A favorite among small, Christian, liberal arts colleges, Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship exposits what it means to follow in the Christian tradition. The book was published in 1937, at the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, thus making it a very politically charged book. He works through the Sermon on the Mount account as indicative that the church is a manifestation of Christ on earth and it must follow him accordingly – which he too exposits. The book is bold, certainly, as indicated by his statement: “Nothing could be more ruthless than to make men think there is still plenty of time to mend their ways. To tell men that their cause is urgent and that the kingdom of God is at hand is the most charitable and merciful act we can perform, …show more content…
Involved with a conspiracy to kill, one may question the authenticity, especially in light of his chapters on revenge and the enemy and “thou shalt not kill”. In this case, Bonhoeffer fought against the system more than the individual person, an important and necessary distinction. The entire book is a backlash against political systems and an affirmation of the politics of discipleship. However, the difficulty of this book is the theology of Bonhoeffer. At the end of his life many of his theological views shifted away from the content of Cost of Discipleship. In his most controversial letter to Eberhard Bethge he writes: “we have to live in the world as if there were no God”. The difficult part, then, is responsible reading. Cost of Discipleship is a powerful book that forces readers to consider the complacency in their lives and while Bonhoeffer’s later writings suggest a spiritual shift in his person, the same does not have to be true for all readers of his work. Many refer to Bonhoeffer as brilliant without knowing his theology; this is not to discount the content of Cost of Discipleship – I found it convicting and thought provoking – but it is to encourage a holistic learning. For the purpose of review, I will steer from cynicism to emphasize the truths of the
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on February 4th 1906, as a son of a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Berlin. Throughout his early life he was an outstanding student, and when he finally reached the age of 25 he became a lecturer in systematic theology at the University Berlin. Something that is very striking is that when Hitler came to power in 1933, Bonhoeffer became a leading spokesman for the Confessing Church, the center of Protestant resistance to the Nazis. He organized and for a shot amount of time he led the underground seminary of the Confessing Church. His book Life Together describes the life of the Christian community in that seminary, and his book The Cost Of Discipleship attacks what he calls "cheap grace," meaning that grace used as an excuse for moral laxity.
Bonhoeffer’s life embodies many elements he describes theologically about the Christian life in Life Together. This is initially seen in his life when he felt he had to make a choice; Christianity or Germanism. As with many of us, the choice to live completely for Christ is not always our first choice. With Bonhoeffer, however, this choice would lead to his identity. He believed that a Christian Community makes it possible for us to live the Christian life in the world. As we travel this life together, we will encounter many types of people; believers and unbelievers. Which means as Christians we are our brothers’ keepers and
What a fascinating adjustment in perspectives, motive, and determination from the once deeply connected to God the unprofessed theologian. The man who we admired for his crafty dexterity to be a Christian Apologetic emerges to be torn from the foundations of his faith and experiences of how to respond to the unspecified. This book is openly troubling for the believer because all too often we know that this is a very real situation that our author is experiencing. However, while it may appear that a staunch believer has lost his way were hastily reminded that this not the case at all. In the book "A Grief Observed" by C. S. Lewis we see, what I call, a defining mature Christian transition, disruption to the norm, or bump in the road all Christians
And so in answering How does Brueggemann build bridges between form criticism of the Psalms, theology and spirituality?' I shall be addressing spirituality in a Christian transformative understanding and from a secular formative spirituality understanding.
In the face of conflict and evil, it is often difficult to know what path to take. Yet, it is exactly during these moments when one is confronted with the most important questions and decisions in life, those which will eventually influence not only oneself but the rest of the world. In the documentary film Bonhoeffer, we learn about the life of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who, witnessing the injustice against humanity, courageously opposed Adolf Hitler. With strong morals, Bonhoeffer became a conspirator against the crimes of the Nazi regime as he was able to understand the world through the eyes of Christ. His passion and commitment to God grew out of a personal struggle when his brother died in World War I. As he found himself in contact with the reality of death, he grappled with questions which encouraged him to explore God and religion in a deeper way so he decided to study theology at the University of Berlin. It was here that Bonhoeffer started to discover axiology and epistemology and looked for answers to questions about the nature of human knowledge and the moral dilemmas of right and wrong. As he built a stronger sense of faith, God became the answer to his questions and the fuel of his actions. By integrating aesthetic elements, illustrating political realities, and challenging ideas of justice and ethics, this movie takes the viewer on a journey to explore Bonhoeffer’s life and the powerful influence he had on the world.
For this paper, I read and analyzed the Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I focused specifically on his writing regarding ‘Christian Community’. Bonhoeffer uses Psalm133, verse 1 as the diving board for his exposition on community, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (KJV). Bonhoeffer’s writing centers on the truth that everything given to Christians is a gift of grace. This paper will explore Bonhoeffer’s exposition on the nature of Christian community in his book, Life Together and compare it to daily life of a Christian. Bonhoeffer distinguishes between the “human ideal and God’s reality” of community and “between spiritual and human community” (39).
In chapter two, ‘Francis and His Companions,’ Cunningham exposes the considerable growth in Francis of Assisi’s influence, as he recounts his companions that joined him after deciding to live his life. The chapter is significant because it exposes how Francis of Assisi’s gospel is different from the orthodox Catholic practices, which recognized the pope, as the sole Vicar of Christ. (Cunningham 32). This chapter is important in my life because it reinforces my conviction God is the almighty and all-powerful, and all people regardless of the status of the needed to worship
Kelley, R.E. (2008). Rethinking Followership. In Riggio, R., Chaleff, I. & Lipman-Blumen, J. (Eds.). (2008). The Art of Followership (pp. 5-16). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
The biography Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy showcases the vast contributions that Dietrich Bonhoeffer achieved during a life that was cut suddenly to short. Bonhoeffer is memorable for his activity within an anti-Nazi resistance, founding the Confessing Church, creating many new theological ideas, and being brave enough to enter back into a warzone to stop the ongoing eliminations of innocent people. Although, he was hung weeks before Germany surrendered and Adolf Hitler was conquered, Bonhoeffer left an important theological legacy.
This great “Father of the Church,” wrote a handbook on the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and love. The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love was written in the year 420. It is a brief handbook on the proper mode of serving God, through faith, hope, and love. It is easy to say what one ought to believe, what to hope for, and what to love. But to defend our doctrines against the slander of those who think differently is a more difficult and detailed task. If one is to have this wisdom, it is not enough just to put an enchiridion in the hand. It is also necessary that a great eagerness be in the heart.
"EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 & 2." EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
Himes, B. (2011). Discipleship as theological praxis: Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a resource for educational ministry. Christian Education Journal, 8(2), 263-277.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, ed. Readings in Christian Ethics: A Historical Sourcebook. Edited by J. Philip Wogaman and Douglas M. Strong. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.
...s distributed in Theology 101 at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle on 22 April 2008.
When Jesus called His disciples, His invitation was simple. He invited them to follow Him. The same is true today. In Matthew 28, Jesus gave His last charge to His disciples, and the charge was simple. He called his followers to go and make disciples. Much effort has been placed by Christians to fulfill this charge, commonly referred to as the Great Commission. Jesus chose to fulfill the implementation of the New Covenant through 12 men who He called, appointed, and commissioned, and he only had a few short years to prepare them for the task (Willson, 1990). His methods were unconventional and were revolutionary for that time. His disciples were to be trained extensively by Jesus, living with Him for three years prior to His ascension. He taught about servant leadership and its meaning for both the leader and follower Matt. 20:25-28). From the beginning, Jesus put in place a careful plan, and an examination of His actions in the Gospels showed that Jesus left behind the pattern to be replicated. His methods, which included the incorporation of three different levels of discipleship, included His interaction with Peter, His closest three (Peter, James, and John), and finally the group of 12. This paper identified and analyzed the three levels of discipleship Jesus modeled, these discipleship methods were then measured against modern leadership theories, and Jesus’s level of involvement and interaction with his disciples were critiqued in light of these modern theories in an effort to determine the effectiveness of this approach.