Abstract
Dietrich Bonhoeffer who is called a practicing theologian or a martyr, gives us deep theological perspective even though he did not live long. Although he joined a team to assassinate Hitler, he gets high esteem as a Christian and a theologian. Jesus clearly claimed nonviolence through his Sermon on the Mount. However, Bonhoeffer took part in the conspiracy and transgressed the boundary of nonviolence. Is Bonhoeffer an authentic disciple? Is he a terrorist? These questions are the primary questions of this article. Furthermore, this article asks whether his life and theology is continuous or discontinuous.BR This article will examine his books, Nachfolge and Ethics. I will suggest important theological concepts in the two books and try to associate his theology with his practicing life. Furthermore, I will suggest two points for the study of peace.BR I think that key concepts in Nachfolge are costly grace, obedience, faith, and nonviolence. Bonhoeffer clearly claims that God’s grace is costly rather than cheap. Here, one can meet a peacemaker. He identifies obedience with faith. Here one can sense Bonhoeffer’s practicing faith to obey the command of Jesus. Through Bonhoeffer’s explanation about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, one can meet the aspect of pacifism rather than that of Just War.BR In Bonhoeffer’s Ethics, I choose the concepts of responsibility, vicarious life, and realistic suitability. Bonhoeffer’s notion of responsibility is the life to respond Jesus’s life. He put his concept of life into two classes, positive life and negative life. I regard Hitler’s life as the negative life, and think that Bonhoeffer lived a positive life as a disciple of Jesus. Through Bonhoeffer’ notion of the vicarious life, I suggest that his life is a practice of vicarious life.BR Finally, I suggest two points for the study of peace. 1) Peace is God’s command for Christians. 2) Christian understanding of peace should take the structure of justice/injustice rather than violence/nonviolence.
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