffer, you take us through the more formidable years. Like when he started figuring out his life plan and stuff. Okay, well this is the part where I think it gets interesting. So, uh, here we go. I'd argue my baby Bonhoeffer was pretty interesting. I mean, it is mildly interesting, it's true. Because it did set the stage. It set the stage. Was it sort of interesting? It was sort of interesting. Okay, so like in 1924, and Bonhoeffer here is like 18 years old, he decides he wants to take a trip to Rome. And all of a sudden he's at the Vatican and sees a Catholic church in action. But bigger than that, the idea of the global church. And suddenly he's like, Oh, German Protestantism isn't the only thing, right? So he flies back home and in three years, he earns his doctorate. So Peter. He's 21 years old. He's a doctor of theology and I don't know what I was doing at 21, but I wasn't a doctor. That's for sure. I may have been planning like some sorority events or studying hard to pass a final or something. Of course you were. Yeah. But this guy is writing dissertations at 21, whatever. So because he traveled to Rome and everything, the whole broader view of Christianity starts to really take hold and shape his worldview on a bunch of things. And then he's like, what the hell? Why not get another doctorate? This time he did it in philosophy. So wait, wait, wait, he did double doctor. Yeah. He's a double doctor. He's a double D Dietrich. Double doctor. DDD. Let's go. I don't know. Triple D? I can't touch that. Okay. Wow. Okay. So what does he do with this whole double doctorate thing? What does any 23 year old genius do? Teach. Teach. Teach. Let's go. But his lectures aren't really lectures. They're pretty much starting to sound more like rally cries for social responsibility than actually Theology 101, right? And then he starts getting pretty popular with all the students because it's interesting. He's getting them excited and things start to click, but then he's like, wait, I need some worldly experience if I'm really going to be a good teacher. So he decides to fly to Barcelona for a minute and do real I'm sorry, Amanda, do you mean Barthelona? Barthelona? Do I want to say it with a th in it? Well, I mean, true Spaniards would say Barthelona. Quarantinio. So, Peter, if I could do a Spanish probably that would work, but I can't. So we're just going to go past that. Okay. Love it. Good. Good. Okay. So he decided to go do some real pastor work and that's when he starts to learn that there are real people in the world with real problems who need real go figure. And he becomes hooked. I don't know if I could do that. Like. He's 21 years old. He's in a whole nother country. Like, how does he even communicate? He doesn't speak Spanish. Okay, he's 23. How does he communicate? He's like, this guy's awesome already. I mean, it's what missionaries do, right? I love it. It's great. I think it's getting himself cultured and curious. This is true. So he stays there for like a year. He learned some Spanish and then he's like, wait, what else can I do? I guess it's time to go learn English. English? Dude, totally overrated. Why do you want to learn English? I mean, it is the one language that connects a lot of things. Fine. Especially to us Americans. So, he then decides to fly to New York and decides to study at seminary for a while. And he totally starts living his best life. And while he's there, he visits this place called the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City. The OG Harlem, and he sees what it's like when a bunch of real passionate black Christians come together and worship and party and All the good that comes of it. You know why? Why? Because it was totally a Boolean. It was a Boolean. I bet it was. Good job. Yes, it was. This world is too easy. This is way too easy. Okay, sorry. So of course, it was nothing like he'd ever experienced before and it was a huge wake up call for him. How could it not be? I mean, he grew up in Germany. Am I right? Like all European and proper and everything, of course it was a wake up call. Totally. Totally. And he basically hangs out in New York for another few months and figures out this whole game plan and then he flies back to Germany where he gets ready to turn Christianity on its head at now the ripe old age of 25. Okay, I can't believe that. That's crazy. Okay, yeah, no, so I was researching the same stuff. And so, let me take it from here. So when he gets back to Germany, he starts freaking out. Things were getting, like, super political already. And Hitler was starting to make a name for himself. And Bonhoeffer, like, wasn't having it. At all. So he starts going full preacher man and starts telling the church that they need to stand up for like all this shit. He sees the whole Hitler worship thing starting to get real and he wasn't buying any of it. So he starts teaching about something called costly grace, which sort of sophisticatedly, I guess, translates to the idea that Real faith, according to Bonhoeffer, is supposed to demand something from you, not just be like easy and comfortable. Yep, that's it. And this is really the whole primary tenet that really set him apart from all of the other German Protestant leaders. Many of them were, let's just say, not really eager to pick a fight with the Nazis, because who would be? I wouldn't want to. Yeah, right, right, but Bonhoeffer didn't give two shits about it. He was out there making waves He was openly warning against the whole idea of Hitler worship and just like you said Basically calling Hitler out to his face Ah, this is why like youth is amazing because like when you're older like maybe you're not as I mean I'm totally generalizing which totally sucks. But like I love when you're like young and like Yes. I mean, it's just like our forefathers who started right where they were all young and drunk. They were. Let's go. I wish I could just be young and drunk again. Oh, what I would give. You could just be drunk. Oh, Amanda. You funny. Okay. So I'm gonna keep going then. Of course, spoiler alert. As the 30s roll on, Hitler's power continues to grow and Bonhoeffer has to up his game. So he helps to found something called the Confessing Church, which was an official church movement that flat out resisted Nazi control. But of course, that's not enough for Bonhoeffer because he's the man. So the following year, he sets up this whole underground seminary network in this place called thinking vital, where he starts training all these new young pastors to stand up for their faith and not give into all this shit. He's basically making like pacifist soldiers. Let's go. Right. And this is where I really start to realize how amazing he really was because he was only 28 years at that point. Right. Totally. And in the face of everything going on around him, and I'm going to assume he All of it. Oh, he saw all of it. Yep. He's still out there preaching that faith is faith and that you can't believe what is convenient. And he's basically saying, if we're really followers of Christ, we can't all just sit around and watch evil happen. We got to do something about it. And that's really what started the whole resistance fighter thing. Use the force resistance fighter, the rebel, the rebel Alliance. Yeah. Jinx. Uh, so 1937 Bonhoeffer is totally on Hitler's radar and the whole Gustapo ends up raiding Fink and Vital and shuts down this whole thing. But Bonhoeffer's all like, That's cool, no biggie. Preacher, check. Now it's time to be a spy. Check. And he totally goes underground. Like, literally, Amanda. He keeps the confessing church going in secret and sets up safe houses. Freaking safe houses. Like, who is this guy? And he keeps organizing all the secret meetings to make sure everyone is still fighting the good fight. And he's doing all this while watching all the other church leaders, like, wuss out and cave in to all the Nazi pressure. So he's getting all fired up to keep going because they're like, the only ones left spreading the message that the Nazis suck and need to be dealt with. It's kind of crazy to think that they were the only ones. They were the only ones man continuing. Yes, like people had just given up dude. Hitler had mass control, right? So if we fast forward then to 1939 the war is still going and it's time to put up or shut up So Bonhoeffer joins something called the Abwehr Which is basically Germany's military intelligence, right? I equate to like our CIA well He doesn't officially join because of course, he's not exactly working on Germany's behalf. He's working with all the spies in there. So he's secretly part of what was called the anti Hitler resistance within the Abwehr. Where, fun fact, one of his bro in laws is also working and helping out. And by joining this whole thing, he looks legit. So he can travel, meet with allies, and even plot against Hitler without raising any suspicion from anyone. Cause everyone thinks he caved and became part of the military intelligence committee. And this is where he starts something called operation seven, where with the help of his brother in law, he starts smuggling Jews out of Germany, such badass. And he basically is using his position to protect Jews and undermine the Nazis from the inside. So super risky spy stuff for sure. But he knows it's his calling, right? He can't see himself doing anything else. It's where he's supposed to be. And he knows it. I mean, this is amazing. When I was researching this part, I totally had chills. So. What I got to go back to the preacher stuff for a minute He never really stopped doing the preaching even though he was still doing all the spy stuff I mean, I wasn't really wondering but yes, okay. I got it. I mean, he's well cuz he's like multifaceted, right? So in his spare time not sure how he had any of it. He starts writing about something called Religionless Christianity basically the idea that faith is action period it's not about rituals or institutions. It's about love and faith And sacrifice and standing up for what's right, especially in dark times and all the shit they were dealing with back in the 1940s. But all this couldn't last forever. And by 1943, the Gestapo basically figured out all about his underground dealings and they tracked down Bonhoeffer and arrested him for helping all the Jews escape, which totally sucks. Totally. But do you know how many Jews he did help escape? Cause I actually couldn't find that anywhere when I was researching. Okay. I couldn't either, but AI thinks it was like, Dozens and could have been as high as a hundred like I plugged it in and it's so I I let's go with a hundred All right, that's speculation because it's lost to history for the most part, but I think that's I think he gets an a plus So anyway, he gets sent to Teagle prison Which wasn't quite as bad as, like, the concentration camps, I guess, because he was a German, but it was still pretty bad. He had to communicate with his family in coded messages by smuggling out letters that expressed his theological insights and reflections to help his followers keep fighting all from the inside of prison! But wait, how did the Gustavo figure this all out in the first place? I know, right? It's not like they had all the same surveillance stuff we have today. So I, I, that was so weird. Like, what are they, cell phone tracking him? So they figured it out through a bunch of financial irregularities I found. In law diverted funds from like the Abwehr to help the Jewish people escape. And remember, they were working for the German military intelligence. So the Gestapo basically figured out there were a bunch of unexplained expenses that didn't align with the Abwehr's official duties. And whammo, they got nailed. But I mean, that's speculation. Uh, that's not speculation. That's how they got nailed. Okay. No, that's it. Yeah. Yeah. Uh. So then while Bonhoeffer was in jail, the Gashapo digs a little deeper and finds records that basically implicated him for not only being a spy and a center, but a full on assassin conspirator. But that's what makes him so cool, right? He just has this total, like, 180 where you go from being a preacher person to being, I want to be an assassin. But there's religion behind it. Like, there's a moral high ground here that we're going to end up talking about. But like, yeah. Like, it's all, again, our tagline. It's all connected. TM! Okay, um, check this. So they find these files called the Zossen files, named after the location where they found him, I guess. And they contain records of resistance meetings and like, all the specific like, details about planned assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler. And fun fact, ironically, it was his brother in law that had kept all the records, because he believed that one day the documents would actually prove the resistance moral stand against Hitler, and actually help them, when in fact, It implicated them. I mean, I guess it teaches you two things. What? One, don't keep records of your Transgressions and two, don't trust your brother in law Oh my god. I have to trust my brother in law. I know me too. Family. It's true Okay, but okay. Why don't you go ahead and tell us about the assassination attempt then? I mean, I know it didn't work but like It's pretty exciting. Oh, it's totally exciting. Okay. They almost pulled it off of him. Like, they were a hair away from changing the course of history. I know. It's so crazy. No, this was nuts. Okay. It was called Operation Valkyrie, right? So, it all starts on July 20th, 1944, when some dude named Colonel Klaus von Staufenberg, who is a pretty prominent army officer, in the Wehrmacht, aka the German army, attended a military briefing at Hitler's headquarters, the Wolf's Lair, in East Prussia. That's how you say it? Prussia? Prussia. Oh really? Yeah. Wait, Stofenberg? Who's Stofenberg? And what does the German army have to do with any of this? We were just talking about Bonhoeffer and the Ab ver, or whatever you called it. And then you kind of just went all rogue and started throwing in new stuff at us. Okay, so good point. I'm just throwing out German names everywhere and I can see how this could be totally confusing. Okay, I'm gonna make it worse before I make it better. I'm going to add a few more names, but then I'm going to connect some dots. So bear with me. Okay. Mr. It's all connected. Okay. It is connected. Okay. So Stofenberg was connected to the Abwehr through some dude named Hans Oster. Another German name. Who was the deputy head of the Abwehr. Like the second guy in charge. Okay. And he was one of the earliest members of the German resistance. That like, the internet's aware of anyway. And him and another guy named Admiral Wilhelm Canaris. The actual top guy in the Abwehr, like the guy in charge, were the two guys who basically texted like all the German officers in the military and told them, Hey, if you guys need the vent, come hang with us and like, let's chat. Okay. Not really. It was like 1940. There wasn't texting. It was more like, let's send out coded messages with invisible ink and tell people that they can come hang out with us and tell us how they really feel about a whole Hitler. And don't worry, we won't tell on you. This is a safe space because we agree. And one of those guys who sympathize with this cause was of course. Stoffenberg. Got it? Barely. Hanging on by a thread here. And the whole reason Stoffenberg got involved with the German resistance in the first place was because while he was over in Eastern Europe fighting on behalf of the Nazis, mind you, he freaked out by all the disgusting shit the Nazis were doing to all the Jews and other minority groups besides actually killing them, which probably would have been the nicer thing to do in this case. And I don't know since he was, uh, human in And actually had a conscience. There was no way he was participating in all this genocide and other frickin crimes against humanity without losing his shit. So he calls his buddies, Auster and Canaris and started plotting. Oh, and side note, He also thought that all of this immoral stuff Hitler was doing was actually dishonoring German's military tradition and the hundreds of years of Christian values that Germany stood for. Alright, I think I get it. I think I'm tracking. But how are you going to get us back to the assassination attempt? Because you left me hangin somewhere in East Prussia at Hitler's headquarters? Okay, yeah. Okay, right. Okay, so Stouffenberg walks into Hitler's headquarters carrying a briefcase with a bomb inside that was set to detonate during a meeting that him and Hitler were attending together. So he calmly places the briefcase under the table, walks Right next to Hitler and then subsequently excuses himself probably saying like he has to go take a shit or something I don't know and 30 seconds later the bomb Explodes and killed four people immediately, but check this because the table was made of oak And how, like, the briefcase was, like, positioned, it shielded Hitler from the brunt of the blast, and he ended up with only minor injuries. Which is insane. It sucks! So, fun fact, because everyone in the resistance thought Hitler was now dead, they totally tried to take over the government for a hot minute. Like, like the resistance army. Like, everyone on Bonhoeffer's side. But then, when the news got out that Hitler actually survived, their little coup lost momentum and everyone ended up in jail and, well, ultimately dead. I mean, they totally. Reveal themselves. They did. They're like hi. Haha. We got you. Just kidding still alive But did they all really get killed because of it or did you just level seven lie? No, no, no, no level seven lie No, no, no, they all died like it sucked. So so after this, so you killed all of them killed a lot of them Yeah, yeah after the assassination attempt Hitler went like crazy and rounded up anybody who he thought could have been like remotely connected with this conspiracy and and then just like anyone associated with resistance in general because he was a dick like that. Over 7000 people were arrested and 5000 were executed in some pretty disgusting ways that we won't get into in this episode because we're only sort of sophisticated and the way they killed everybody was very sophisticated. And Kloss von Stoffenberg, the guy with the briefcase, he was executed by firing squad, literally on the same night he planted the bomb. They found him and killed him. Wait, so then how is Bonhoeffer connected to all this? I mean, he wasn't the guy holding the briefcase or anything. Was it really just from some of those letters that they kept, his brother in law kept? Or those Zosen files? Okay, so even though he wasn't directly involved in Operation Valkyrie, he was buddies with all the dudes in the resistance through the Abwehr, and that was enough to link him to the actual conspirators, like in the eyes of the Gestapo anyway. So remember, he was already in jail or like in a camp or whatever you call it. So this was like the final nail in the coffin, if you know what I mean. And then in April of 1945, only nine months after the assassination attempt, Bonhoeffer was executed by hanging Flossenburg Concentration Camp, just weeks before the end of the war. His final last words reportedly were, This is the end, but for me, the beginning of life. Amanda, it's like this guy faced death with the same courage that defined his entire life. Like a total badass, for sure. This stuff is so heavy yet so powerful and people can really learn something from his life. Amen to that sister. Absolutely. Right. So to recap this whole thing before we get to the lighter stuff about the movie, maybe right? Yeah. Um, Diedrich Bonhoeffer lived a pretty amazing 39 years, only 39 years. Can we just like point that out? An excellent, well lived 39 years. Yeah. He's done way more than I have. He was a pastor and really a theologian to be more precise. And an anti Nazi revolutionary. He lives a life full of faith and sacrifice. He challenged Hitler's regime and spent his life advocating for active resistance against evil. Ultimately, because of this, he is executed just weeks before the end of the war, staying true to his belief that true discipleship demands action. He's absolutely a hero. And one could argue that makes Bonhoeffer more than just sort of sophisticated. He did. It makes him sophisticated AF. Absolutely. Let's go. Okay, so movie time. Can we go to movie time? Let's go. I've been waiting for it. Let's go. So, Bonhoeffer. Preacher. Spy. Assassin. The movie was just released this last weekend, and I can't wait to see it. But, I know you did a little sleuthing on the whole thing, so give me some deets, but without spoiling anything I'll try not to spoil anything. No guarantees, but full disclosure, I didn't see it yet either. Okay? Because we all know how late I am to see movies. Oh, totally. But it's totally fresh on the tomato meter. So that's a good start, right? Totally is. And we're going to have to give a shout out to Todd Komernicki for writing, producing and directing. Seriously? All three? Total overachiever! Totally. And it's also the same guy who produced Elf, which is the best Christmas movie of all time. And he wrote Sully, too. Fun fact. Like, the story about the guy who landed the plane in the Hudson? Yeah. Let's go Comer Nikki. Right? Oh crap. So, you know Bonhoeffer's gotta be good And basically Comer Nikki puts a little spin on the whole thing and writes it from a perspective of how Hitler tried to use the church to convince all the German people that the furor should be held in higher regard than Jesus. Pretty bold move dude. Who would say someone needs to be higher than Jesus? I don't know. Just a dick like Hitler. Evidently, but reading all the reviews. I think the movie works So you have Hitler running around like a madman saying That he's better than Jesus and then you have Bonhoeffer and sort of this Spiritual tug of war as he's trying to reconcile his faith with being the resistance to Hitler. And Karminecki, I hear does an excellent job having it play out on screen, but you got to remember at his core, Bonhoeffer is a pacifist and he struggles with trying to figure out whether or not it's a sin to assassinate Hitler he freaks out about the idea that even if assassinating Hitler is a sin It's a probably lighter sin that would end the bigger sins that Hitler is doing and the movie's depiction of his central issue is what makes it worth seeing probably in the first place. Okay, so I am hearing this is like a total must watch. Like I'm buying tickets like right, right now online. I'm surprised you haven't already watched it. Like this sounds like my kind of movie. Some history, some faith, and some psychological shit. Like put me in coach. Yes, I agree. It is right up your alley. But before you go and run off to go see the movie, can we do some fun facts? Because we gotta check that box. Alright, I'll go fast because I only got a few. We basically talked about everything already. What time does the movie start? It says 6. 32. Oh my god. Okay, I'm going fast. Alright, ready. Fun facts. Number one. Like, we already know Bonhoeffer was a critic of Hitler, but he was like an early critic of Hitler. Like, early. Early, early. Like Bonhoeffer began criticizing Hitler only two days after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933. Two days. He's known for his famous radio speech called, The Younger Generation's Altered Concept of Leadership, where he openly condemned Hitler's leadership style and warned young Germans not to idolize their leaders. And it was this speech in particular that got him on Hitler's radar as a potential threat in the first place. In 1933. Oh my God. Do some quick math. How old was he? He was like 27. That's crazy. Number two, Bonhoeffer published nine books altogether. Six while he was alive that he knew about. And then three post humously. Humously? I don't even know how to say that word. Humously. Anyway, the most famous is The Cost of Discipleship, where he introduced the term we talked about cheap grace, which refers to a grace that is accepted without true repentance. Cheap grace, he argues, is the grace that people use to excuse sin without a genuine desire for change, reducing Christianity to a mere set of beliefs rather than lived active faith. For Bonhoeffer, this watered down approach to grace undermines the radical call of the gospel and betrays the sacrificial love of Christ, one of the core tenets of all his teachings. This guy was amazing. And finally, on a lighter note, Bonhoeffer had a twin sister! Let's go. Her name was Sabine. They were very close, as all twins are, I suppose. And their bond played a big part in all his life's choices. And Sabine was super instrumental in documenting all the family's experiences and contributing to the post war understanding of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life and legacy. Dude, shout out to Sabine or else we wouldn't even know half this stuff. She was awesome. And super fun fact, she lived up till 1999. That was like 25 years ago. She died when she was 93. He dies at 39, his twin sister dies at 93. That is crazy, life well lived. That's all I got. That's my man Bonhoeffer, the man, the myth, and the legend. Fun Facts, out. How can we not love fun facts? They're always so interesting. Right. I only had three this time though. I felt like kind of like That's okay. They were good. Okay. Good. Good. I'm glad. And things that you didn't know. Oh, that's good. Until now. But hopefully by now everybody gets the idea that Bonhoeffer was a thoughtful Um, incredibly brave individual, is that probably a good way to phrase it? I think that's an excellent way to phrase it. All right. And I don't think he was afraid to stand up for what he believed was right. If only all of us could do that. Absolutely. And for anyone like me, who's listening and thinking, there's no way I'll remember all this stuff. Why don't you give us the tips to make it sound a little bit smarter, even if we forget most of the details, because I think it's important that we remember him and his life and his legacy. Let's do this. We will wrap this up. Get out your notes on your Notes app on your iPhone or whatever Android you're using and write this crap down people Okay, if you don't remember anything first go watch Bonhoeffer preacher spy assassin better yet Come watch it with us at 630 tonight. Let's go. I'll bring the popcorn. Or I guess if you're a tryhard, you could always just go read the book. There's a book You Oh, there's totally a book. But is it The movie was derived from the book? I believe so. Yes. Don't quote me on it. I didn't look that up, but I'm pretty sure a book came out, and then, yes, somebody. So the book's first. Well, no, I mean, there's other movies even. Like, there's old documentaries and stuff. If you want to go look up Bonhoeffer, you can look up a lot of different stuff. Because he's that cool. Yes, because he's that cool. But like, yes, I'm sure there is a book that's sort of depicting this, yeah. Um, second, at your next business dinner or when you're chilling, eating dessert or something like that, ask your colleague, what was the last movie they saw? Then listen and feign interest for a minute because you have to if you want to be nice Third wait for a break in the convo So you don't look like an idiot and tell them you just saw bonhoeffer preacher spy assassin And ask if they thought it stayed true to the real life diedrich bonhoeffer and finally Share these interesting and relevant details to seem, of course, sort of sophisticated. Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian who was a key figure in the resistance against Hitler and the Nazi regime, and he helped found the Confessing Church, which was comprised of a group of Christians who stood up against Nazi control of religious institutions. Number two, Bonhoeffer is best known for his influential writings, especially The Cost of Discipleship, where he distinguishes between cheap grace, faith without action, and costly grace, faith that demands sacrifice. His philosophy centered on living one's faith through courageous moral action, and he was amazing at it. Number three, through something known as Operation Seven, Bonhoeffer helped smuggle dozens of Jews into neutral Switzerland through securing forged documents and visas financed through Bonhoeffer's contacts within the resistance and some of his own family's resources. I hope you enjoyed this video. It's one of the most tangible examples of his active opposition to Nazi policies against the Jews. Four, Bonhoeffer was directly involved in the resistance attempts to overthrow Hitler, including the failed assassination attempt on July 20th, 1944. And finally, Bonhoeffer was arrested in 1943 and executed in 1945 at Flossenbach concentration camp just weeks before the end of World War II. And today he is revered. All right, and there you have it, dear listeners. as you wrap up this episode on Diedrich Bonhoeffer, let's take a moment to reflect on a man who didn't just write about faith, but actually lived it. Even when the stakes were life and death, literally. From sermons to sabotage, Bonhoeffer's journey reminds us that sometimes doing what's right isn't just hard. It's revolutionary. It's revolutionary. Hopefully, we did justice to his story. Amen. Pause for a moment on that, Amanda. What a man. Totally. So, the next time you're stuck in a moral quandary, maybe something a little less dramatic, like deciding if pineapple belongs on pizza. Please remember Bonhoeffer. If he could wrestle with the questions of sacrifice and resistance during one of history's darkest times, you can probably handle your debate over pizza toppings. We'd like to think we shared just enough information to make you more sophisticated and either a flaming nuisance or a little more interesting to your fellow humans. Mmm, sort of. And if you've enjoyed this episode and found it particularly interesting, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your peeps. Until next time, stay curious and stay inspired.
