Christian Moral Action (Bonhoeffer)

What did Bonhoeffer teach about the relationship between the Church and the State?

Christian duty to be loyal and obedient to the state - its aim should always be social order and justice

What did Bonhoeffer notice about the relationship between the Church and the State in Nazi Germany?

1. Nazi party had too much power

2. This power was being abused

3. It refused to be obedient to God’s will

The Church was starting to become obedient to the state, as opposed to the other way around

‘The role of the Church is not…

…to be a part of the state, but rather to keep it in check’

What did obedience mean to Bonhoeffer

Obedience to God, not the Church OR the state

Therefore meant discipleship; to be obedient to Jesus and God

Why may discipleship be seen as controversial?

• Entails exclusive obedience to God’s leadership - all legal ties burnt

• Places discipleship above the law and any human leadership

• Bonhoeffer called for ‘single-minded obedience’

What does ‘doing God’s will’ mean to Bonhoeffer?

• Obedience to God entails cutting ourselves off from prev existence

• We can’t take calls on our own terms for our own convenience

• Bonhoeffer: the road to faith “passes through obedience to the call of Jesus and the severing of all earthly ties” [Ahluwalia]

‘Discipleship is action more than belief’ - what does this mean?

• God’s call of a person to discipleship demands they act in response

• No time to think things through/make a declaration of faith, you simply have to act

• You can only learn what obedience is by obeying; by responding to the call for obedience, faith becomes possible

What does Bonhoeffer mean by ‘single-minded obedience’?

• Reason, conscience, responsibility and piety stand in the way of ‘single-minded obedience’

• By responding to the call to obedience, faith becomes possible

How does Bonhoeffer believe people will know the will of God?

It will ‘only be clear in the moment of action’ - an act of faith

What did Bonhoeffer teach about the difference between leadership and leader?

• Leadership: Grounded in the community

• Leader: Specific to a particular person

Leadership can be rationally justified, but “it is virtually impossible to give a rational basis for the nature of the leader”

Leadership focuses on matters beyond the leader

How does Oliphant define civil disobedience?

“The active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government’

Why did Bonhoeffer argue that Christians have a duty to disobey the state?

• Xtians have a “responsibility to the state” ensuring it acts in accordance with God’s will

• Church thought Nazism was imposing order over a disordered nation where its marginalisation of minorities were distortions of God-given order

What did he teach about tyrannicide?

“All Christians can do is act in faith and in hope”

• May be a Christian duty if it means establishing social order

• B deeply critical of those who justify their actions because they’re ‘doing their duty’ but they’re allowing evil to prevail

How does ‘Turn the other cheek’ [Matt 5:39] give grounds to the argument that Jesus practiced non-violent civil disobedience?

• In Jesus’ time being hit on the right cheek was an act of humiliation

• Turning the other cheek forces the oppressor to treat you as equal

Give 3 examples of Jesus challenging injustice:

• Jesus healed on the sabbath: direct violation of covenant laws, especially since he called performing miracles ‘work’

• John 8: Jesus refused to stone the adulteress

• Matt 23: Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites as they were so focused on the law they neglected love/justice/compassion

What did Bonhoeffer believe about the Church?

• Christians cannot act in isolation

• Church is a moral and spiritual community needed to act morally

• A source of spiritual discipline

What did Bonhoeffer mean by ‘the western void’?

• Created by liberalism throwing out many Christian values

• Moral and spiritual vaccum open to all kinds of dangerous beliefs

• Absence of theological wisdom

What were the key beliefs of the Confessing Church, as outlined by the Barman Declaration?

• Reaction against Nazified faction of the Protestant clergy

• Categorically states that a Christian’s primary duty is to Christ

• Theologically firm denial of Nazi National Socialism

What are some criticisms of the Confessing Church?

• Some argued it presented “limited disobedience” against the state

• Could potentially have gone further in regards to helping minorities

What was Finkenwald?

• Illegal preacher’s seminary in Germany (now in Poland)

• Led by Bonhoeffer from 1935-37

• Under Gestapo surveillance

• Existed with the aim of providing Christians with the means of living a positive, moral, Christian life

What were the central practices at Finkenwald?

What did Bonhoeffer teach about acting on beliefs?

• Ethics is action: obeying the will of God

• Don’t ask questions about the nature of Christ, but “who is Christ today”?

• Religious thought is impossible without religious action beside it

• Action as fundamental to discipleship

• Christians must act the law set out by God, not listen passively

• Action should be taken even if it causes suffering

Wilkinson’s summary of Bonhoeffer’s belief about ethics and action…

1. Ethics is action and action is liberating

2. Action prompted by conscience, which is a moment of self-knowledge

3. Ethical decisions are always ones of conflict and action; conflict is between knowing good and evil and the action is distinguishing between them

4. Love overcomes disunity. Agape isn’t a human attitude but revealed in God’s love for humanity as expressed in Jesus Christ

What does grace mean?

• Being forgiven even though a person doesn’t deserve it

• Given freely by God because of his unending mercy and love

• Can’t be earned but is given freely as a gift

What is cheap grace?

“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves”

“God’s grace cannot be bought as if it is a commodity’ - Wilkinson

• Desire for salvation without personal discipleship

What is costly grace?

“Something that is worth sacrificing everything for to get”

“Costly grace is the Incarnation of God”

• Involves making sacrifices

• Politics/personal agendas should be separate from the state

• Cannot be bought

• Associated with sacrifice

• Means Christians should seek Jesus, as only he gives life, freedom and truth

Costly grace can be found through suffering as Jesus said in Luke 9:23-25…

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”

How does costly grace link with the Passion?

• Call to discipleship clearly linked to the Passion of the death, suffering and rejection of Jesus

• Death without honour, w/o admiration and sympathy of the world

• True grace inseparably bound to the extreme sacrifice of Christ

What did Bonhoeffer argue about solidarity?

• All must act in solidarity and act for others

• Jesus was ‘the man for others’, Church is the body of Christ

• Church must act for the oppressed, weak, vulnerable - Nazi church did not do this

• Bonhoeffer returned to Germany to act in solidarity with those being persecuted

Bonhoeffer’s 2 teachings on solidarity: Solidarity against injustice

Explicit about Church’s obligations to fight political injustice

1. Church must question whether the state’s actions are legitimate - can call on state to be fully responsible for its decisions

2. Church must help all victims of injustice of every faith/belief

3. Must be fully engaged in resistance to reverse injustice. Church must take direct action

Bonhoeffer’s 2 teachings on solidarity: Solidarity with Jewish people

• April 1933: Wrote ‘The Church and the Jewish Question’ which critcised Nazi regime + called for solidarity with those persecuted

• Publically rejected common view that Kristallnacht was God’s punishment to the Jews for their rejection off Jesus

• Called Nazim a godless and violent regime

• Collected/donated large sums for Jewish immigrants

[Civil disobedience] St Paul: ‘Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities…

…for there is no authority except that which God has established’

[Civil disobedience] St Paul: ‘Whoever rebels against the authority is…

…rebelling against what God has instituted’

Ahluwalia states ‘Bonhoeffer could be seen as dangerously encouraging individuals with…

…a distorted view of God’s will’

Bonhoeffer is still relevant today - 3 arguments for

1. Christology central to B’s theology - speaking out against injustices/oppression and supporting those who are marginalised is consistent with Jesus today and always

2. Abandoning obsession with material gain and self-interest (as B promoted) could lead to a more meaningful life

3. Message of solidarity relevant particularly with growing wealth divide between the rich and poor - stand with those oppressed and marginalised

Bonhoeffer is not still relevant today - 3 arguments against

1. His theology was developed in a very specific time, only works in similar extreme circumstances

2. Belief in following God’s commands over trends of the day counters calls for Christianity to modernise and adapt to contemporary society