Reputations And Influences In His Late Years Theology Religion Essay Example
Reputations And Influences In His Late Years Theology Religion Essay Example

Reputations And Influences In His Late Years Theology Religion Essay Example

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  • Pages: 10 (2517 words)
  • Published: September 18, 2017
  • Type: Research Paper
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran curate and theologian, was an active member of the Confessing Church, a Protestant church that opposed Nazi-affiliated churches. He was also part of Abwehr, an intelligence organization that worked against Nazi Germany. Towards the end of World War II, Bonhoeffer was executed for his involvement in the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Both Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Adolf Hitler lived during a time of war and suffering; however, their actions towards war differed greatly. In this paper, I will compare and contrast these two men with religious backgrounds.

Part I: Karl Barth

The Early Years

Karl Barth was born on May 10th, 1886 in Basel, Switzerland as the eldest of five children. His father Johann Friedrich 'Fritz' Barth was a theology professor who inspired him to pursue a career in divinity. Music played a signific

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ant role in Barth's life, particularly Mozart's music which served as one of his greatest inspirations. Starting each day by listening to Mozart recordings and even writing articles about him [1]. In terms of education, Karl Barth attended various universities in Switzerland and Germany beginning at his father's faculty in Berne before continuing his studies in Berlin and Tubingen. At the University of Marburg, Barth focused on analyzing theological liberalism or Protestant Liberalism that had gained notoriety there.
From 1911 to 1921, he served as a curate in Safenwil and got married to Nelly Hoffman in 1913, with whom he had five children. Barth then pursued studies in divinity and New Testament at Gottingen, Munster, and Bonn. However, his exposure to Protestant Liberalism during World War I led him to question their teachings when they supported German war policy

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Witnessing the destruction of Europe and the collapse of church values deeply shocked him and made him challenge the Enlightenment-influenced divinity he had learned from his teachers.

Barth's break with liberalism extended beyond academia into pastoral and political aspects within Christian thought. While studying the book of Romans, he aimed to clarify the connection between justification and societal righteousness. During a visit to Bad Boll, his meeting with Christoph Blumhardt greatly influenced Barth as Blumhardt unwaveringly believed in Jesus Christ's resurrection. This newfound understanding became the foundation of Barth's theology and completely reshaped his perspective on divine revelation by recognizing that God enters human life through Jesus Christ.

Barth's interpretation of the Word of God resulted in passionate writings, speeches, and explanations advocating for a return to the true message of the Bible and reformation theology [3]. In 1918, he released the first edition of "Der Romerbrief" (The Epistle to the Book of Romans), followed by a revised edition in 1921.The second edition of the text received widespread praise, described as a theological bomb by a Roman Catholic observer [4]. Barth's commentary emphasizes the incomprehensibility of God and His transcendence over our experiences - He is God. The focus is on highlighting God's perfect sovereignty and the immeasurable depth of His grace. Additionally, Barth establishes the belief from the Old Testament that God is an independent Lord and Creator while making a clear distinction between Him and His creation. He interprets the First Commandment as "You shall have no other Gods before me." Some may accuse him of imposing meaning onto the text rather than extracting it, but his approach acknowledges the infinite qualitative differentiation between time

and infinity, recognizing both positive and negative significance. In his statement "God is in Eden and thou art on Earth," Barth demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between divinity and humanity, which is central to philosophy and the Bible [5]. After his debut publication, Barth gained recognition within Protestantism as a theologian associated with terms like "crisis," "neo-orthodoxy," and "dialectical divinity" [6]. Barth intended for his work, titled "Kirchliche Dogmatik," to cover five main subjects: the Word of God, God, Creation, Reconciliation, and Redemption. However, due to its extensive volumes and Barth's advanced age at that time, he was unable to complete the project.Both humans and angels often ridicule Karl Barth for his attempt to encapsulate the truth about God in thick volumes on Dogmatics. The amusement stems from the fact that these books continually grow larger with each new volume. Their laughter mocks those who prioritize writing about Karl Barth instead of engaging with the topics he discusses, which even amuses the angels. In contrast to both progressive and conservative beliefs, Barth asserts that the Bible holds significance independently of human understanding. He believes that only the Word of God itself can provide sufficient context for divinity, as human knowledge and experience alone are inadequate. For instance, in Church Dogmatics IV/4, Barth strongly rejects infant baptism as unscriptural. He emphasizes that the Word of God should not be limited solely to written scripture but rather seen as an ultimate mystery embodied in Jesus Christ himself. As time progresses, Barth's theology increasingly centers on Christ: God calls humanity to Himself through His role as Creator and directs them towards their fellow human beings. The essence

of Barth's message is that out of unworthy love, the glorious God gives Himself to human beings so they may receive unconditional freedom and grace (III/4, 116) [8]. Amid Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany in 1933, Barth becomes deeply involved in the church battle and ultimately resigns as a professor of divinity at the University of Bonn.Barth becomes a founder of the "Confessing Church," opposing a German Christian church supported by the Nazi government. However, their focus is not on resisting Nazism but rather on rejecting false distortions within German churches and Christians. The Confessing Church aims to remain true to authentic Christianity instead of becoming an opposing church.
In 1934, with the Barmen Declaration, the Confessing Church declares that it must grasp true Christian philosophy to prevent contamination within Nazi Germany's church. Barth rejects the state's totalitarian claims and urges German Churches to return to fundamental truths of Christianity. The Confessing Church asserts that they must listen, pledge allegiance to, and obey Jesus Christ as the exclusive Lord and Word of God. They reject recognizing other events, powers, historical figures, and truths as revelations from God.
In 1935, Barth moves from Germany to Switzerland because he refuses to support Hitler and the Nazi government. He then teaches divinity in Basel until his retirement in 1962. During his later years, Barth makes two trips to Germany for teaching purposes and delivers lectures that will later be published as Dogmatics in Outline [12]. As a theologian, Barth seeks to establish that knowledge of God can only be attained in accordance with His nature while keeping intact.

He opposes the 19th-century idea that there is a distinction

between spiritual unrest or agitation and the Spirit of God or between natural structures of human life and history versus God's laws [13]. Barth advocates for a return to prophetic teachings found in biblical texts like Jeremiah and Paul's letters. Despite retiring from teaching, Barth remains active as an author and continues traveling to spread his message. He actively participates in contemporary theological discussions on topics such as baptism, hermeneutics (interpretation), and demythologizing divinity. Barth regularly went to a prison in Basel and preached sermons to inmates.

Karl Barth died at the age of 82 in Basel, leaving behind his book Den Gefangenen Befreiung; Predigten aus den Jahren 1954-59 (Deliverance to the Prisoners, 1959), which testified to his blend of evangelical fervor and social concern.

Part II focuses on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's views on bloodshed within the Church, believing that if such a time were to come again, it would not be as innocent or clear as the blood shed by the first martyr. The guilt of those thrown into darkness will largely be mirrored in our own blood.

Born on February 4, 1906, in Breslau alongside his twin sister Sabine, Dietrich grew up in an affluent middle-class family with three older brothers, two older sisters, and one younger sister. His father was Dr.Karl Bonhoeffer, a university professor and psychiatrist, devoted himself to his family, while Paula von Hase Bonhoeffer played the same role. Both parents had high expectations for their children and raised them with empirical reasoning and liberalism. During his teenage years, Dietrich explored books on philosophy and religion alongside honing his musical talents; he could play Mozart sonatas by the age of ten. The tranquility of

the Bonhoeffer family abruptly ended when Walter, Dietrich's older brother, died from serious injuries sustained during World War I while serving in the German army. This event deeply affected Dietrich and his family, bringing significant grief and marking the end of their peaceful world.

Despite disappointing his entire family, Dietrich made the decision to become a priest and theologian at just 14 years old. Following in the footsteps of his father and older brothers, he enrolled at Tubingen University two years later. In 1924, he returned to the University of Berlin to focus on theological studies for several more years. Seeking further education, Bonhoeffer decided to enroll at Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1930. However, he quickly became disillusioned with what he believed was a superficial atmosphere present at the school that contributed to Christianity's secularization in America.During a public lecture, Luther's De Servo Arbitrio passage about sin and forgiveness was quoted aloud, causing many students to find amusement rather than reverence. This incident confirmed Bonhoeffer's belief that these students had become disconnected from the true essence of Christian theology.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler assumed the role of Chancellor in Germany, prompting Bonhoeffer to deliver a radio broadcast titled "The Leader and the Individual in the Younger Generation," where he openly criticized Hitler's leadership. However, he was swiftly removed from the airwaves.

During this period, Bonhoeffer actively participated in multiple ecumenical conferences with a primary concern: that the churches would neglect their responsibility to promote peace worldwide. In his letters to Bishop George Bell, Bonhoeffer explained his belief that German churches were engaged in a crucial battle for Christianity's existence throughout Europe. He argued that instead

of remaining passive bystanders, it was essential for the ecumenical movement to demonstrate that both Church and Christianity itself were under threat.

In one of his sermons, Bonhoeffer emphasized how late it had become and how fear could be seen in everyone's eyes due to an impending war. He questioned why they were waiting and if they desired to become more deeply involved in guilt than ever before.

To maintain independence from the state government by 1935, Bekennende Kirche (the Confessing Church) established illegal seminaries within Germany.After coming back from England, Bonhoeffer was requested to lead a seminary for the Confessing Church in Finkenwalde, Germany. Regrettably, the Gestapo enforced the closure of the seminary in September 1937. Throughout his career, Bonhoeffer created various writings including books, speeches, and poems like Life Together, Ethics,and Letters and Documents from Prison. Nevertheless, his most famous work was The Cost of Discipleship where he analyzed Jesus' Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 9:35-10:42. Bonhoeffer's main focus revolved around the concept of cheap grace which he believed distorted the true meaning of grace as mentioned in the Gospels. He contended that cheap grace resulted in chaos and destruction because it offered forgiveness without requiring repentance or demanding church discipline for baptism. It also allowed communion without confession and absolution without personal confession. According to Bonhoeffer, cheap grace led to a form of discipleship lacking cross-bearing and failing to incorporate Jesus Christ's life and incarnation [21]. Besides this theological perspective, Bonhoeffer became disenchanted by the lack of bravery exhibited by leaders within the Confessing Church when standing against Nazism. His disappointment deepened after Kristallnacht when Jewish establishments were destroyed and many Jews

were imprisoned or killed. Despite these horrific events, leaders within the Confessing Church failed to take a stand against the Nazi government.However, at Werner's request, some ministers from this church pledged their loyalty to Hitler on his 50th birthday. Seeking peace of mind, Bonhoeffer initially returned to the United States in June 1939 but quickly realized his mistake. He believed that in order to be an effective minister after the war, he needed to stay in Germany and suffer alongside his people. As a result, he decided to return and admitted his error in coming to America [22]. He recognized the importance of enduring this challenging time with the Christian people of Germany. If he did not share in their hardships, he would not have the right to participate in rebuilding Christian life in Germany post-war. The Christians in Germany were faced with a difficult decision: either accept their country's defeat to preserve Christian civilization or achieve victory and thereby destroy our civilization. Bonhoeffer knew which choice he had to make but couldn't do so with certainty [23]. After returning from America for the second time, Bonhoeffer had an opportunity to join the resistance movement. His brother-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi, who held a prominent position within Abwehr (the German intelligence agency), helped Bonhoeffer become directly involved with the resistance [22]. During this period, Bonhoeffer entered into a romantic relationship with Maria von Wedemeyer despite their significant age difference. In January 1943, he proposed to Maria and they became engaged.Just a few weeks after Dietrich's arrest and imprisonment at Tegel on April 5, their marriage was prevented from taking place. During the last two years of

his life, Bonhoeffer was imprisoned by the Third Reich. While in prison, he wrote numerous letters to loved ones, particularly Eberhard Bethge, which greatly influenced his theological legacy [25]. Despite being incarcerated, Bonhoeffer found time for intellectual pursuits such as reading books (including the Bible) and writing poetry, a novel, and a play. These activities allowed for deep introspection and fruitful theological thinking. In his final message to Payne Best, another inmate, Bonhoeffer expressed his belief in the principle of universal Christian brotherhood that supersedes national interests. He also shared Bishop Bell of Chichester's words from their last meeting and conveyed confidence in their ultimate triumph [26]. Bonhoeffer's life and death have made significant contributions to Christian martyrdom while instilling hope for the future. He developed a theoretical model for authentic leadership inspired by the Gospel and prepared himself for martyrdom—a form of leadership characterized by Christian humanitarianism and civic responsibility. His triumph extends beyond personal victory; it symbolizes love, light, and freedom.Karl Barth, known as the theologian of theologians in the 20th century, aimed to challenge Protestant thinking and emphasize God's "otherness" against the prevailing human-centric theology of 19th century Europe. Despite potential disagreements among theologians themselves, Barth's theology sought to restore the significance of the doctrine of the Trinity. After Dietrich Bonhoeffer's execution on April 9, 1945, Reinhold Niebuhr paid tribute to him and his efforts. Niebuhr acknowledged that while Martin Niemoller was more well-known at that time, Bonhoeffer's martyrdom would ultimately gain more recognition. The actions and principles demonstrated by Bonhoeffer carry great significance and offer hope for a revitalized Protestant faith in Germany. This faith will be incredibly sacred and surpass

criticism from many critics. Moreover, it will also learn from German Protestantism's fatal mistake of separating religion and political life [28].

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