Sanctorum Communio was Bonhoeffer's dissertation, completed in 1927 and first published in 1930. In it he attempts to work out a theology of the person in society, and then, particularly, in the church. Along with enlightening us about his early positions on sin, evil, solidarity, collective spirit, and collective guilt, the volume unfolds a systematic theology of the Spirit at work in the church and what this implies for questions of authority, freedom, ritual, and eschatology. Here is offered the complete text in translation, annotated by the German and American editors. The historical context is explained and textual commentary is provided in a Foreword and Afterword.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the most significant Protestant theologians of the twentieth century, a legacy sealed by his imprisonment in a German concentration camp and eventual execution. His resistance against Nazism and pivotal role in the Confessing Church movement have been key points of illumination for many on the nature of Christian political witness and action. Millions have been inspired by his rich reflections on the Christian life, especially his beloved works on discipleship and ethics. As a professor, seminary leader, and ecumenical theologian, Bonhoeffer's work also profoundly shaped academic theology, especially systematic theology, and the life of the church. Clifford J. Green is professor emeritus of theology, Hartford Seminary, Connecticut, and author of numerous works on Bonhoeffer. He is the executive director of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works. Nancy Lukensis Professor Emerita of German and Women's Studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her translations include among others three volumes in Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, English edition: Sanctorum Communio (1998, with Reinhard Krauss), Fiction from Tegel Prison (2000), and Bonhoeffer"s prison poetry and late correspondence in Letters and Papers from Prison (2010), as well as Daughters of Eve: Women Writers of the German Democratic Republic (1993). She and her husband, Martin Rumscheidt, are co-translators of Soelle"s The Mystery of Death (2007).
General Editor's Foreword to Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works Abbreviations Editor's Introduction to the English Edition, Clifford J. Green Preface Chapter 1 -- On the Definition of Social Philosophy and Sociology Chapter 2 -- The Christian Concept of Person and Concepts of Social Basic-Relation Chapter 3 -- The Primal State and the Problem of Community Chapter 4 -- Sin and Broken Community Chapter 5 -- Sanctorum Communio Editor's Afterword to the German Edition, Joachim von Soosten Chronology Bibliography 1. Literature Used by Bonhoeffer 2. Literature Consulted by the Editors 3. Other Literature Related to Sanctorum Communio Index of Scriptural References Index of Names Index of Subjects Editors and Translators
