CMA
Since the start of Christianity, followers have been in conflict with
the state (threatened + persecuted). The state is often scared of the
teachings of Christianity and how greatly citizens valued their
religion as opposed to their country. The question is how should a
Christian behave when a part of their religion is undermined by a
law of their country?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
• Born 1906-1945, a founding member of the Confessing Church that
rejected the notions taught by the Church in Germany during Nazi
occupation.
• Bonhoeffer’s church and view was of an ethics that was “responsible for
others”
• His view on Christianity = not about ‘nice Christian culture’
(celebrations, flower festivals, Sunday services) It should be about
challenging what it means to be Christian.
• It was his faith and experience that made him understand the cost of
discipleship = following the life, example and teachings of Jesus.
Duty to God and Duty to the State:
• Bonhoeffer lived in Nazi Germany, German Christians were divided
by the Nazi party, some joined the Nazi party and incorporated their
beliefs with their own.
• In 1934, this led to a split between the German Protestant Churches,
who were being controlled by the Nazis, and the Confessing Church
who attempted to be authentically Christian.
• The German Church at its most extreme sought the removal of The Old
Testament of the Bible because of its Jewish origins.
• Bonhoeffer saw this as a conflict between Germanism (nazi pro-aryan)
and true Christianity.
Obedience to Christ:
• Religion is often presented as a ‘what do you believe?’ but to
Bonhoeffer it was which leader do you obey? Do you follower
leader of Germany, or Christianity?
• To him following Jesus is: “a testimony to the absolute, direct and
unaccountable authority of Jesus. There is no need for any preliminaries,
and no other consequences but obedience to the call… there is no road
to faith and discipleship, no other road - only obedience to the call of
Jesus.
• “No other significance is possible, since Jesus is the only significance.
Besides Jesus nothing has any significance. He alone matters”
• “The disciple simply burns his boats and goes ahead. He is called out…
The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is
dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity…
out of the realm of the finite… into the realm of infinite possibilities.”
, Doing God’s Will:
• Means that we cannot take on the call of our own terms, we cannot fit it
around our lives in a way that is convenient.
• Obedience to God = cutting off ourselves from previous existences.
• To Bonhoeffer, the road to faith passes through obedience to the call of
Jesus and the severing of all earthly ties. “Only he who believes is
obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.”
• Simply, obedience is the only real faith.
“You can only know and think about it by actually doing it. You can
only learn what obedience is by obeying. It is no use asking
questions; for it is only through obedience that you learn the truth.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Single-minded Obedience:
• Bonhoeffer says that we replicate the disciples of Christ, such as when
Jesus called Peter to risk his life and walk on the sea.
• Only though following commands without promise or reason can we be
faithful.
Civil Disobedience:
• Bonhoeffer believed deeply that guilt can be attributed to those who do
nothing as well as to those who directly commit the action.
• “There is no standing amid the ruins of one’s native town in the
consciousness that at least one has not oneself incurred guilt”
• To stand and do nothing is to contribute. Injustices should be actively
challenged and resisted.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
Who was he?
• Born 4th Feb 1906, died 9th April 1945.
• Considered an outstanding academic and devout Christian in terms
of his beliefs and his actions.
• Born in Breslau, Germany to a wealthy family. Enjoyed sports, care-free
childhood until in 1918 - his brother Walker was killed in the war.
• He responded by studying theology. His family, while Christian,
weren't Church-Going - by 13, he had ideas about how the Church
should be transformed.
Education:
• Attended Tubingen University + later Berlin Uni, completed
doctoral thesis ‘Act and Being’ in 1930 (aged 24), then lectured at
Berlin.
• While lecturing, he developed radical changes to Christianity.
Wrestling with morality in a secular world. Church should play a
greater role in challenging social injustices and achieving
harmony in the world.
