Bonhoeffer Flashcards
Overview of Bonhoeffer
.Advocated a Christian theology that should radically challenge the state and its power, in contrast to traditional Christianity which has regarded obedience to the state as a virtue
.Reinterpretation of Luther who has typically seen the Church and State as equivalent
. Founding member of the confessing church - argued the Church must be more than a system of support, but a place to assist with spiritual discipline as part of an ethic of placing others before oneself - the Church should not be about rites and rituals, or comfortable adherence to theological beliefs; it should instead play a part in shaping our ethical environment.
Issues with Bonhoeffer’s theory today
DEMOCRACY: Too much emphasis on suffering, developed at a time of fascism – not necessary to abandon a pacifist approach in a time of liberal democracy
UNCLEAR: Hard to decipher when one must disobey the state – although Nazi rule was clearly against the will of god, in cases such as abortion or euthanasia it is harder to determine true good
GOD’S WILL: Difficult to reconcile Bonhoeffer’s discipleship with the possibility of human fallibility in knowing the will of God – if humans interpret the will of God wrongly, Bonhoeffer may be encouraging violent and irresponsible behaviour
CHURCH: If religion becomes a personal crusade people may overlook the guidance of the Church in regulating the actions of Christians
Relevance of Bonhoeffer’s theory today
TODAY: Continued suffering of many poor and marginalised people in the world means his ideas still carry weight. Modern capitalism and consumerism arguably enforce structural sin – solidarity is a timeless concept à Liberation theology
SUFFERING FOR OTHERS: Emphasis is not on suffering leading to conflict, but suffering and sacrifice for others as a path to peace and justice – means to a positive end
MULTI FAITH SOCIETY: Encourages suffering for others, and ideas of solidarity; acceptance of other faiths and societies, especially those which are being persecuted
However one may argue he doesn’t accept all religions and relativizing truth can lead to losing sight of God’s will… But really he is more concerned with action and faith than ideology and belief
Stanley Hauerwas – argues Bonhoeffer’s emphasis on truth is much needed in global politics, “indifference leads to cynicism”
Fletcher – interprets Bonhoeffer’s teachings as a form of moral relativism (situational morality)
Others argue Fletcher misinterprets Bonhoeffer – truth is absolute in the sense it is the Word of God and discovered within a disciplined community; relativizing morals undermines truth.
Duty to God and duty to the State (obedience)
OBEDIENCE
Call to discipleship is one of “complete single-minded obedience” à the only true act of faith > reason/ belief. Can never be sure of god’s will, as this can “only be clear in the moment of action”; rid of personal ambition and submit afresh each day to God’s will, Kierkegaard “leap of faith”
Bonhoeffer was in conflict as he knew the Nazi regime opposed the will of God, but Luther had taught it was the duty of a Christian to be obedient to the government, as the government controlled our sinful nature. (Mark 12 “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s”).
No obligation to the state that rests outside of obedience to God’s will – break from Lutheran ideals which saw the Church and State as two sides of the same coin (Romans 13 – “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established”)
State cannot represent God’s will so cannot assume ultimate power.
Warned against ideologies such as Nazism – allows humans and the State to justify principles and practise that subordinate justice and God’s will. Critical of autonomous ethics – reduces God to human principles and makes humans slaves to the ideas of others
Duty to God and duty to the State (leadership)
LEADERSHIP
Leadership (community) over leaders (tyrants) – leadership focuses beyond the leader (God), leaders (Hitler) focus on themselves and are divorced from community. “Virtually impossible to give a rational basis for the nature of a leader”
Duty to God and duty to the State (justifying civil disobedience)
JUSTIFYING CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
Christians have a “responsibility to the state” – when the state propagates an ideal contrary to God’s will one has a duty to oppose it i.e. Nazi’s had seduced the Germans and were making “reasonable people face unreasonable situations” à going against God’s will
Tyrannicide as a Xn duty although no ultimate justification, “the will of God does not reveal itself before our eyes as clearly as we hoped” – rather attempt to kill Hitler was a “bold action as the free response of faith”; God promises to forgive the man who “becomes a sinner in the process”
Community for others
Stressed the importance of the “visible community” – not only a source of spiritual discipline but light for others, “who will speak up for those who are voiceless?” Agreed with Kant that duty is acting in solidarity with humankind
Confessing Church as a counterpart to Nazi-aligned Protestant Churches in 1930s. Barth produces Theological Declaration of Barmen 1934:
Importance of Christ and denial of any other leader’s authority à opposition to civil oath towards Hitler.
“if you find we are speaking contrary to scripture, then do not listen to us!” – reason perverts God’s will
Church and State separate
Spiritual immersement
Led to secret seminary at Finkenwalde – trained new pastors free of Nazi influence, focus on: discipline, modest lifestyle, meditation, Bible study, Brotherhood (Luke 10 Martha complaining of Mary who was utterly absorbed in spiritual lifestyle)
Religion in Secular World
Letters while in prison 1944 considers place of religion in secular world – believed the Western world was a world “come of age”; disregarding religious superstition and tradition, but created “Western void” filled by dangerous ideologies (Nazism)
“Religion-less Christianity” – secular people participating in sufferings of God without ideological contamination of the past and present.
People declared themselves “religious” but displayed no requirements i.e. Church tradition and “rusty” swords – lack of commitment to preventing injustice, became dissatisfied with the Confessing church for this reason.
Barth claimed religion was human construct à Christianity is just upmost faith in Jesus, metaphysically meaningless.
Cheap vs costly grace
Costly grace should expect struggle and hardship, radical life changes, action (terrible alternative). Barth acknowledged that Christianity could not be a mere abstract system of thought, with rites and rituals.
Cheap grace was comfortable, unchallenging form of Christianity. Augustine was worried that Christians believed the price of sin “had been paid for in advance”
Devalues Jesus’ death and is “denial of the living word”
Christians lost all respect for the value of grace as something acquired quickly and easily, “sold on the market like cheapjack’s wares” (‘Cost of Discipleship’)
Worthy Christians “act for the sake of the world rather than the sake of grace”
“Treasure in a hidden field” found at the “door at which a man must knock” – we have a duty to sacrifice ourselves, and will only achieve the will of God through costly, not cheap, grace
Sacrifice and suffering
Must suffer as Jesus did, “suffering is the true badge of discipleship”, “cross is laid on every Christian”. Must love one’s neighbour above oneself and suffer for them.
Solidarity
True discipleship is existence for others, taking the guilt of the world upon themselves, which becomes an experience of transcendence with God himself. 1933 essay “The Church and the Jewish Question” – must fight for other religion and injustice suffered. Jesus was a “man for others” and the Church must be a “Church for others” à do not “bandage the victims under the wheel” but “put a spoke in the wheel itself”. After the ‘Night of the Broken Glass’ Bonhoeffer publicly rejected the view that God was punishing Jews, and collected aids.
