Christian Moral Action Flashcards
At what time did Bonhoeffer live?
The time of Nazi rise
What was Finkenwalde?
A community founded by Bonhoeffer. This community was made up of people who accused German Christians for not sticking to their faith, not being true to their discipleship and the commandments of God - because they saw Hitler as being above Jesus and God
What is the call of discipleship?
Give a quote by Bonhoeffer
- A call to obedience to the leadership of Jesus and the will of God
“There is no road to faith or discipleship, no other road- only obedience to the call of Jesus”- Bonhoeffer - Discipleship means exclusive obedience to the leadership of God with all other legal ties being burned.
- When being called, we have to drop everything and follow God, we cannot take on the call on our own terms, fitting it in around our life in a way that is convenient.
-In the situation we must cut ourselves off from the previous existence
Why may some argue the call to discipleship- as described by Bonhoeffer- is controversial?
This is controversial as it places discipleship above the law and any human leadership above the responsibilities of citizenship.
This means that christians wouldnt follow any laws that are keeping countries stable. This would make it unclear what members of society hold a leadership or citizenship role and result in everyone doing whatever they want
What Biblical story does Bonhoeffer refer to to prove that we should put our duty to God and Jesus before anything else?
What does this story show?
Luke- Jesus speaks of the Son of Man having no place to rest. One man who jesus calls says he must first bury his dead father, following the legal responsibility he has, but Jesus says the dead should be left to bury the dead.
This shows that even the law cannot stand in the way of the call to Jesus.
What is the only real faith according to Bonhoeffer?
An act of obedience.
What does Bonhoeffer call it when Jesus called Peter to risk his life and walk into the sea?
Single minded obedience
How did Bonhoeffer show civil disobedience?
Bonhoeffer spoke against Nazism in his university position and spoke openly about his prayers for the defeat of his own country. Bonhoeffer also criticised the Confessing Church when it wavered under pressure from Hitler to conform. He went so far as to proclaim Hitler as the Anti-Christ, calling for his elimination. Lastly, Bonhoeffer worked as a double agent with the resistance and the allies, helping to smuggle Jews into Switzerland.
Similarly to Kant, Bonhoeffer taught that a Christian can recognise they act out of duty when they act along with the rest of humankind.
What does Bonhoeffer mean when he refers to the “visible community”
Bonhoeffer states that Christians must be like salt and light in community.
They should be known to be present through their acts of discipleship- like salt is tasteable and therefore visible in food
They should bring light into a dark room
Without the salt and light, the Church is lost
The light should shine for all people.
He refers to the Bible and says that the Bible does not say you have the salt but rather “you are the salt”- it is about what you do that matters- good works.
The Barman Declaration (the confession churches chief document) was made up of 6 laws. Give 3 of these.
- The word of revelation is only the word of God- Jesus Christ
- The Church should have no “Führer” as there is no hierarchy in the Church
- The state should not fulfill the tasks of the Church and vice versa
What is cheap grace?
- People do not attempt to set aside all of possessions and free time for God but instead live by the idea that God will forgive us and offer us eternal life anyway (as shown by the fact that Jesus died to save everyone from their sins) so we dont have to try hard to be a good Christian. Bonhoeffer argues that cheap grace follows the idea that not a lot of sacrifices or changes need to be made for faith.
- Cheap is a lie. It is not the grace of God but a self- congratulating grace we give ourselves so we do not have to live a challenging christian life.
What is costly grace?
- The treasure hidden in a field that people would do anything to obtain. It is worth sacrificing everything for.
- The real grace which requires Christians to live a challenging life but they will be rewarded for this in the afterlife.
- Grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus and that means making changes to our lives and our decisions
What was Bonhoeffer worried about regarding costly grace?
He was worried that the Church has become securalised and has lost its sense of costly grace
What does Luther say about grace and how does Bonhoeffer respond to this?
- Luther- grace alone is needed for salvation
- Bonhoeffer- people interpreted this as meaning the commands of Jesus can be disobeyed
The result of this misunderstanding is a nation that become Christian and lutherian at the cost of true discipleship resulting in “millions of spiritual corpses”.
What does Bonhoeffer say about discipleship being clearly linked to?
-Discipleship is clearly linked to the passion of the death of Jesus.
