Christian Moral Action

Question 1

What happened in 1930?

Answer 1

•Bonhoeffer went to America and met with members of the Black Church
- He developed the idea that Christianity needs to build relationships between different churches without racial or geographical boundaries

Question 2

What happened in 1933?

Answer 2

•Hitler became Chancellor of Germany and Bonhoeffer made a radio broadcast criticising Hitler and the cult of the Fuhrer
- However, his broadcast was ended half way through

Question 3

What happened in 1934?

Answer 3

•The Confession Church was established and they published the Barmen Declaration

Question 4

What is the Barmen Declaration?

Answer 4

•It stated that the Church should follow only Jesus, not other worldly leaders, and that the Church should offer salvation to all while remaining separate from the State

Question 5

What happened in 1935?

Answer 5

•Bonhoeffer started to lead the seminary in Finkenwalde

Question 6

What happened in 1937?

Answer 6

•The seminary was closed by the Gestapo and 27 people were arrested

Question 7

What happened in 1938?

Answer 7

•Hitler declared that all German pastors had to take an oath of allegiance to himself
- Bonhoeffer deeply opposed this

Question 8

What happened in 1940?

Answer 8

•Bonhoeffer was forbidden from speaking in public and publishing
- He joined the Abweher (German military intelligence) to use it as a way to meet with people around the world and strengthen the resistance against Hitler

Question 9

What resistance plots was Bonhoeffer involved in?

Answer 9

•He was a conspirator in a plot to kill Hitler

Question 10

What happened in 1943?

Answer 10

•He was arrested and sent to prison

Question 11

What happened in 1945?

Answer 11

•He was moved to Flossenbürg concentration camp which is where he was eventually tried and hanged

Question 12

What was the Church struggle of the 1930s?

Answer 12

•It was when the German Church wanted the Nazification of the Church while the Confessing Church wanted to distance themselves from the Nazis

Question 13

What are the 4 reasons for why the Confessing Church seminaries were needed?

Answer 13

1. The German Church was becoming more powerful and training pastors to accept Nazi ideology, which mean alternative seminaries were needed
2. The German Church was not allowing non-Aryans to become pastors while the Confessing Church’s seminaries welcomed everyone
3. The seminaries provided new pastors with the theological knowledge to fight against the German Church
4. The seminaries allowed people to live together in a community which helped them to develop the tools to face challenging times

Question 14

What does Bonhoeffer argue the Bible asks for at the very least?

Answer 14

•He argues it asks to “speak out for those who cannot speak”

Question 15

How does the seminary at Finkenwalde support that Christians should “speak out for those who cannot speak”?

Answer 15

•It support in 3 ways:
1. It supports pastors in their theological knowledge
2. It helps pastors to pray, worship and encounter God
3. It trains pastors to speak out against evil things being done by the State

Question 16

What does Bonhoeffer argue a community should do?

Answer 16

•He argues a community should “make individuals free, strong and mature”
- He emphasises that the seminary is not a place to hide but a place to prepare Christians to go out into the world and make it better

Question 17

What 3 rules and traditions that were followed at Finkenwalde did Dudzus share?

Answer 17

1. You cannot judge or talk about anyone behind their back
2. Everyone has to take one long walk a day with another member
3. Sundays were to be spent together worshipping followed by walks and games
   - They also partook in teaching, Bible reading and prayer (with some members going out into the local community)

Question 18

What did the seminary help to develop?

Answer 18

•Spiritual Discipline

Question 19

What two important Christian teachings did Bonhoeffer believed were followed by living in a community?

Answer 19

1. They were becoming disciples (followers of Christ)
2. They were be coming “Salt and Light”

Question 20

What does it mean for Christians to be “Salt and Light”?

Answer 20

• It means they are becoming a visible community
- This is because a little bit of salt can flavour lots of food while a little bit of light can brighten a whole room
* This means they are being seen by the whole world and calling others to follow Christ

Question 21

3 strengths of the seminary at Finkenwalde:

Answer 21

1. The seminary strengthened the Confessing Church
2. The focus on community helped support pastors whose jobs were difficult and prepared them to speak out
3. Bonhoeffer was focused on preparing people to go out into the world and make a difference rather than remaining isolated from the world

Question 22

2 criticisms of the seminary at Finkenwalde:

Answer 22

1. Some scholars argued that Bonhoeffer was hiding from the world
2. Some scholars argued there was more important work to be done in Germany than training pastors (they could have worked more actively to oppose the Nazis directly)

Question 23

Who supports the claim that Bonhoeffer was hiding from the world?

Answer 23

• Barth
- He argued that the seminary seemed “to be more an effort to flee”

Question 24

How does Jesus support that Christians have a duty to the State?

Answer 24

•He declared that we had to “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”
- St. Paul also supports this as he argued that all authorities were established by God
* This makes it hard for Christians to oppose the State

Question 25

What did Bonhoeffer believe about God’s will?

Answer 25

• He believed that we had to follow God’s will even if it meant disobeying the State

Question 26

What did Bonhoeffer believe about Christianity?

Answer 26

• He believed Christianity was “a testimony to the absolute, direct and unaccountable authority of Jesus”

Question 27

What did Bonhoeffer believe about obedience and faith?

Answer 27

• He believed that without obedience there was no faith
- This is supported by the quote “only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes”

Question 28

What are the 4 factors of discipleship?

Answer 28

1. Exclusive obedience to the leadership of God
2. “Single-minded obedience” (not getting distracted by anything else)
3. Immediate action without thought
4. Willingness to do something seen as ethically wrong due to following God’s will

Question 29

What quote by Bonhoeffer supports immediate action without thought?

Answer 29

• He declared that there “is no use asking questions”

Question 30

What are the 3 justifications for civil disobedience during the Nazi regime according to Bonhoeffer?

Answer 30

1. Humans are finite and sinful (this means no human action is absolutely wrong/right)
2. It is the Church’s job to control the State if it assumes too much power and fails to recognise God’s ultimate authority
3. Nazi ideology was based on flawed, human ideas,
   not God’s will

Question 31

3 strengths of civil disobedience:

Answer 31

1. Condoning civil disobedience meant Bonhoeffer was able to fight for justice
2. The Bible supports civil disobedience
3. The war crime trials after World War II did not allow the argument that someone was only following orders of the State

Question 32

How does the Bible support civil disobedience?

Answer 32

• It states we should “follow justice and justice alone”
- This means we should obey God’s will to ensure justice

Question 33

3 criticisms of civil disobedience:

Answer 33

1. Disobeying the State goes against Jesus and St. Paul
2. Unquestioning obedience of God’s will may not be a good thing (there is a need for human autonomy and reason in moral decision making)
3. It is not always easy to know what the will of God is (someone can claim what they want to do as God’s will so a more objective measure of morality is needed)

Question 34

What did Bonhoeffer argue was the “badge of true discipleship”?

Answer 34

• He argued that the “badge of true discipleship” was suffering
- He argues that this is the cost of discipleship

Question 35

What example does Bonhoeffer use to support the cost of discipleship?

Answer 35

• He uses the example of Jesus’ first disciples as they gave up everything to follow him
- This is displayed by Jesus telling a disciple that he cannot bury his dead dad as “the dead bury their own dead”

Question 36

What did being a disciple to Bonhoeffer mean?

Answer 36

•It meant action, following Jesus and obeying his commands
- This is supported by the story of the tax collector as Jesus told the tax collector to “follow me” and the tax collector got up and followed Jesus immediately, without question

Question 37

What did Bonhoeffer believe about Christian ethics?

Answer 37

•He believed it was not questioning “how we can be good” but “what is the will of God?”
- This means that if we are truly following Christ our actions will be ethical because we will be following his will

Question 38

What does Bonhoeffer believe about God’s will?

Answer 38

• He believes that it is “only clear in the moment of action”

Question 39

What is Augustine’s view of grace?

Answer 39

• He believes that we can only be saved through God’s grace and that salvation is a free gift from God

Question 40

What does Bonhoeffer believe Augustine’s grace causes?

Answer 40

•He believes it causes Christians to treat grace as cheap
- This is because they do not have to do anything to earn it

Question 41

What does Bonhoeffer believe Christians need to seek?

Answer 41

•He believes they need to seek “costly grace”
- This is because he believes God’s grace is only given to those who give up everything to follow Him

Question 42

What does Bonhoeffer believe will happen to you if you follow Jesus?

Answer 42

•He believes bad things will happen to you if you follow Jesus
- This is because “the ‘must’ of suffering applies to his disciples no less than to himself”

Question 43

What did Bonhoeffer believe about Christians in Germany?

Answer 43

•He believed they seemed no different to everyone one else which he believes is not right as Christians should live a different kind of life compared to others
- This may be because they were receiving cheap grace which meant they did not have to change their behaviour or act differently from others

Question 44

What is solidarity?

Answer 44

•It is standing together, united in agreement over a particular cause
- This is shown by Bonhoeffer believing that the sacrifices Christians make should not just be for themselves but for others too

Question 45

What quote supports Bonhoeffer’s belief in solidarity?

Answer 45

•”I must live through this difficult period in our national history with the people of Germany”
- He believes this sense of solidarity is an “existence for others” due to Christianity having to be a religion for everyone

Question 46

2 strengths of solidarity:

Answer 46

1. Bonhoeffer’s views are strongly supported by the life of Jesus (emphasis on discipleship, suffering and solidarity is shown by Jesus)
2. His emphasis on suffering and solidarity encouraged Christians to get involved in the world and help others, even if it was at a personal cost to themselves

Question 47

2 criticisms of solidarity:

Answer 47

1. Some scholars argue grace cannot be costly as it is freely given
2. Bonhoeffer’s emphasis on Christianity involving suffering could be from his very specific context of living in Nazi Germany
   (society is now more accepting of different faiths and groups of people so solidarity may not be necessary)

Question 48

What did Bonhoeffer’s theology focus on?

Answer 48

•It focused on how Christians should live in a very specific context
- This may make it irrelevant in contemporary society or useful as it shows how Christian teachings can be adapted

Question 49

3 reasons why Bonhoeffer’s theology remains relevant:

Answer 49

1. Society is more divided and unjust now (the inequality gap is constantly growing)
2. Christianity is becoming more adapted to the modern world (they are not standing out as different)
3. Discipleship will always be the calling for Christianity as Jesus should always be followed

Question 50

3 reasons why Bonhoeffer’s theology is irrelevant:

Answer 50

1. Society is now largely democratic and peaceful (this could make civil disobedience unhelpful or dangerous)
2. Christians becoming more like the rest of society has been good (many churches now accept divorce and gay marriages due to pressure from society)
3. Many modern Christians would reject Bonhoeffer’s emphasis on unquestioning disobedience to God’s will (this is because people have done terrible things claiming it was the will go God)