My theological work was always only a superstructure placed upon the experiences and sufferings of my life … –Helmut Thielicke

Thielicke’s story is one of extraordinary circumstances. Especially as a young man, living through Germany’s darkest hour, he was time and again put on the brink of death by fatal sickness, Nazi oppression, and war. These experiences left an indelible mark on his worldview.

In this thoroughly researched study, Fabian F. Grassl takes a fresh and original look at Thielicke’s turbulent life through the specific lens of suffering and death. He paints an intimate portrait of a boundary rider whose theology uniquely developed in the face of death.

As a result, new light is cast on one of the outstanding theologians, ethicists, and preachers of the twentieth century. The reader is invited to explore a world of thought decidedly shaped by the eschatological existence of an intriguing personality; a flawed human being like the rest of us yet endowed with a fascinating theological prowess, taking his stand amongst Germany’s major historical upheavals of the last centenary.