bonhoffer Flashcards
christian moral action ----- my beloved<3
cheap grace
god’s love/mercy given freely to people
includes forgiveness of sins + offer of eternal life, not as reward but free gift, comes from god’s desire to save sinners
“millions of spiritual corpses”
jesus’ passion vs cheap grace
at odds with jesus’ dying for our sins
people wrongly think this allows us to sin freely as god loves everyone
‘no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin’
being christian means acting as jesus did (picking up your cross) - knowledge of being forgiven misleads people into not changing
bonhoffer critcism of cheap grace
what christianity has become - dispenser of cheap grace means christians focus on wrong things (worship/lip service to gain reward for nothing)
costly grace
“treasure hidden in a field”
something worth sacrificing everything for
costly as we have to change our lives/decisions - inherent suffering
put others before your self (agape)
“when christ calls a man…
he bids him come and die”
“suffering then, is…
the badge of true discipleship”
“cheap grace means…
grace sold on the market life cheapjack’s wares”
salt n light
sermon on the mount, matthew 5-7
role of church in society
salt = christians, the essence of life
light = guide, lights path to god
christians must bare the cross/responsibility of what jesus did - living the holy life and guiding people to christ
mark 8:34
“whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”
mark 8:35
“for whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it”
mark 8 + suffering/sacrifice
death = salvation, sacrifice = salvation
lose free will + personhood but discover greater understanding of life through christ, parallels buddhism
reject human desires for enlightenment
discipleship
linked to jesus’ suffering and rejection, death without honour
disciples must shoulder cross as jesus did
costly grace - price to pay for being christian
self denial + endurance
solidarity
“existence for others”, side with the oppressed
links to his work in germany - was offered safety in america but only stayed 3 weeks before returning to help
purpose of christian life is not to be ‘religious’ but to have a relationship w/ god through existing with others - bond of suffering with humanity through jesus
agape
david h jensen
‘religiousness of bonhoeffer’s theology’
solidarity as subversion against the state - nazi germany attacking personal relationships with each other, dividing and alienating demands utter submission to state
should we/christians be in tune with other’s suffering?
YES
is the essence of christianity + jesus’ life to stand with the oppressed (his friendships with prostitutes and peasants + overturning of table in the temple to protest capitalism) so christians should do as he did (as they preach)
faith is not cosmetic - you must struggle and argue to have the relationship with god bonhoeffer advocates
we should all care more about each other!!!!
argue about it!!!! suffering!!!!!!
too much suffering?
biased by living under nazi rule in constant suffering, negates joy and hope of resurrection
can we follow bonhoeffer in times of peace? name a time of peace. go on. do it.
theory needs injustice in world, christianity in symbiosis with suffering
not emphasising suffering for its own sake, saying that christians should side with those suffering the most out of compassion
avoiding suffering + sacrifice means failing to follow jesus’ call
relevance today?
challenge to abandon self-interest + easy lives to help others in need
powerful reason to endure suffering in a world where we prioritise our own wellbeing
seems to suggest against the self-interest of capitalism + consumerism, help the poor
goes against modern christian attempts to modernise + secularise + profit off of faith
link to marx<3
ALIENATION
seperating individuals from their work, human nature + themselves, as well as everyone else
promotes an individualistic, self-centred society
ties in w/ bonhoeffer
confessing church
finkenwalde
rejected nazi ideology
monastic movement
called christians to confess ideology + be true to commands of discipleship + faith
anticapitalist jesus quotes
“blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” matthew 5:5
“it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of god” matthew 19:24
thoughts on civil disobedience
duty to god more important than the state
his openly anti-nazi stance was rebellion, double agent saving jewish people
argued not enough for christians to stay out of nazi crimes and feel blameless - they needed to make active challenges against injustice
