Several people have noted that today is the one hundred and fifth birthday of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His is an open ended legacy due to the sad fact that executed by the Nazis for participating in a plot against Hitler. We will never know how his concept of a “religionless Christianity” would have evolved. We will never know how great a contribution he may have given Christianity as a whole.
One day I was discussing this with Jeff Garner. He made an interesting observation: It may be that it was his martyrdom that became his legacy. When Bonhoeffer wrote that the call of Christ is a bid to come a die there was no better way to live out that call for discipleship than to actually die. If he had not died following Christ as he knew how it would have remained a metaphor at best. Bonhoeffer may have contributed elsewhere, but not as much here.
What do you think? Is Bonhoeffer’s death an essential part of his legacy? Can we even go as far as saying it is his legacy? Or do you think it was a tragedy that robbed us of something greater?
See also:
– Rodney Thomas’ review of Bonhoeffer’s Ethics (here) and his brief reflection on Bonhoeffer’s birthday (here).
– Billy Cash writes on “a dangerous life of costly grace” in tribute to Bonhoeffer (here).
– Joel Watts shares a video of Eric Metaxes discussing Bonhoeffer (here).
I would like to know a lot more about this guy. I only have heard bits and pieces. I knew he was a German Christian prominent in the Nazi era, but I don’t know much about his theology.
Lance, best place to start is his book Cost of Discipleship. Then his book, Life Together. Blessings,
@Lance: I would second Brian’s recommendations.
I’m a big Bonhoeffer fan. I do think his martyrdom added to his legacy, of course.
However, as much of a fan I am of Bonhoeffer’s writings, and respectful of his difficult situation, I think the greatest “tragedy” is to see how Bonhoeffer moved away from his original position of non-violence.
In the face of horrific evil, he compromised the teachings of Jesus and then formed his “Ethics” entirely around his decision to do evil. He once said the question is not what is good or evil, but what is the will of God. I believe the New Testament answers this for us: Jesus is the will of God. And what Bonhoeffer did in his rationalizing and compromising of that will… is the greatest tragedy of all.
I do hope we are never experience Bonhoeffer’s dilemma, but I pray that if that time comes we will trust in the non-sensical love and justice of the cross, not the sword.
@David: Bonhoeffer’s decision is one of the most interesting parts of his legacy. In fact, we may say that if he would have maintained his non-violent position he may have lived longer. While I agree with you that it would have been great if he would not have compromised it is hard for me to blame him. I think I may have been tempted to do the same if it seemed that there was no other way to save so many people from an evil mad man. Like you, I hope I never face such a terrible choice.
Regardless of whether Bonhoeffer lived longer for holding to Jesus’ teachings of non-violence, it would have been the right thing. It’s too bad the church in Germany had sold out to the state and had not been the hands and feet of Jesus in the years preceding Hitler’s regime. Things may have been different. I think Bonhoeffer would agree.
I do agree with you that it would have been a temptation–one I would hope we both resisted for something that looks more like the cross.
@David The story of the German church at that time is one of the great tragedies of church history. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like Christians today are any more aware of the danger of being scared of the “other”. Christians in our country are scared of Muslims, immigrants, people from other political persuasions, and on and on. The major difference is we do not have a dictator empowering us to persecute these people.
I hear ya, Brian. I agree.
Hello,
the christian doctrine in Germany is under attack. On the one hand the EKD ordains homosexuals to pastors and on the other hand there are a lot of re-baptizing sects (Bonhoeffer and Luther teached that re-baptism is strictly prohibited). Homosexuality is damned by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, Chapter 1.
The publics gaze in Germany is fixed or focused on the “agent” Bonhoeffer. However Bonhoeffers main aim was not the resistance against Hitler, but the renewal of the German Evangelical Church (former DEK, today EKD).
Everybody must admit that the Third Reich is over but the EKD still exist with her big problems thus it would be adviceable to turn gaze on the theologian Bonhoeffer who has a lot of solutions for ecclesiastical problems.
There are evil powers in Germany trying to keep the publics gaze on the “agent” Bonhoeffer and trying to prevent that Bonhoeffers theology gets well know because this would mean their sure downfall and would bring disaster upon them. They don’t want the problems of the EKD to be solved.
I have started a website concerning this issue:
http://www.confessingchurch.wordpress.com
Bonhoeffers best book: “The Cost of Discipleship”.
A good book of Luther: “The Catechism”
Kind regards,
Rainer Braendlein (Munich, Germany)