When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him,[j] God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times. – John 13:31-38 (NRSVUE)
This past week, the church commemorated the 80th anniversary of the death of German pastor-theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazi regime at Flossenburg Concentration Camp weeks before the end of World War II in response to his work in resistance to the Nazi party. Bonhoeffer remains one of the key figures in contemporary theology. In addition, his political actions and writings on the relationship of the church to governments and political situations remain at the center of debates about the proper role of religion in addressing current situations.
The reality is that people of every theological persuasion have attempted to claim Bonhoeffer and his legacy. In part that speaks to the nuance of his thought and the way that he does not fit into the boxes that contemporary American conversations tend to think people must fit into. Good theology challenges such assumptions, and that is even more true of effective action. It is also true that Bonhoeffer’s thought evolved through his life, so that different people latch onto periods of his life. More than any of that, though, there are many misrepresentations of his faith, his theology, and his actions that have been deployed by those wishing to claim him for his courageous actions. This is unfortunate. In response I have an Adult Forum planned for May 11 that will go over who Bonhoeffer was and what his core ideas were.
To give a quick summary of his theology, for Bonhoeffer faith is not about conceptual formuations but rather a way of life informed by Christ. Being a Christian is, above all, about being a disciple of Christ, willing to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others just as Jesus did. Christianity is a way of life centered in Christ that seeks justice for all at all times. The work of deep theological reflection is to determine what justice might mean in a given situation, because true justice is always particular and concrete and not an abstract concept.
If you enjoy listening to podcasts, I recommend this episode of Here I Pod, the podcast of ELCA Advocacy. There is a special history section that gives an overview of Bonhoeffer’s legacy.