Bonheoffer

Question 1

Who was bonhoeffer

Answer 1

German Lutheran pastor in the 20th century who opposed to the nazi regime

Question 2

What was the third reich

Answer 2

Another name for nazi state

Question 3

What was the gestapo

Answer 3

Nazi secret police

Question 4

What was the gestapo

Answer 4

Nazi secret police

Question 5

What was the Aryan paragraph

Answer 5

Stated that only those of Aryan descent could be employed in the civil service

Question 6

Summarised timeline of bonhoeffer

Answer 6

1930 - America
1933 - banned from speaking in public after opposing Hitler on radio
1935 - tought at the seminary in finkenwalde
1939 - went to teach in USA, returned in solidarity and joined abwehr as cover for involvement in resistance
1943 - imprisoned for helping Jewish immigrants escape to Switzerland
1944 - failed assassination attempt on Hitler was linked to Bonhoeffer
1945 - executed

Question 7

What was lutheranism

Answer 7

Branch of Christianity inspired by Martin Luther
Believed that the bible is the single highest authority and it doesn’t need to be interpreted
Luther wrote book ‘On the Jews and their Lies’ which was often quoted by hitler

Question 8

How did the German church act

Answer 8

More sympathetic towards Nazis, purged church of Jewish influence

Question 9

What did the confessing church believe about nazism

Answer 9

Didn’t aim to overthrow Hitler, but disagreed with the control over practicing faith

Question 10

What was the confessing church

Answer 10

Founded by a group of pastors, including bonhoeffer
Began in opposition to nazi government trying to unify all protestant churches into one single pro nazi church

Question 11

What did bonhoeffer call the ‘western void’

Answer 11

The western culture was embracing a rational view of the world over a religious one
Leads to a moral and spiritual vacuum that is open to being filled by dangerous ideologies

Question 12

What is religionless christianity

Answer 12

Term used by bonhoeffer
He believed Christianity should become less reliant on traditions and free from the idea that we need to fill our search for meaning with new beliefs and ideologies
Wanted to refocus Jesus as the ultimate mediator

Question 13

What did bonhoeffer explain with the ‘rusty swords’ analogy

Answer 13

Ethical attitudes of the church have become outdated and therefore useless
Similar to rusty swords which can no longer pierce objects

Question 14

What happened at finkenwalde

Answer 14

Community was established as the ideal Christian life
Lived as a ‘community of disciples’ with jesus at the centre, focussed on prayer and discipline

Question 15

What was life like at finkenwalde

Answer 15

Focussed on simplicity, as this would lead Christians to fight action
Frequent discussion of the bible with debates and lectures took place, to develop individuals own connection with god and well formed conscience

Question 16

What 2 kingdoms does lutheranism state there is

Answer 16

Spiritual kingdom (governed by church)
Political kingdom (governed by state)
To disobey the state is to disobey God

Question 17

Why did bonhoeffer reinterpret lutheranism

Answer 17

Lutheranism gave too much authority to the state and it’s rulers, and undermined Jesus as the one true leader

Question 18

How is civil disobedience justified by bonhoeffer

Answer 18

Christians have a responsibility to the state to ensure it acts in accordance with god’s will

Question 19

What is suffering disobedience

Answer 19

Disobedience may be the lesser of two evils, though it is not easy
E.g tyrannicide may be a Christian duty in this case

Question 20

How is Bonhoeffer’s idea a ‘bottom up’ theology

Answer 20

God’s protection of the oppressed should be put above the state

Question 21

What is discipleship

Answer 21

Doing God’s will by following jesus example

Question 22

How does bonhoeffer say we know what god’s will is

Answer 22

When Christians live a good life with the bible and jesus at the heart, they form a conscience, which makes you t clear in the moment of action what the will of God is

Question 23

What is grace

Answer 23

Freely given love, including forgiveness of sins and offer of eternal life

Question 24

What is cheap grace

Answer 24

Term used by bonhoeffer to describe Christians who believed that god’s grace is a gift without any personal sacrifice expected from the individual

Question 25

What is costly grace

Answer 25

True sacrificial discipleship which requires you to completely give up your life to jesus

Question 26

How did bonhoeffer show discipleship

Answer 26

Donated large sums of money to Jewish families
Returned to Germany in solidarity after finding safety in usa