Christian Moral Action Flashcards
Who is Bonhoeffer?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Protestant Lutheran Pastor, part of the German resistance to Hitler and Nazism
What was the confessing Church
- Church gave sermons opposing Nazi’s persecution of Jews and abandonment of Christian values
- Preached Jesus was a Jew, Christianity teaches love, tolerance and justice
- Rejected gov interference in church
- Banned by Nazi party before war broke out
–> Bonhoeffer’s reaction “who will speak for the voiceless”
What Active Resistance was Bonhoeffer part of?
- Believed in Active resistance, based on Christianity as an active religion - action must be taken against evil
- Set aside established Christian principles to oppose evil
- Involved in several assassination attempts on Hitler
- Helped smuggle Jews to safety from Germany
–> led to execution by Nazi’s - Christians as “salt and light” - must be visible example of morality in community
What influenced Bonhoeffer
- Lutheran ideology
–> influenced By Martin Luther, opposed tradition and Catholic Church,
–> Advocated for sola scriptura and called out abuses in Catholic Church e.g. Sale of indulgences - New York, Harlem
–> Showed him importance of solidarity and social responsibility within Christianity
–> Inspired him to return to Germany to share in suffering of his people, and tackle evil more actively
How did Bonhoeffer think you know God’s will
- Bible + Reason
- Goal is to become a ‘responsible person’ stands against evil and follows God’s will
- Should use Bible and Prayer to gain sense of God’s will, even if unsure of actions - have faith that God will forgive us if we are wrong
- Does not see Bible as word of God
–> Justifies going against pacifism - Purpose of Bible to inspire people to follow Jesus, principles in bible not relevant to modern times
–> Bonhoeffer “Beside Jesus nothing has significance”
Bible
- Matthew - Jesus told Peter to walk on water, Peter was afraid but risked his life to follow JC command - we should aim to follow this message
Critiques of Bonhoeffers way to know God’s will
- Bonhoeffer thought Bible + Prayer - but bible not word of God therefore do not have to follow absolutely
Karl Barth
- Human reason fully corrupted by fall, cannot reliable reason God’s moral law
- Dangerous to rely on human reason - “Finite has no capacity for the infinite”
- Human reason can lead to worship of idolatry, e.g. same approach that led people to follow Nazi’s
Aquinas - Supported Bonhoeffer
- Can learn God’s eternal law through natural law and reasoning Syneresis
- Defence of reason - only rational beings can sin, wouldn’t say animals sinned as cannot reason - therefore humans must have reason
Bonhoeffer on Church as State
- ‘Single-minded obedience’ - Duty to God and allegiance to Jesus, over any government or state
–> led to ideas on civil disobedience, refusal to comply with laws conflicting Christian principles - “Call to discipleship” - Christians must respond to call of JC, just as original disciples did
- Thought state had to much power
- Human law as fallible, governments can be corrupted, Church has role to keep gov in check
Solidarity for Bonhoeffer
- Solidarity intricate part of Christianity
- Idea that you should be there for others, share both the love and pain of your neighbours
- The reason Bonhoeffer left NY
Bonhoeffer and civil disobedience
- Due to ‘single-minded’ obedience - duty to prioritise God
- Duty to break Christian teachings of obeying civil authorities if laws contradicted core Christian Principles
- Christians as “Salt and Light” must be a visible example of morality within the community
- Criticised Nazi ideals, called Hitler ‘anti-Christ’
Criticisms of Civil obedience
Goes against Biblical messages
- Jesus in Sermon on the Mount - Matthew
–> If anyone slaps you on the check, “turn to them the other check”
- Romans - Paul states
–> “Necessary” for Christians to obey rules, since rulers are “God’s servants for you good”
- Mark
–> “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and God what belongs to God”
Moral system justifies evil is dangerous
- Bonhoeffer justifies attempted murder
- Historically people justify horrific acts thought God’s will, even Nazi’s preached having God on their side
- Extremists like Paul Hill inspired by Bonhoeffer
–> American Christian Minister, murdered abortion doctor claiming to be inspired by Bonhoeffer
Impossible to separate personal desires
- Bonhoeffer states need to put aside personal desire to follow God’s will
- This is impossible, person experience shapes perspective on world
- David Hume - “Reason is, and ought to be, slaver to passion” - reason used to justify and rationalise pre-existing prejudice - people use bible to follow person will
Arguments for Secularism + how does this relate?
- Bonhoeffer stated Church has role to check state to ensure it doesnt abuse its power
- Secular scholars claim church and state should be separated - as Church more susceptible to corruption than state
- Religion unnecessary for maintaining order
- John Stuart Mill
–> Religious institutions should not have control over state functions - would lead to oppression of individual freedoms
–> Laws should be based on reason and justice, not religious doctrines
What is the Cost of Discipleship
- Bonhoeffer states 2 types of Grace; cheap grace and costly grace
Cheap Grace
- God’s grace and forgiveness of sins is freely given, not as reward for action or deeds
- Bonhoeffer very critical of this
–> Comfortable and easy, given by churches complicit with Hitler
–> No need to be outspoken or brave, offers forgiveness without repentance
–> “deadly enemy of our church”
Costly Grace
- Must be wiling to give up everything, just as Jesus did
- Willing to meet demands of Christianity even when uncomfortable or dangerous
- Grace tied to Action
- Cost of discipleship means allowing yourself to become a marytr for your beliefs just as Christ did
Criticism of Bonhoeffers costly grace
biggest criticism is relevance to modern day
- Large emphasis on suffering made sense during days of Nazi extremism, but in modern times of peace no longer relevant
- Lived under Nazi Germany during time of extreme suffering and danger
–> led to over emphasis on suffering
However,
- All experience suffering, may be in different ways or less sever, but should still make sacrifices
–> Issues such as racism, sexism, anti-semitism, still prevent
- Some still experience extreme suffering e.g. Hostages in Gaza, residents of Gaza beings bombed, those in Ukraine
- Rise in Far-right in Germany - people preaching Nazi ideals
Non-violent resistance
- Examples of successful non-violent resistance
–> perhaps Bonhoeffer did not need to take such extreme lengths, could have resisted while upholding Christian principles - Ghandi’ freeing India from colonialism
- MLK Jr. peaceful resistance to racism and black oppression
- Jesus’ pacifism - saved us from sins through his pacifism and resurrection
But
- Could non-violent resistance have been successful against such horrific brutality as Nazi’s
- Means to an end - Without violent resistance war could have gone on lot longer - how many more people would die
Aquinas on Bonhoeffer
- Supports Bonhoeffer knowing God’s will through reason
- Supports civil disobedience, if human law contradicts divine law
- Regulations surrounding Civil disobedience stronger than Bonhoeffer
–> only justifiable is directly contradicts - as opposed to Bonhoeffer more reason based, prayer approach
–> less risk of justifying evil
