Author Eric Metaxas has apologized to the relatives of Dietrich Bonhoeffer for referring to them as “pro-Hamas lunatics” and “Jew haters,” though he did not definitively retract those statements.
Metaxas is the author of several books but is perhaps best known for “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy,” a biography of the famed theologian and pastor, who was killed in 1945 for opposing the Nazi regime in Germany.
While Metaxas is not officially involved in the production of the Angel Studios biopic “Bonhoeffer,” he has praised the film and promoted it in a personal capacity.
Metaxas’ comments against a group of Bonhoeffer’s relatives came during an interview with political commentator Glenn Beck and were in response to criticism Metaxas and Angel Studios received from the group for, in their words, associating Bonhoeffer with “far-right, violent movements such as Christian Nationalists and others who are trying to appropriate him today.”
“We are horrified to see how the legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer is increasingly being distorted and misused by right-wing extremists, xenophobes, and religious agitators,” the group said in a statement on Oct. 18.
Eric Metaxas: Bonhoeffer Relatives Are ‘Pro-Hamas Lunatics’ and ‘Jew Haters’
In his conversation with Beck, Metaxas characterized the group of Bonhoeffer’s relatives as “guaranteed pro-Hamas lunatics.”
“So these are Jew-hating lunatics claiming to speak for the man who died for the Jews of Europe, Dietrich Bonhoeffer,” Metaxas said. “I mean, let’s be clear.”
“Look, these people…they’re unhinged, there’s no talking to them, they have their view, it’s a free country, but they’re crazy,” Metaxas went on to say. “They don’t care about the facts. They just know they hate you. They hate Trump. Like, they don’t know what they think.”
Following Metaxas’ remarks, Bonhoeffer’s relatives reportedly indicated that they were considering legal action against Metaxas.
“Eric Metaxas is once again spreading unbelievable lies and slandering our family,” they said. “No one from the Bonhoeffer family has ever spoken out pro-Hamas or anti-Jewish. On the contrary: We fight terror and anti-Semitism wherever we can.”
RELATED: Director of ‘Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin,’ Formerly an Atheist, Hopes Film Inspires ‘Bravery’
Metaxas Issues an Apology
Earlier this week, Metaxas took time on his radio show to issue an apology—but not before reiterating his grievances with Bonhoeffer’s relatives.
