Summary

Summary BONHOEFFER AND CHRISTIAN MORAL ACTION NOTES AND EVALUATION + EXEMPLAR ESSAY PLAN

4 purchases

Course
Development of Christian Thought

Institution
OCR

Book
OCR Religious Studies A Level Year 2

In-depth, critical and evaluative A01 + A02 notes for the topic Bonhoeffer and Christian Moral Action for the Developments in Christian Thought unit for OCR Religious Studies. Includes detailed past paper question plan, which I memorised before my exam and received an A* in.

[Show more]

Preview 2 out of 13 pages

View example

Summarized whole book? No
Which chapters are summarized? Christian moral action
Uploaded on June 23, 2022
Number of pages 13
Written in 2021/2022
Type Summary

bonhoeffer
christian moral action
ocr
religious studies

Book Title:OCR Religious Studies A Level Year 2

Author(s):Michael Wilkinson, Michael Wilcockson

Edition:september 2016
ISBN:9781471866692
Edition:1

Study Level
A/AS Level
Examinator
OCR
Subject
Religious Studies
Unit
Development of Christian Thought

vaneezabtt

Member since 3 year 27 documents sold

$6.35

Add to cart

Save

100% satisfaction guarantee
Immediately available after payment
Both online and in PDF
No strings attached

BONHOEFFER AND CHRISTIAN MORAL ACTION (A01)
Belief is important, but not as important as action!
Background

 Lived in Nazi Germany and was a member of the Confessing Church;
a group of clergy who only recognized one authority: Christ.
 Radical, because he did not believe in racial boundaries to
Churches.
 Involved in Operation Valkyrie, to assassinate Hitler. Failed and later
executed in a concentration camp.
Duty to God and duty to the state
 Context: Some Christians believed the states laws corresponded
with that of Nazi ideology and joined the German Church. The Holy
Spirit inspired Hitler. Other detached from the state and started the
Confessing Church.
 Action should be the centre of action for Christians, going against
the belief that if you disobeyed the state, you disobey God.
Bonhoeffer thought this gave too much power to the state.
 The Church needs to think of itself as separate from the state and
should challenge the state if they are letting injustices occur.
 Realized pacifism in resistance is secular, as it does not account for
divine justice and peace that is only applicable in the Kingdom of
God. Therefore, resistance, if necessary, should be done. God’s
grace is not denied if you resist the State acting unjustly.
 " Silence in the face of evil is, in itself, evil."
God’s Will and obedience
 CONTEXT: The state will never fully carry God’s wishes as it is run
by fallen humans; it is up to God’s will whether you should follow to
state currently or not.
 God’s will is only “clear in the moment of action” and involves
ridding oneself from personal ambition. It is FAITH.
 “One act of obedience is worth a hundred sermons”
 Emphasizes the importance of the community (of God) over
autonomous decisions. Agape love is not the ONLY way, just one of
them.
Civil disobedience
 CONTEXT: God is more important to follow than the Nazi-run state.
Bonhoeffer was censured in the media for speaking out; this was
one form of action.
 His justification for civil disobedience was that humans are fallen
regardless of whoever it is, so there is not guarantee that the

, consequence will be right or wrong. (Disregards consequential
ethics)
 However, all you can really do is act in faith, and allow yourself to
be interrupted by God.

Church as a community
Barmen Declaration of 1934
 Rejected the move by the German hierarchy to ban anyone not of
Aryan descent to join the German Church. Centralized a Church
communal opposition to Nazism.
 Based of beliefs that: Jesus is the leader; Christians should only
follow scripture and other ideologies do not have authority of a
person’s life.
 Bonhoeffer criticized that it needs more emphasis on action, not
beliefs.
Leadership
 There is a difference between a leader (just an individual) and
leadership (grounded in community)
 Follow Jesus’ actions, as he was a true leader who directly focused
on God as an authority.
 They will be accountable to God for their actions and decisions,
which in theory should be for the best interests of humanity.
 The Reich represents a leader divorced from society, with groups
giving up freedoms in obedience to a tyrant
Religion-less Christianity
 Bonhoeffer believed Christianity needed to move with the world and
react to the challenges posed in real time by separating itself from
old fashioned ideas (rusty swords) and present ideologies.
 Allows for more reflection and fills the Western void.
 Religion in a religious-less society must centralise the community
and a transcendent God, as Christian instinct is more important than
principle
 SYNOPTIC LINK TO RELIGIOUS PLURALISM: There are many
“anonymous Christians (Rahner)
Bonhoeffer at the Confessing Church
 Bonhoeffer was opposed to the Confessing Church not resisting
Church leaders from taking an oath of obedience to the Nazi’s.
Bonhoeffer at Finklewalde
 An illegal seminary where Bonhoeffer trained the resistance, and
where he learnt about the importance of spiritual discipline and how

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller vaneezabtt. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for $6.35. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

64405 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now

Start selling

Summary

Summary BONHOEFFER AND CHRISTIAN MORAL ACTION NOTES AND EVALUATION + EXEMPLAR ESSAY PLAN

Document information

Subjects

Connected book

Written for

Seller

Reviews received

Content preview