Overcoming Fear: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Fear does not just lead to bad decisions—it hollows out the soul of a nation.
This post is part of a new Maverick series on Moral Leadership.
There are moments in history when the stakes are clear, when the moral ground shifts beneath our feet, and when those who hesitate, waiting for the storm to pass, find themselves complicit in its destruction.
I first encountered Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a seminary student at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. I spent three years studying theology in Atlanta, encountering the Gospel in a new and powerful way. But it was not just scripture that shaped me—it was the study of those who had wrestled with faith in times of crisis. My coursework on the Civil Rights Movement introduced me to the moral and intellectual lineage of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and Fannie Lou Hamer. Many of them found inspiration in Bonhoeffer’s life and work, particularly his resistance to Nazism and his critique of a church that had lost its moral compass.
Bonhoeffer’s story felt deeply relevant even then. I was in seminary during the first Trump administration, a time when I watched my beloved Republican Party descend into madness. As the early resistance to Trump gave way to tacit complicity, I saw echoes of the German church’s failure in the 1930s—a failure not just of institutions, but of courage. My studies were shaped not just by the chaos of the Trump presidency but also by the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide racial justice uprisings following the murder of George Floyd.
Bonhoeffer’s experience resonated with me in another way as well. As a young man, he traveled to Harlem, where he encountered the Black church and the theology of suffering and resistance that would transform his faith. In my own life, I was an intern at Central United Methodist Church, the fourth-oldest historically Black church in Atlanta and a home to many Civil Rights leaders. Much like Bonhoeffer, I found my theology jolted awake by an experience of faith far different from my own—a faith rooted in justice, community, and the enduring struggle for dignity.
And now, in the second Trump administration, I find myself returning to Bonhoeffer once again. In many ways, things seem darker now than they did then. Trump’s rhetoric is more openly authoritarian. His purge of civil servants and prosecutors is a brazen attack on the rule of law. His recent proclamation—"He who saves his country does not violate any law"—carries chilling echoes of the Führerprinzip, the Nazi belief that the leader’s will was the highest authority. The collapse of moral witness within the American church, as many religious leaders bow to power rather than challenge it, feels eerily familiar.
So today, I want to revisit Bonhoeffer—not just as a theologian, but as a man who understood the cost of resistance.
Who Was Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, theologian, and ultimately, a martyr. He was one of the earliest voices in Germany to speak out against Adolf Hitler. When the Nazi regime sought to co-opt the church, Bonhoeffer helped found the Confessing Church, a movement that rejected the idea that faith could be bent to serve the state. He later became involved in an underground resistance movement, and when he saw that words alone were not enough, he took the ultimate step—joining a conspiracy to overthrow Hitler. For this, he was arrested in 1943 and executed in 1945, just weeks before the end of the war.
Bonhoeffer’s story is one of moral clarity and courage, but it did not begin with dramatic acts of resistance. It began with something simpler: a refusal to be afraid.
Overcoming Fear: Bonhoeffer’s 1933 Sermon
One of Bonhoeffer’s most famous sermons, Overcoming Fear, was delivered in January 1933, just as Hitler was rising to power. At the time, Germany was gripped by economic despair, political instability, and growing violence in the streets. Fear was everywhere.
Bonhoeffer stood in the pulpit of a Berlin church and addressed his congregation with these words:
“The Bible, the Gospel, Christ, the church, the faith—all are one great battle cry against fear in the lives of human beings… Fear is, somehow or other, the arch-enemy itself. It crouches in people’s hearts. It hollows out their insides, gnaws at their strength and weakens their resolve and their spirit.”
He warned against the way fear paralyzes and distorts. He described how fear leads people to surrender their convictions in exchange for security. And he declared that the Christian faith is, at its core, an antidote to fear—not because it ignores danger, but because it refuses to be ruled by it.
Bonhoeffer’s sermon landed with force. Within days, Hitler had assumed the chancellorship, and Germany would never be the same. Bonhoeffer saw what was coming, and he knew that the greatest threat to resistance was not just external—it was the fear inside people’s hearts.
The Crisis of His Time—and Ours
What Bonhoeffer understood in 1933 remains true today: fear is the currency of authoritarianism.
When people fear instability, they trade democracy for strongmen.
When institutions fear retribution, they accommodate power rather than resist it.
When religious leaders fear losing influence, they justify their silence rather than speak the truth.
We see this happening now.
Fear of political retribution has led prosecutors and public officials to temper their responses to blatant corruption.
Fear of losing elections has turned Republican leaders into apologists for authoritarianism.
Fear of cultural change has driven many churches to align themselves with power rather than justice.
Bonhoeffer’s insight was that fear does not just lead to bad decisions—it hollows out the soul of a nation.
The Moral Question Before Us
Bonhoeffer was shaped by the great moral and intellectual struggles of his time. He studied under Karl Barth, who insisted that faith must resist nationalism. He was deeply influenced by the Harlem Renaissance and the theology of suffering. And he wrestled with the teachings of Jesus, who repeatedly commanded: “Do not be afraid.”
His question for us was this:
Will we allow fear to dictate our choices?
Will we let fear silence us?
Or will we stand firm, even when the cost is high?
Bonhoeffer’s answer was clear. In one of his final writings, composed in prison, he wrote:
“The ultimate question for a responsible person to ask is not how he is to extricate himself heroically from the affair, but how the coming generation is to live.”
He was not concerned with self-preservation. He was concerned with the future.
What We Must Do
Bonhoeffer’s story is not just about faith—it is about action. And it offers us a challenge today.
Recognize Fear for What It Is – A weapon of control. The more fear dominates our public life, the easier it is for authoritarianism to take hold.
Find the Courage to Speak the Truth – Even when it is unpopular. Even when it costs something.
Resist the Temptation to Wait for a Better Moment – There will never be a perfect time to act. Waiting only makes resistance harder.
Ask Yourself
Where do I see fear shaping my own decisions?
How do I challenge fear in my community and workplace?
What truth do I need to speak this week—despite the risk?
Bonhoeffer’s legacy is not just one of sacrifice—it is a warning.
He lived in a time when democracy crumbled because too many good people were afraid to resist. We live in a time when those same forces are at work.
The question before us is simple: Will we let fear rule us? Or will we stand?
Next Week: Karl Barth and the Courage to Name the Truth
Bonhoeffer called us to resist fear. Karl Barth called us to reject false authority. Next week, we will explore how Barth’s example can be a guide for us today.
Inspirational! Thank you for sharing this message.
Best read of the morning. Thank you.