Christian moral action Flashcards
Define ‘discipleship’
Following the life, example and teaching of Jesus
Define ‘cheap grace’
Grace that is offered freely but is received without any change in the recipient and ultimately is false as it does not offer salvation
Define ‘costly grace’
Grace followed by obedience to God’s command and discipleship
Define ‘passion’
Jesus’ sufferings at the end of his life
Define ‘solidarity’
An ultruistic commitment to stand alongside and be with those less fortunate, the oppressed and those who suffer
Bonhoeffer lived in (1) when German Christians were divided by (2), some incorporated (3) into their belief systems which led to a split of German protestant churches in 1934 between (4)
1 - Germany
2 - the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party
3 - Nazism theology
4 - Nazi-controlled German church and the Confessing church separate from political ideology
Give a quote from Hermann Gruner (spokesman for the German Christians)
“It is because of Hitler that Christ, God the helper and redeemer has become effective among us… Hitler is the way of the spirit”
How did some church ministers link themselves to National Socialism?
- Wearing of brown uniforms
- Promotion of Nazi Aryan Clause
- Prohibited ministers of Jewish ancestry working in the church
Bonhoeffer was ordained in (1) with a group of (2) to try and change (3) because he saw it as a conflict between (4) as they were not being true to their discipleship and commands of God
1 - 1931
2 - young reformers
3 - Christianity adopting Nazism
4 - Germanism and the true message of Christianity
Describe Bonhoeffer’s view of obedience
The call to discipleship is the call to obedience to the leadership of Jesus and God, the first disciples responded to the call not with a profession of faith or rational account of theology but acts of obedience
How does Bonhoeffer describe religion and the encounter with Jesus?
“A testimony to the absolute, direct and unaccountable authority of Jesus… obedience to the call of Jesus”
Why is obedience to God controversial?
Can pace discipleship above the law and human leadership above the responsibility of citizenship
Bonhoeffer quotes Luke 9:57-62, why?
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 and so even the law cannot stand in the way of Jesus
What does obedience to God entail?
- Cutting ourselves off from previous existence
- Produces a new situation in which he disciple walks with the son of God
- Must take precedence over other life duties
Quote Bonhoeffer in his book ‘The cost of discipleship’ 1959
“Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes”
What does Bonhoeffer believe is the only real faith?
Such acts of obedience to respond to God’s call of discipleship in ‘single minded obedience’
What stands in the way of single minded obedience? What are the consequences of putting aside single minded obedience?
Reason, conscience, responsibility and piety
Replaces the justification of God with self justification but obedience to Jesus is not within human power