Christian Moral Action Flashcards
(24 cards)
Who is Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
- A German Lutheran pastor.
- Lived in the National Socialist (Nazi) state headed by Hitler.
- A key founding member of the Confessing Church (a breakaway xian church that rejected Nazi ideology).
What was Bonhoeffer’s key quote?
“It will be clear in the moment of action.”
What did the Confessing Church believe in?
What are Bonhoeffer’s key beliefs/ ideas?
- Valued Church community.
- Promoted an ethic of responsibility for others.
- Focused on the cost of Discipleship and the sacrifice and suffering that it entails.
What did Bonhoeffer accuse German Christians of not doing?
- Confessing their faith
- Being true to their discipleship
- Following the commands of God
What are the four key themes in the Bonhoeffer topic?
- Discipleship
- Cheap and Costly grace
- Rusty swords
- Religionless Christianity
What are rusty swords?
Old ethical beliefs which should be thrown away.
What is Bonhoeffer’s view of Discipleship?
Exclusive obedience to the leadership of Jesus and the will of God - places it above the law and any human leadership.
What two things did Bonhoeffer say were necessary to discipleship?
Suffering and sacrifice - we should try to follow a similar path to Jesus.
What was his view on Civil Disobedience?
He said that one must break the Christina teaching of obeying civil authority, justifying civil disobedience because of his emphasis on obedience of God rather than duty to the State.
What examples show where Jesus was civilly disobedience?
- -
What is a weakness/ issue that may arise in today’s society regarding civil disobedience?
In an age of terrorism and extremism, this may feel like a dangerous idea.
How would we view those that choose to disobey the British Gov. because its laws go against the holy law of their religion?
What is Bonhoeffer’s view of grace?
Grace is God’s love and mercy - it is not a reward for action, but a freely given gift. It comes from God’s desire to save all sinners.
How did Bonhoeffer differentiate grace?
As cheap and costly grace.
CHEAP = superficial, Bonhoeffer said it should not be easy to be a Christian. Just because Jesus died for everyone doesn’t mean that God’s grace is just given out for free to everyone.
COSTLY = You would sacrifice everything for this, everything you do is with the intent of following Jesus.
Name a quote for cheap grace:
“Cheap Grace is the deadly enemy of the Church.”
Name a quote for costly grace:
“It is costly because it costs man his life.”
Who is Nietzsche?
A secular critique of Christianity who famously said “God is dead”.
What did Nietzsche argue?
That people are too dependant of Christianity as a source of purpose and hope - he argued that religion infected the world with sin so that people would rely on otherworldliness to find purpose.
What did the American theologian Harvey Cox argue about Bonhoeffer’s theology?
Bonhoeffer’s theology justifies everyone’s views, as anyone can think they are following God’s will. No one truly knows God or his will.
What is an example of Bonhoeffer’s theology failing within history?
George Bush said he was inspired by Bonhoeffer to start the Iraq war, this is now widely considered a wholly unnecessary atrocity. (Whereas at the time Bonhoeffer’s theology towards killing Hitler was more justified).
Where do many of the elements of the bible make sense in modern society?
The Ten Commandments (human rights), Matthew 25 (talking action to help others) and ‘Love thy neighbour’.
What does Mark 8:34-35 say that shows costly grace holds importance and is relevant?
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
What are examples of where people in real life have carried out costly grace or discipleship?
- Malala Yousafzai
- Martin Luther King
- Emmeline Pankhurst
What did Bonhoeffer say about being passive to action? However, what is the counter argument to this?
“Silence in the face of evil is evil itself.”
However, many Christians may find this irrelevant to their faith as it can encourage violence in the name of God - in Romans 13 St Paul states that we must obey leaders.
