In reviewing the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the study of the Old Testament seems to be almost non-existent. It is not until his time in Tegel Prison, nearly one year prior to his execution, that he fully commits himself to serious thought on the subject "My thoughts and feelings seem to be getting more and more like those of the Old Testament, and in recent months I have been reading the Old Testament much more than the New (Bonhoeffer, Letters, 156)." Though his Old Testament study was fairly dicey and incomplete, the contributions of his interpretation have been tremendous. Bonhoeffer's distinct Christological approach to the Old Testament may not have pleased an orthodox readership, but the "kerygma" and additional impact of it was in one word, masterful, especially in view of the theological and historical context of his day. Due to his tumultuous academic life resultant of the German crisis (Bethge 1025), his cohesion of the Old and New Testaments centered in Christ was not systematically expressed and was primarily encountered in his exegetical studies, sermons, and letters and miscellaneous papers (Harrelson 115). As with all biblical i

It is only when one knows the unutterability of the name of God that one can utter the name of Jesus Christ; it is only when one loves life and the earth so much that without them everything seems to be over that one may believe in the resurrection and the new world; it is only when one submits to God's law that one may speak of grace; and it is only when God's wrath and vengeance are hanging as grim realities over the heads of one's enemies that something of what it means to love and forgive them can touch our hearts (Bonhoeffer, Letters, 157).

Out of the three examples of Bonhoeffer's exegesis, the study of Ezra and Nehemiah lends perhaps the most far-fetched interpretation. In his work, he ignores the historical and interpretive problems with the text and goes on to interpret it in his fashion (Harrelson 126). He sees God calling individuals to resist human effort to build a church (Kuske 81). In doing so, they experience accusation and the like, as they subsequently seek God fervently and reform the church through discipline (Kuske 82).

A second resounding voice against the embracing of the Old Testament was that of Adolf von Harnack. He stated that the Old Testament should not be counted as part of the Holy Scriptures because it is irrelevant to the Christian church. Because of this irrelevance, it should only be considered a helpful book to read. Never should it be held on the same level of infallibility as the New Testament (Kuske 9).

Lastly, David's victory over Goliath is seen in the light of Christ's triumph over death (Kuske 69). This victory is not seen as David's victory but as Christ's. Bonhoeffer deducts that because of this, Christ was inside David, his shadow (Kuske 72). The "exegesis" of the story of David is another example of Jesus' presence in the Old Testament.

Anderson, Francis, I. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Old Testament," Reformed Theological Review, 34

Rosenbaum, Stanley, R. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Jewish View," JES, 18 (Spring 1981), 301-307.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Letters and Papers from Prison (Enlarged Edition). NY: Touchstone, 1997.

Bonhoeffer's sermon on Psalm 58 (July 11, 1937) grapples with the difficulty in understanding the biblical soundness of the desiring of vengeance. Should Christians be permitted to utilize this form of prayer? Is it biblical (Kuske 85)?

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