'Bonhoeffer's theology is still relevant today" Discuss.

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Danielle Hills 

'Bonhoeffer's theology is still relevant today" Discuss.

Bonhoeffer was a German minister in 1931, during the time of the Nazis regime. Hitler was ruling during this time in the 1930's, and persecuted every Jew or every person with a Jewish ancestry. Bonhoeffer called Hitler the "anti-Christ", and challeneged Nazism. He referred to them as cult-like organisation, and critisised their distortion of the Christian call to discipleship and their persecution of the Jew's. Bonhoeffer worked for the German military intelligence during the war, and used church meetings to smuggle information. He disgusised Jew's as military intelligence and smuggled them to safety in Switzerland. Although some people agreed with Bonhoeffer's views and behaviour, some people critisise his ways of resistence towards the Nazis regime. For example, there were rumours he was apart of a plot to assasinate Hitler, which highly goes against the bible and the rules of Chrisitanity. This essay will favourably point out how Bonhoeffer's theology is not relevant in today's society.

Bonhoeffer's beliefs were absolute and objective. He disreguarded the laws of the land and thought that duty to God was more important and above the duty to the state. This view of his is criticised as it lead to civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is the active refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, or orders of a government or occupent of international power. Bonhoeffer himself committed the crime of civil obedience as he was accused of plotting to assasinate Hitler. Throughout Christianity, it is emphasised "do not kill", including one of the primary precepts in natural law, and the10 commandments. This highlights how Bonhoeffer is not a good example or role model to follow in today's society. On the other hand, Bonhoeffer's theology is relevant in today's society as it emphasises the risk of 'apparent goods'. If Bonhoeffer was planning to assasinate Hitler, the reason behind it may have been to save thousands of Jew's, but it is still taking the life of a person, which is ultimately morally wrong. In addition, Hitler also believed he was doing something good by assasinating the Jew's, however this was also an act of an 'apparent good'. Bonhoeffer's theology would help to warn today's society of 'apparent goods' and the destruction they can bring to the world. However, his theology is regarded as irrelevant today as the state laws have been produced to be followed to avoid the destruction of society.

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what grade did this get??