Haunted by the loss of his brother in World War I…

…and horrified by the growing influence of the Nazi Party over the Church, Dietrich Bonhoeffer preaches his own unique brand of spiritual pacifism as a leader of the Confessing Church, where he meets and befriends his kindred spirit, Eberhard Bethge.

Bonhoeffer’s work against the Nazi regime has him labeled an Enemy of the State, however, and when he is forcibly conscripted into Hitler’s Army, he is forced to flee to America. While there, Bonhoeffer realizes that he has a duty to fight for good in his own country, returning and joining the underground Resistance.

His work as a spy and aiding Jews out of the country takes a dark turn when he realizes that the underground has begun plotting the assassination of Hitler, a move that puts Bonhoeffer at odds with his own pacifism as well as with Bethge.

Ultimately, Bonhoeffer chooses to walk his own path, finding grace in resistance and defying evil to his dying breath.

Ultimately, he chooses to…

Why Rise?

“For me the story of Bonhoeffer is attractive for the human element. Bonhoeffer was not superhuman. He was as flawed as the rest of us. He had to overcome those foibles to wrestle with enormous human dilemmas with very few good alternatives. He chose the most difficult path, when others chose the expedient. His story reminds us that we can also choose the difficult path as opposed to the expedient and comfortable. We are also no less responsible for this choice than Bonhoeffer to be the light, the fire, the candle, and the one to make a difference.”

– Scott Wilkinson, Music & Lyrics

“The reason I’m so compelled by Dietrich’s story is not just the fact that it’s an exhilarating tale of a person standing up against enormous odds to change the world – it’s because “RISE”, at its core, about being your own true, authentic, self.”

– Eric C. Webb, Book