These revision notes for the new OCR Religious Studies A level cover the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his ideas about civil disobedience, suffering, discipleship and sacrifice. They also discuss key questions which evaluate Bonhoeffer’s ideas relevance for today’s world They are detailed and...
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6: Christian Moral Action – Bonhoeffer
1906 Born
1914-18 World War I - his brother dies in action
1930 He completed his doctoral thesis 'Act and Being' and became a lecturer at the
University of Berlin. He argued that the Church should be more active in challenging the
state to achieve justice
Travelled to the USA and studied with influential theologians. He agreed with their
teachings on social responsibility and realised that Churches had to build relationships
regardless of racial and geographical boundaries
1933 Hitler comes to power in Germany
Bonhoeffer delivered a radio broadcast which criticised ultimate power by an earthly
leader
1939 Returned to America, partly to avoid conscription. He realised he had to return to
attempt to overthrow Hitler. He believed pacifism was not sufficient
1940 Returns to Germany and joins the counterintelligence section of the army with his
brother-in-law. Here they found information to aid the Resistance and support the
victims of Nazism
1943 Bonhoeffer and his brother-in-law are arrested for helping Jews escape to Switzerland
20 July 1944 The failed attempt to kill Hitler
1945 Hitler orders that all resisters should be annihilated
9 April 1945 Bonhoeffer is given a mock trial and hanged
The Church Some Christians incorporated Nazi ideology into their beliefs
and the State The Confessing Church separated from the German Church to be separate from politics
Bonhoeffer spoke against the persecution of the Jews and Nazi influence on the Church
Duty to God vs He believed that it was Christian duty to be obedient to the government because the
Duty to the government is supposed to enforce law, order, and justice. But states become
state overpowered and stop being obedient to God's will. The state can never assume any
ultimate form of power and it is the role of the Church to keep it in check. Bonhoeffer
was influenced by Kierkegaard and argued that is some extreme situations you can do
nothing but act out of despair, faith, and hope. Even though killing is seen as wrong, he
believed that the Church had no choice
Duty to God vs 'Give to the emperor the things that are the emperors' and give to God the things that
Duty to the are God's'
state Bible 'Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities...these authorities that exist have
quotes been instituted by God'
Discipleship He believed that the call to discipleship is to be obedient to the leadership of Jesus
Christ and the will of God. Obedience to God comes above the law, human leadership
and responsibilities of citizenship. God's call of a person to discipleship demands they
act in response. By responding to the call to obedience faith becomes possible
Civil Duty to God far outweighed the duty to the state. He wanted to break with the
Disobedience Lutheran teachings that Christians should obey the civil authority and its laws. He
decided he must will the defeat of his nation so that Christian civilisation could survive.
He thought a bystander was just as bad as a perpetrator. Christians have a duty to
disobey the state if it is 'making reasonable people do unreasonable things' . This duty
encompasses tyrannicide if it is in order to create social justice. but he believed that
there is ultimately no human justification for civil disobedience - you simply had to act in
faith and hope. The only consolidation was God's promise to forgive the 'man who
became a sinner in the process'
The church as He believed the Church community should act
Community Having a community might give you more moral authority because if you al come to
and Source of the same conclusion there is more certainty in the act
Spiritual Ecumenical theology - that the Church should represent a number of churches and
Discipline should have no national, political and racial boundaries
'The Church is her true self when she exists for humanity' rather than itself
The Confessing A breakaway Church in 1934 which rejected Nazi ideology saying that the primary duty
Church of the Church is Christ. The Church rejected teachings not found directly in Jesus. As
Hitler's power strengthened there was increased pressure to support him
Religious The Church asked Bonhoeffer to set up the religious community to train their new pastors
Community at for their church without the influence of Nazi ideology. Life there was simple and
Finkenwald reminiscent of a monastery. They read and discussed the Bible together
Psalms 31:8 'Who will speak up for those who are voiceless'
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