Assess the view that Christians should resist the state.
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Course
G585 - A2 Developments in Christian Theology
Institution
OCR
An A** 40-mark A-Level Development in Christian Theology (DICT) essay assessing the extent to which Christians should resist the state, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer's experience as a German Lutheran in Nazi Germany. From the Christian Moral Action (CMA) topic within the OCR RS curriculum.
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4) Assess the view that Christians should resist the state.
The links between Christianity and resistance can be observed throughout his-
tory, with the figure of Jesus Christ arguably acting as a symbol of liberation for
the marginalised and the oppressed. In a modern context, this sense of resis-
tance is clearly seen in Germany, in the years preceding the Second World
War. Following Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor in 1933, the German state
became extremely hostile towards Jewish people, establishing dictatorial con-
trol over all religions but, particularly, through the signing of the Concordat,
over the Catholic Church. The resistance, or lack of it, to the Nazification of the
Church, creates a significant debate regarding the extent to which Christians,
and Christian organisations, should oppose the activities of the state.
The Lutheran German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), serves as a
convincing proponent for the idea that Christians must resist the state in cases
of injustice or immorality. Bonhoeffer himself returned to Germany, from the
security he had found in the USA, in order to become a member of the German
Resistance and “share the trials of [the] time with his people.” This reflects his
teachings on costly grace, “Grace is costly, because it forces people under the
yoke of following Jesus Christ,” which demonstrate that it is because it is costly
and self-sacrificial to resist, that it is necessary for all Christians to do so. This,
as Bonhoeffer states in ‘The Cost of Discipleship,’ is what being a disciple truly
is - it is “adherence to the person of Jesus and therefore… When Christ calls a
man, he bids him come and die.” This compellingly emphasises that Christians,
like Jesus as the ‘lamb’ of God, should prioritise others and thus oppose oppres-
sive regimes, even if this means to sacrifice one’s own life, as was the case for
Bonhoeffer. This argument is strengthened by Bonhoeffer’s belief that the
Church had “witnessed the lawless application of brutal force, the physical and
spiritual suffering of countless innocent people” and had “not raised her voice
on behalf of the victims” (Ethics). The Church’s failure to condemn the state,
therefore, successfully reinforces that the responsibility falls upon Christians,
as individuals, to follow in Christ and visibly fight against the state injustice.
Furthermore, Martin Niemöller, Lutheran theologian and founding member of
The Confessing Church, lends significant weight to this argument by further
stressing the importance of individual discipleship and action. Niemöller stated
that “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was
not a Socialist… Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because
I was not a Jew. Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for
me.” This convincingly highlights that resistance is for the good of others, and
resisting for others serves as resistance for oneself. Therefore, as a Christian,
there can be no hesitation, one must be “visible in action” (The Cost of Disci-
pleship) and counter oppressive forces, whether the Church or state, with com-
plete urgency.
However, there is a strong yet flawed argument to support the view that Chris-
tians should not resist the state due to the disorder and violence that this will
inevitably bring. Bonhoeffer was involved in Operation Valkyrie, the 20th July
plot to assassinate Hitler, and described this as the “terrible alternative,” as
murder is a mortal sin and goes against Jesus Christ. Despite his interpretation
that murdering Hitler was a necessary evil, this defiance of state is inherently
unchristian as it opposes the central commandment of Christianity, “Thou shalt
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