Bonhoeffer

Question 1

Who was Bonhoeffer?

Answer 1

German Protestant Christian who lived in Nazi Germany
Executed by German Authorities just before WW2 ended
Seen as a martyr of Christian Church

Question 2

Bonhoeffer - Cost of Discipleship

& Barth

Answer 2

In “Ethics” book - Ethics is action and action is liberating
One should ask “Who is Christ for us today?”
Karl Barth said that “God reveals himself” - Bonhoeffer thought this was too passive
Action is conscience
Love comes over disunity (disunity with oneself)
Ethical decisions are ones of conflict and action: the conflict is between knowing good and evil

Question 3

Bonhoeffer - Solidarity

Answer 3

The Church must question the legitimacy of the state’s action
We should follow that example
Jesus made it his mission to value the weak and vulnerable

Question 4

Bonhoeffer - Justification of civil disobedience

Answer 4

Bold action as response to faith
All Christians can do is act in faith and hope
There exists a Christian Responsibility for secular institutions
Responsibility for making sure the state responds to God’s will (not necessarily turning it into a Christian state)
If the state is making reasonable people face unreasonable situations, civil disobey is okay
“Tyrannicide is a Christian Duty” - Bonhoeffer
Disobedience is not easy - not easily justifiable - Consequentialist arguments do not help because you can’t calculate all outcomes

Question 5

Bonhoeffer - The Role of the Church as a Community

Answer 5

Like Kant, Bonhoeffer believes that one should act in solidarity with mankind
Must be truly religious - not a fake middle class religion
Liberalism creates what he calls the “western void” - a moral and spiritual vacuum to be filled with all sorts of dangerous beliefs
National socialism - Filling the gap left by Christianity
Bonhoeffer wanted a religious Christianity without the baggage of the past and dangerous ideologies of the present

Question 6

Bonhoeffer - On Leadership

Answer 6

Leadership - Community (good)
Leadership - particular person (bad)
“It is virtually impossible to give a rational basis for the nature of a leader” - Bonhoeffer

Question 7

Bonhoeffer (Background) 🙌🏿

Answer 7

In America he was introduced to “vibrant” black communities and realised the Church needed to break down racial differences
Radical Reform of Christianity

Question 8

Bonhoeffer and Luther

Answer 8

Luther had said that (or implied that) to disobey the state was to disobey God
Bonhoeffer thought this gave too much power/authority to the state and undermined the purpose of Christianity

Question 9

Bonhoeffer - Resistance to NAZISM 📻

Answer 9

1933 - Hitler comes into power
Bonhoeffer’s Radio broadcast - “The Younger Generations” offered an altered view of the concept of the Fuhrer
Placed himself against the state
Nazis cut his mic before he could criticise the state
- Against power being given to an earthly leader - the leadership principle
He was held in a mock trial and then hanged shortly before the end of WW2

Question 10

Bonhoeffer - Acts while in America

Answer 10

Became a member of the “confessing church” refusing to accept that only Aryan Germans could be members for the church
Accepted only the authority of Christ
He joined the resistance
1940 - Joined German Counter Intelligence as a double agent

Question 11

Bonhoeffer - Secular Pacifism

Answer 11

He called secular pacifism a scandal - true peace and justice are not part of a secular world - You have to tackle evil

Question 12

Bonhoeffer - Thought

Answer 12

You need to reflect on the life of Christ and his teaching
Responding to God is liberating
If is truly “known” then God is reduced to a human idea
Love is seen as knowable
Action ridding oneself of personal ambition and submit oneself everyday anew to the will of God
Bonhoeffer asks us to “ask what is the will of God?”
Luther: 2 Kingdoms ordained by God: spiritual kingdom and political state kingdom

Question 13

Bonhoeffer: Teachings on relationship between Church and State

Answer 13

Two areas of life : Church and State laws

These are separate as church only involves private life - However, state laws are public duties

Question 14

Bonhoeffer: Change of heart on relation between church and state

Answer 14

Attitudes changed when Hitler came to power and persecution of Jews begun
Hitler demanded all churches show complete obedience to Furher
Suggested 3 courses of possible action:
1. Church provides care for victims of injustice (Jews)
2. Protest rather than be silent
3. Seen to disruption the state
He became seen as political resistance
Church must be separate from the state, not just a tool of the state
Its job is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ
Tragically most churches chose not to oppose Hitler
Bonhoeffer suggested:
“The state of Adolf Hitler appeals to the church”

Question 15

Bonhoeffer - Quote on victims 🩹

Answer 15

“We are not simply to bandage the wounds of the victims”

In other words, speak up against civil tyranny

Question 16

Should a Christian Practise Civil Disobedience? - YES

Answer 16

Christians have a higher duty than the state
Most ensure God’s will is being followed
Rise of Nazi’s and persecution of Jesus
Obviously bad and not loving
If state imposes a law which is unjust and does not promote the common good, the church is no longer required to obey it
For example, in Britain at various times in history, priests who celebrated Mass were given severe penalties, so they made secret rooms.
“ We are not to simply bandage the wounds of the victims” - Bonhoeffer
Gospel of Mark indicates that Jesus seemed to be an advocate for civil disobedience while in the Temple of Jerusalem

Question 17

Should a Christian practise civil disobedience? - NO

Answer 17

Gospel of Luke implies that the worldly authorities are to be respected
The Romans were occupying power yet Jesus told people to pay taxes and obey Romans
In a letter, St. Paul said “all of you must obey the government rulers”
Aquinas argues that we should live in an orderly society and we need laws for this