Christian Moral Action Flashcards
Who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
He used his experiences with the rise of Nazism from 1933 to explore how Christian life can be fully expressed.
What was Bonhoeffer’s Christianity?
His Christianity was radical and re-examined the relationship between Church and state, Bonhoeffer did not think that the Church should always see itself as working with the state, as the tradition in Germany was at the time.
What was Bonhoeffer influenced by?
He was influenced by his experience in the United States, he felt that the church needed to understand itself as separate to countries or races.
What are Bonhoeffer’s theological principles?
- The Wholly Other God is revealed fully in Jesus.
- Jesus is also fully human and is ‘for us’.
- Humans are social beings and the best expression of this is found in the communal life of the church.
How can Bonhoeffer’s third theological principle be expanded to explore his ethics?
In community that his ethics take meaning. Bonhoeffer believed that action was at the centre of ethical practice for Christians. This action comes from an awareness of conscience, which identifies what is right and wrong.
Why does Bonhoeffer reject Fletcher?
Bonhoeffer rejects Fletchers approach to love because first, it is through community, not individual decision making, that Christians ‘do’ ethics, and second, love is understood through an understanding of the ultimate leader, Jesus Christ, who is the revelation of God.
Why was German Christianity split in the 1930’s?
Some Christians, believing that the States laws were a expression of Gods laws, linked with the Nazi ideology and became a part of the official German Church: Hitler was ‘inspired’ by the Holy Spirit. Others wished to break away from politics entirely and were members of the Confessing Church, named because they believed that they were the only Christians who were truly ‘confessing’ their faith.
What did Bonhoeffer’s experience in America give him?
Bonhoeffer’s experience in America gave him a global perspective on what Christianity is.
Why did Bonhoeffer believe pacifism was flawed?
He realised pacifism was flawed because it tried to bring about peace in this world, not divine peace that was part of the Kingdom of God. Christians need to be prophets who speak into society when power is misused.
What is stated in Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship?
‘We literally have no time to sit down and ask ourselves whether so-and-so is our neighbour or not. We must get into action and obey’.
What is stated in 1 Peter 2:13-14?
‘Submit yourselves for the Lords sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to command those who do right’.
How does Bonhoeffer’s Christianity partially submit to what is stated in 1 Peter 2:13-14?
He does not argue that Christians should ignore state rule, but rather in extreme circumstances, doing nothing is not acceptable. The state will never be able to reflect God’s wishes fully as it is run by fallen human beings. The question a Christian must ask is whether it is Gods will to obey the state, therefore all ethics surround the will of God.
To Bonhoeffer, what is duty?
Bonhoeffer sees duty to God as coming above duty to the state.
Why is Bonhoeffer’s actions justifiable?
Bonhoeffer felt that speaking against Hitler was justified because a Christian’s duty is not because of the state but it’s towards the state. Jesus too seemed to ignore the possible consequences in his relationship with the state.
What is the role of a Christian community?
The role of a Christian community is to give its members what they need to live good lives. Bonhoeffer thought that the church needed to understand that the world is religionless and work within that context.
What is religionless Christianity?
Bonhoeffer’s idea that Christianity should get rid of old-fashioned ideas and separate itself from present ideas.
What is religionless Christianity understood as?
- Being in a world that has moved beyond the superstitions that religion brings with it and is moving towards rationalism.
- Needing to react to what society has replaced these superstitions with, such as Nazi ideology.
- Needing to get rid of ‘rusty swords’- Bonhoeffer’s idea that ethics needs to be reinterpreted and move forward.
Why did Bonhoeffer criticise the Barmen Declaration?
While the Barmen Declaration firmly expressed its core beliefs, Bonhoeffer felt that it was not explicit enough in its idea of Church being for all people, not just the people of a nation. It’s focus on belief rather than action was a weakness for Bonhoeffer, who argued that it had not done enough to promote disobedience to the State in a religionless world.
Why did Bonhoeffer criticise the Confession Church?
The Confession Church did not take a strong stand against the directive that all Church leaders should take the oath of obedience to Hitler.
What is Bonhoeffer’s view on grace?
Bonhoeffer rejects any understanding of grace as being easy to obtain. He calls this cheap grace. It was wrong to focus on the ideas that grace is freely given and won in advance by Jesus because it suggests that whatever you do in life will benefit fully from it. For Bonhoeffer grace should be obtained by the Christian engaging with the suffering of Jesus because without doing this, the Christian is rejecting Jesus in some way.
What is stated in Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, referring to cheap grace?
‘Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism, without church disciple, communion without confession’.
What is Bonhoeffer’s idea of costly grace?
The idea that the free gift of grace demands a response of true, sacrificial discipleship - total abandonment to Christ and to be Christ-like in your attitude’.
How was Jesus’ experience of suffering expressed to Bonhoeffer?
Suffering was central to Jesus’ life and it is through Jesus’ suffering that Christian’s can fully understand Gods revelation in him and obtain grace. For Bonhoeffer, this was expressed in his experience against Nazism, in his imprisonment and eventual execution.
How does Bonhoeffer’s work at Finkenwalde emphasise spiritual disciple?
Emphasis true spiritual discipline is a sacrifice in itself. Spiritual discipline will help the Christian to overcome the temptations of this world and to suffer in the same spirit of acceptance in which Jesus did.
What is solidarity?
The idea that Christians must be ‘for others’.
How is Bonhoeffer’s understanding of solidarity shown?
Bonhoeffer’s understanding of solidarity is shown in the way that he chose to return to Germany to be alongside other people and work with them. Solidarity must be expressed for all people, the oppressed, those of other nations and beliefs, as well as each other.
How should Christians utilise solidarity?
Christians should speak out and question injustice when they perceive it, by finding the will of God and then following through with action.
How is solidarity understood, according to Bonhoeffer?
Solidarity is understood through the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Understanding Jesus’ interaction with political authorities, injustice in his time, as well as Jesus’ example of taking action first, often before he discussed the issues, shows how Jesus was ‘for other’.
How can Bonhoeffer’s view of Gods will be criticised?
Bonhoeffer, like Barth, believed that all we can know of God comes through Gods deliberate decision to reveal himself. In a moment of action, Bonhoeffer felt that we should act in accordance with Gods will so the Christian who expressed spiritual disciple is likely to be able to identity Gods revelation.
Why should some Christian’s not follow Bonhoeffer’s approach?
It could be said that to follow Bonhoeffer’s approach implies that Bonhoeffer himself reveals Gods will, although his interpretation of action may be inaccurate. This could lead Christians over reacting to situations where calm negotiation might have more impact that direct action. Bonhoeffer’s views may be said to be coloured by his extreme context, the Nazi regime.
Why does Bonhoeffer not place too much emphasis on suffering?
Suffering is a part of life for anyone who experienced injustice and for everyone at some level at point in their lives.
Why is it argued that Bonhoeffer places too much emphasis on suffering?
Bonhoeffer lived in extreme circumstances and so, while it was appropriate to talk of suffering alongside Jesus in some way in the context of fighting the Nazis and possibly dying, this is not relevant outside the situation. Most Christian’s need to live their lives in ‘everyday’ circumstances and suffering should not be a part of this approach.
What is stated in Romans 13:1-2
Paul says that if someone rebels against the state they are rebelling against God.
What is stated in Matthew 22:21
Jesus said that we give to Caesar (the state) what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.
What do the passages delivered by St Paul and Jesus suggest?
Both passages seem to suggest that Christians should not act against the state and yet Jesus does that himself when he comes into conflict with the authorities around him. Jesus identified situations that he needed to be a prophet within, such as the interpretation of the law and treatment of outcasts, Bonhoeffer certainly did this in his different context.
How should Christian’s build the Kingdom of God?
If Christians are going to build the Kingdom of God, they will need to do so with assertiveness. Whether or not Bonhoeffer’s view of religionless society are accepted, Christian’s certainly believe in a truth that must be communicated to others, including a way of life that counters injustice.
What is stated in Bonhoeffer, Ethics?
Since God, however, as ultimate reality is no other than the self announcing, self witnessing, self revealing God in Jesus Christ, the question of good can only find its answer in Christ.
Why are Bonhoeffer’s messages inappropriate in a modern time?
It is important to consider to what extent he was writing within an extreme time. It is argued that his messages cannot be appropriately transferred within a modern context. Alternative,y it could be argued that Bonhoeffer’s context forced a radical rethink of Christianity that is still relevant, despite the specific situation passing.
What is stated in the Barmen Declaration?
‘Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we can trust and obey in life and in death’.
