''Ethics'' (german: link=no, Ethik) is an unfinished book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that was edited and published after his death by Eberhard Bethge in 1949. Bonhoeffer worked on the book in the early 1940s and intended it to be his '' magnum opus''. At the time of writing, he was a double agent; he was working for , Nazi Germany's military intelligence organization but was simultaneously involved in the

20 July plot On 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and other conspirators attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia, now Kętrzyn, in present-day Poland. The ...

to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The central theme of ''Ethics'' is Christlikeness. The arguments in the book are informed by Lutheran Christology and are influenced by Bonhoeffer's participation in the German resistance to Nazism. ''Ethics'' is commonly compared to Bonhoeffer's earlier book '' The Cost of Discipleship'', with scholars debating the extent to which Bonhoeffer's views on

Christian ethics Christian ethics, also known as moral theology, is a multi-faceted ethical system: it is a virtue ethic which focuses on building moral character, and a deontological ethic which emphasizes duty. It also incorporates natural law ethics, whic ...

changed between his writing of the two books. In ''The Cambridge Companion to Dietrich Bonhoeffer'',

John W. de Gruchy John W. de Gruchy (born 18 March 1939) is a Christian theology, Christian theologian known for his work Internal resistance to apartheid, resisting apartheid. He is presently Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town and Extraordinary prof ...

argues that ''Ethics'' evinces more nuance than Bonhoeffer's earlier writings. In 2012, David P. Gushee, director of Mercer University's Center for Theology and Public Life, named ''Ethics'' one of the five best books about patriotism.

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

References

{{Bonhoeffer Unfinished books 1949 non-fiction books Works by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Ethics books Christian theology books Books about spirituality Christian devotional literature Christian pacifism Nazi Germany and Protestantism Christian theology and politics History of Lutheranism in Germany Pacifism in Germany Books about politics of Germany Anti-fascist books German non-fiction books Books published posthumously Patriotism Lutheran texts 20th-century Lutheranism 1940s in Christianity