Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer—pastor, theologian, ecumenist, conspirator—packed a huge amount into his 39 years. Born in 1906, he was a theological prodigy who was awarded his doctorate at the age of 21. Lecturer at the University of Berlin at 23, ordained a Lutheran pastor at 25. He was an ecumenical advocate and leader; one of the founders of the Confessing Church resistance movement to the Nazification of the Church in Germany;lived for short periods in Barcelona, New York and London; Director of a Confessing Church seminary; double-agent and co-conspiritor with his brother-in-law and others who sought the overthrow of the Nazi regime. Imprisoned for his known resistance sympathies, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed on the 9th April 1945 for his part in the 20th July 1944 attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler and failed coup. Bonhoeffer's written works include: 'Christology' (or 'Christ the Center' in the US); 'Discipleship'; 'Life Together'; 'Ethics'; and 'Letters and Papers from Prison'.

Some years ago I visited what was the Bonhoeffer family home at Marienburger Allee 43, Charlottenburg, Berlin, and is now an international visitor and study centre in memory of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I found it incredibly moving to sit in the front room where Dietrich had met with fellow anti-Nazi conspiritors and to see his study-bedroom from which he was removed and arrested. More recently I met Renate Bethge, Dietrich's niece, at a conference in Oxford. There I had the bizarre experience of taking part in a reading of a play about Dietrich's life in which Renate played herself! Afterwards, Renate commented that the play was "not very realistic" and went on to share what Uncle Dietrich was really like.

These are some of the theological principles I have learned from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

1. Bonhoeffer's signal contribution to theological methodology is his argument in the introduction to 'Christology' where makes a distinction between 'How' and 'Who' questions. He argues that when inquiring into the identity of Jesus Christ we must resist the temptation to ask the question, "How can I understand Christ according to my existing categories of classification?" In this question the questioner retains 'control'; but in so doing effectively closes the self to a genuine encounter with the other. By contrast, Bonhoeffer argues that in order truly to inquire into Christ's identity we must be brought to repentance and to recognise that we cannot formulate the appropriate question to ask of Christ. Instead we must be counter-questioned by Christ the Counter-Logos who asks us, "Who are you that you ask me this question?" It is only when reason's presumption of being all-competent is dethroned that one is in a position to ask the true question of faith: "Who are you Jesus Christ? Speak for yourself." Only in this latter question is the self opened to a genuine encounter with Christ.

2. Bonhoeffer argues that the goal of Christian ethics is not to do 'good', nor is it to have a 'clear conscience'; it is rather to be obedient to the will of God by being conformed to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the responsible person par excellence: the innnocent one who accepted guilt on behalf of others. Bonhoeffer believes that Christ is the revealed reality of God. In the light of this, what is of utmost importance "...is not that I become good, or that the condition of the world be improved by my efforts, but that the reality of God show itself everywhere to be the ultimate reality." (from 'Ethics') That which frees for ethical action is not the deceptive safety of cultural norms nor pre-determined principles, neither is it the pursuing of what we think is good; rather it is to do those actions that are in accordance with Christ: this is the 'realisation of the real'. Controversially, Bonhoeffer argues that to be conformed in ever closer obedience to Christ may sometimes mean that one risks incurring guilt before God for the sake of others. In the extreme situation he found himself—when passivity was tantamount to collusion with evil—to participate in conspiracy, attempted tyrannicide and coup d'etat was most likely considered by Bonhoeffer to constitute a lesser sin than the attempt to be free from guilt by keeping his head down. This was Dietrich Bonhoeffer's particular 'Nachfolge'—his 'following after' Christ—and serves as a continual challenge to all who would be disciples.