Christian Moral Action

what is civil disobedience

the active professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government or occupying international power

what is gods will

gods intention for his people to follow his guidelines

what is obedience

compliance with a order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority

what is the state

a nation or territory considered as an organised political community under one government

what is tyrannicide

the killing of a tyrant

who was dietrich bonhoeffer

one of the first to speak out against hitler

member of the confessing church

acted as a double agent for the resistance

executed for being implicated in a failed assassination attempt on hitler

what does two sides of the same coin mean

the church and the state are both important and given power by god god but to do different things

what quote suggests that the state and church can co-exist but are also two separate entities

‘give back to caesar what is caesrars and to god what is gods’ (mark 12:17)

what quote suggests that the state has been established and been given authority by god

‘authorities that exist have been established by god’

german protestant christians believed that to disobey the state was to…

disobey god

what happened to the church when the nazis came into power

was absorbed by the state

became the german evangelical church

non aryan clergy removed

lees old testament coz its jewish

hitler considered the head of the church

whats bonhoeffer’s view on civil disobedience

if state makes ‘reasonable people face unreasonable situations’ then christians have the right and duty to disobey the state

what was more important to bonhoeffer duty to state or duty to god

duty to god

examples of bonhoeffers civil disobedience

speaks out on radio/lectures (was the banned from public speaking)

joined the confessing church

was included in a conspiracy to assassinate hitler

illegal secret seminary - finklewalde

bonheoffers view on leadership

God is the ultimate leader. Humans tend to idolise their human leaders, but a good earthly leader will ensure that their followers refocus on God by leading a good Christian lifestyle themself and aligning themself with the will of God. 

bonhoefessers view on gods will

Discipleship is about following Jesus first-responding to Jesus' call. There are two ways of knowing God, one is by love of neighbour and the other is the model of Jesus’ life.

‘What is the will of God?' And in response to the question, how do I know the will of God, Bonhoeffer says 'it will only be clear in the moment of action.'

bonhoeffers views on obedience

It is the duty of a Christian to be obedient to the teachings and will of Jesus. Religion is not a list of beliefs, but more about something to be done.  

other examples of civil disobedience

suffragette movement, rosa parks and the Montgomery bus boycott, Nelson Mandela’s fight against apartheid

what is the confessing church

the breakaway church that in 1934 rejected the nazi ideology of aryan supremacy, the anti jewish laws and the identification of hitler as a figure who fulfiled the christian vision

what does it mean by the confesing church has to be the ‘salt of the earth and the light of the world’ (sermon on the mount)

salt - christians must not be bland/must be noticeable and add flavour through good deeds

light - christains must be visible and act as a guiding light in times of darkness

what is the barmen declaration

the confessing church created a declaration that asserted the centrality of jesus as the only way to god and rejected other worldly leaders such as hitler

key points from the barmen declaration

a christians duty is towards christ alone (not hitler)

a denial of the ideology of national socialism (nazi ideology)

limited disobedience to the state could be justified

(barmen declaration) the state should not…

fulfil the task of the church and vice versa

what is finkenwalde

where bonhoeffer led a secret, illegal seminary to train ministers free from the nazi ideology in german churches

finkenwalde focused on…

living the ideal christian life rooted in his views about the importance of living as a community of disciples of the true leader, jesus christ

what does bonhoeffer teach about the story of martha and mary

encourages a balanced approach to christian living. christians are called to be actively involved in the world, serving others and doing good works however this service should be informed by a deep relationship with god cultivated through prayer and reflection and listening to his word

what is the story of martha and mary

jesus stays in the home of martha and mary

mary sits by the lords feet and listens

martha is distracted by the preparations that had to made

jesus said all tha is needed is to listen to god and act upon that

what were bonheoffers views of the confessing church in prison

it hadnt done enough

‘the church is her true self when she exists for humanity’

‘who will speak up for those who are voiceless’

what is the world come of age

term used by bonhoeffer to describe how modern western culture now embraced a rational view of the world and rejected childish and or superstitious practice of religion.

people were no longer willing to accept what they are told

rationalism meant that superstition was cast out

what is the western void

christianty had been displaced as the all-embracing philosophy of life it used to be

there was now a moral and spiritual vacuum that could be filled with all sorts pf dangerous views

the visible church must change to avoid losing relevance in the modern world

what does no rusty swords mean

a rusty sword is useless and should be discarded

christainity should discard the trappings/traditions of the past which stop it from being effective

some ethical codes, beliefs and practices are simply out of date and have no place in moderns society

what does religionless christianity mean

christianity must be stripped down to its essentials - devoid of its past baggage of customs and out of date religious views and contamination by ideological beliefs of the present

the focus should be on jesus revealed in the gospels not the conformity to obeying church rules or empty forms of worship

what does bonhoeffer see as real christianity

actively seeking to discern gods will and seeking to fulfil it

love of god and neighbour in real and demanding situations

prayer and ritual only relevant as much as they lead to the above

christianity isnt simply a set pf rules and practices

what in religious practices and attitudes would bonheoffer reject

religion as a collection of cultural practices, styles of dress, out of date ideas, ways of talking

belief as a badge of security

destructive views like stoning an adulterous women

hitlers verion of christianty

what are bonheoffers views on community

no christian can act morally in isolation

duty shows solidarity with all human-kind

he believed the church is a fellowship unlike national socialism which was a false community

what is grace

the undeserved, unearnable act of gods love that is given to humans freely which includes the forgivness of sins and the offer of eternal life because god wants to save all sinners

what is cheap grace

the idea that some christians think they dont have to struggle to be a good christian coz christ paid the price for grace

what is costly grace

to act as if you were aiming to live the life that jesus requires of you

quote about cheap grace

‘forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession’

what is sacrifice

to give up something valued for the sake of other considerations

what is suffering

the state of undergoing pain, distress or hardship

what did bonhoeffer believe about suffering

a disciples role is to take up the cross and fellow jesus and this comes at cost.

suffering is christianitys engagement with the world as reflected in the cross.

whats the view that bonhoeffer puts too much emphasis on suffering

too idealistic in what hes asking disciples to do. hes asking too much of them or do soemthing they dont have the power to do.

what is solidarity

solidarity is showing unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group

whats bonhoeffers views on solidarity

jesus valued the weak and vulnerable

jesus was ‘the man for others’

the church is the ‘body of christ’

therefore it should be ‘the church for others’

christians should look from the bottom up (perspectives of those in need)

what quote goes along with the view that the church was full of rusty swords during nazi germany

‘she has witnessed the lawless application of brutal force… and she has not raised her voice’

bonheoffer showed solidarity by

donating large amounts of money to the jewish community

writing an explicit rejection of the nazi regime

publicy rejecting the common view that Krisallnacht was gods punishment for jews

helping jews escape

bonheoffer believed the church should show solidarity by

questioning whether the states actions are legitimate

help victims of injustice no matter what faith

engaging in the resistance