The Mystery of Holy Night

This short but profound book is a meditation on the significance of the birth of Jesus to the lives of all Christians. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian theologian executed for his role in a conspiracy to murder Hitler, seeks to unite the religious and the secular in an ethical humanism. The nativity of Christ in the manger speaks directly to this unity: it addresses a Christian's attitude toward the lowly, Christian experience--being humble in facing God and the world. "Who among us will celebrate Christmas right?" Bonhoeffer asks. He answers, "those who finally lay down all their power, honor, and prestige, all their vanity, pride, and self-will at the manger." Brief, poetic selections from two Bonhoeffer sermons, The Mystery of Holy Night provides material for meditation on the meaning of Christmas and of Christianity.