Witnessing the Holocaust: A Christian Tragedy at the Covenant Village of Golden Valley

How could genocide happen under the umbrella of Christian civilization? Senior Pastor John Matthews of Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, Minn. will present “Witnessing the Holocaust: A Christian Tragedy,” at Covenant Village of Golden Valley, a faith-based, not-for-profit continuing care retirement community administered by Covenant Retirement Communitires, on Thursday, March 12, at 1 p.m.

Matthews has studied the life and legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a 20th century German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident during World War II. He authored Anxious Souls Will Ask...the Christ-Centered Spirituality of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in 2005 and in 2011 authored the second book in a series entitled Bonhoeffer: A Brief Overview of the life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Matthews has been involved in Jewish-Christian relations for over 30 years, serving on the ELCA Consultative Panel for Lutheran-Jewish Relations between 1990-2000. He is a graduate of  Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. and Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and had done post graduate study at the International Center for Holocaust Education at Yad Yashem in Jersualem.

The free program is open to the public. Covenant Village of Golden Valley is located in 5800 St. Croix Ave. N., Minn. For more information or to register for the event, please visit www.CovenantVillageofGoldenValley.org or call (877) 804-7017.