(Part 1)

What does it take to form faithful Christians in a fractured world? In this episode, Pastor Evan McClanahan reflects on the enduring power of Bonhoeffer’s Life Together—a book that once hit him like a slap in the face—and how its vision of uncompromising community shaped his pastoral imagination. The conversation ranges from seminarian dreams to the real-world struggles of ministry, the future of theological education, and why Bonhoeffer still speaks with surprising clarity to our cultural moment.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Daniel Treier, we explore how Bonhoeffer’s diagnosis of modernity equips pastors to navigate the church’s formation today. We talk about the allure of technological autonomy, the embodied wisdom of the Old Testament, and why returning to creation, community, and the Psalms might be key to faithful ministry in a secular age.

In this episode, our hosts are joined by theologian Dr. Daniel Treier to explore Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s diagnosis of modernity. From the rise of secularism to the impact of technological rationality, Treier unpacks how Bonhoeffer’s insights into a “world come of age” still resonate today. The conversation touches on the loss of Christendom, the temptation to co-opt cultural power, and how the church might resist becoming just another consumer choice in a distracted age.

Whether you’re a pastor, theologian, or thoughtful Christian, this episode invites deep reflection on how Bonhoeffer’s witness speaks into our current moment.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Michael Pasquarello, we turn more directly to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s preaching—its structure, clarity, and surprising depth. What made Bonhoeffer’s sermons distinctive? How did his theology shape his voice in the pulpit? And what can preachers today learn from his example?

We explore Bonhoeffer’s Christ-centered approach to Scripture, his resistance to cultural pressures, and his belief in preaching as a sacramental act. Along the way, Dr. Pasquarello reflects on imitation, formation, and what it really means to grow into a preaching life.

We often remember Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a theologian, teacher, and leader in the Confessing Church—but what happens when we pay attention to him as a preacher? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Mike Pasquarello about Bonhoeffer’s theological approach to preaching, the shape of a “preaching life,” and what it means to proclaim Christ not as technique or advice, but as the living Word. Part one of a two-part conversation.

In this episode, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee return with Dr. Michael Mawson to deepen the discussion on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s understanding of the church and pastoral ministry. Building on themes from Sanctorum Communio and Life Together, they explore Bonhoeffer’s dialectical view of the church as both flawed and faithful, fractured yet held together in Christ.

Dr. Mawson reflects on Bonhoeffer’s theology of hope, his realism about church life, and how his ecclesiology equips pastors to remain grounded—even amid failure, tension, and the scandal of community. It’s a wide-ranging conversation on the mystery of Christ’s presence in the church, and what that means for ministry today.

Referenced in this episode: The Oxford Handbook of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, edited by Dr. Michael Mawson.

In this episode, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee sit down with Dr. Michael Mawson to explore Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s striking vision of the church. Drawing from Bonhoeffer’s early work Sanctorum Communio, they unpack how the church can be both a flawed human community and the place where Christ is truly present. From ecclesiology in the 1920s to the tension between sociological and theological claims, this first part sets the stage for a deep dive into one of Bonhoeffer’s most enduring theological commitments.

In this second part of our conversation with Dr. Michael DeJonge, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee explore how Bonhoeffer's Lutheran foundations shaped his understanding of political life, resistance, and the church's role in society.

Key Topics:

1. Lutheran themes in Bonhoeffer's popular works "Discipleship" and "Life Together"

2. How Bonhoeffer approached the Sermon on the Mount within a Lutheran law/gospel framework

3. The theological path from justification to Bonhoeffer's understanding of the two kingdoms

4. Bonhoeffer's careful distinction between church action and individual Christian resistance

5. Challenging common misunderstandings about Lutheran political theology

6. What Bonhoeffer's approach to tradition can teach pastors today

About our guest: Dr. Michael DeJonge is the James F. Strange Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Religious Studies Department at the University of South Florida in Tampa. His books on Bonhoeffer include "Bonhoeffer's Reception of Luther" (Oxford, 2017) and "Bonhoeffer on Resistance" (Oxford, 2018).

Resources mentioned:

1. Bonhoeffer's "Discipleship" (formerly "The Cost of Discipleship")

2. "Life Together" and its emphasis on word and sacrament

3. "The Church and the Jewish Question" with the "spoke in the wheel" metaphor

4. The Lutheran tradition of two kingdoms theology

In this episode of Cardigan and Collar, hosts David Luy and Maurice Lee continue their exploration of how Dietrich Bonhoeffer became a pastor-theologian by examining the Lutheran sources of his theological and pastoral formation with Dr. Michael DeJonge.

Key Topics:

1. How Bonhoeffer approached theology as both an academic and ecclesial discipline

2. Bonhoeffer's distinctive understanding of the church compared to contemporaries like Karl Barth

3. The surprising ways Bonhoeffer critiqued prominent Luther scholars of his time

4. Bonhoeffer's theological innovation in understanding Christ as "person" and "community"

5. How Lutheran theology helped Bonhoeffer navigate post-Kantian philosophical challenges

About our guest: Dr. Michael DeJonge is the James F. Strange Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Religious Studies Department at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He has written extensively on Bonhoeffer, including books such as "Bonhoeffer's Theological Formation" (Oxford, 2012), "Bonhoeffer's Reception of Luther" (Oxford, 2017), and "Luther, Bonhoeffer and Public Ethics" (Lexington/Fortress, 2018).

Resources mentioned:

1. Bonhoeffer's "Sanctorum Communio" and "Act and Being"

2. The works of Karl Barth and Karl Hall on Luther

3. Bonhoeffer's "Ethics" and his discussion of two kingdoms vs. two spheres

In this second part of our conversation with Dr. Charles Marsh, we dive deeper into the moments that shaped Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s vocation as a pastor theologian. From Harlem to Rome to a Benedictine monastery in Bavaria, we explore how Bonhoeffer’s encounters with global Christianity—and especially the Black Church in America—inspired his vision of a concrete, lived theology.

Dr. Marsh reflects on Bonhoeffer’s hunger for an embodied faith, his provocative claims about the Confessing Church, and why joy and suffering became central to his discipleship. We also ask: what might Bonhoeffer offer the Church today?