Christian Moral Action

Question 1

Definition of Confessing Church

Answer 1

a German Protestant movement that opposed government-sponsored efforts to unify all Protestant churches into a single pro-Nazi church

Question 2

Definition of Deutsche Church

Answer 2

a German Protestant movement which attempted to subordinate church policy to the political initiatives of the German Nazi Party

Question 3

Definition of Barmen Declaration

Answer 3

1934. Primarily authored by Barth, it declared opposition to the Deutsche Christen (German Christian) movement

Question 4

Definition of Discipleship

Answer 4

Following life, teaching and example of Jesus

Question 5

State Luke 9 (57-62)

Answer 5

“Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and
proclaim the kingdom of God.”

This goes against the tyrannicide etc. Let the living be judged by God, ignore them and go to the kingdom of God.

Question 6

State Romans (13:1-2)

Answer 6

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.

Question 7

Quote from Bonhoeffer about Nazi losing

Answer 7

I pray for the defeat of my country, for I think that is the only possibility of paying for all the suffering that my country has caused in the world.

Question 8

What are the dangers of cheap grace

Answer 8

1) endangers salvation and involves no cost on part of believer
2) Cheap grace arises when grace is universalised as a principle e.g. taking God’s forgiveness through sacraments taken for granted for breaking commandment

Question 9

Who is the main scholar when it comes to Moral Action

Answer 9

Bonhoeffer

Question 10

How did B place himself against the state

Answer 10

1. Became a member of confessing church rejected Aryan ideas

2. Joined resistance

Question 11

What did B call secular pacisifm

Answer 11

a scandal because it fails to realise that true justice and peace are not aspects of this world

Question 12

How does one know what the will of God is?

Answer 12

it will only be clear in the moment of action, an act of faith and leap.

Question 13

What is B’s teaching on leadership

Answer 13

Leadership is different from the idea of being a leader
Leadership focuses on matters beyond the leader not the leader himself
Germany invented new type of leader which is divorced from society
Given up freedoms and identty to follow tyrant

Question 14

What is B’s teaching on civil disobedience

Answer 14

Have a responsibility to the state this does not entail with turning it christian but doing it within Gods will.
Reasonable people facing unreasonable situations

Question 15

What did B conclude about tyrannicide

Answer 15

may be a christian duty if it means establishing social order

Question 16

What did B talk about murder/tyrannicide

Answer 16

Killing is killing and no amount of human reason can make it morally justifiable, the only possible conoslation is that God promises to forgive the ‘man who becomes a sinner in the process

Question 17

What is Mark 8:34

Answer 17

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

Question 18

What was religiousless christianity

Answer 18

Christianity without the baggage of the past and contamination by the ideological beleifs of the present