Bonhoeffer's theology [1]
- Created by: ekenny5
- Created on: 13-04-22 14:07
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- Bonhoeffer's Theology Summary [1]
- The Church and State
- CONTEXT: the Nazi ideology had strong influence on the Church, with church leaders showing their support, and promoting the Nazi Aryan Clause
- Bonhoeffer accused Christians of not being true to their discipleship and the commands of God
- He formed the Confessing Church who rejected the anti-Jewish rules
- Obedience to God's Will
- discipleship is a call to be obedient to the leadership of Jesus and the will of God
- it is the exclusive obedience to the leadership of God
- 'there is no road to faith or discipleship, no other road - only obedience to the call of Jesus'
- 'let every person be subject to the governing authorities' St Paul
- 'beside Jesus nothing has significance'
- Bonhoeffer called for 'single minded obedience' - acting in response to demands of discipleship, with no time to think
- simply actnig
- reason, conscience, responsibility and piety all stand in the way of this
- Jesus called Peter to risk his life and walk on the sea
- 'we do not walk under our self-made laws and burdens'
- discipleship is a call to be obedient to the leadership of Jesus and the will of God
- Civil Disobedience
- duty to God far outweighs duty to the state
- Disagreed with Lutheran teaching that a Christian should obey the civil authority
- Christians have a duty to disobey when the state is not in line with the ethics of the Church
- what Hitler was doing was gross distortions of God given order
- tyrannicide (killing a tyrant for the common good) may be a Christian duty to establish social order
- Bonhoeffer admitted that his attempt to kill Hitler could not be justified using ordinary ethical terms, but by 'bold action as the free response of faith'
- God forgives 'the man who becomes a sinner in the process'
- Bonhoeffer admitted that his attempt to kill Hitler could not be justified using ordinary ethical terms, but by 'bold action as the free response of faith'
- Community and Religionless Christianity
- Christians should be moral people, and the Church must follow in its mission and be a sign for others. the 'visible community'
- BH argued for religionless Christianity - Christianity without the baggage of the past and contamination of ideological beliefs
- Finkenwalde
- the Barmen Declaration was written at Finkenwalde by BH and Karl Barth
- it reinstated the centrality of Christ as the way to God, rejecting any other leaders
- nothing can have authority over people's lives other than God
- it reinstated the centrality of Christ as the way to God, rejecting any other leaders
- Finkenwalde was a private seminary that trained ministers free of the Nazi ideology
- marked with prayer, reflection and bible study
- Proverbs 31:8 'who will speak up for those who are voiceless'
- Bonhoeffer then went on to cirticise the leaders at Finkenwalde as he thought they failed to stand up to the tyranny
- the Barmen Declaration was written at Finkenwalde by BH and Karl Barth
- The Church and State
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