The Cost

Introduction to Bonhoeffer

This chapter contains background information about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his family, and some of the challenges he faced during his life. These are listed in a bullet-point format, so if you wish to pick up the book and read along, it would probably help you out a little XD

1. Theecumenical movement was "to listen anew to the message of the Bibleand to put themselves in the context of the whole church."Basically, to discover more and newer goals from the Bible, and tothink about themselves not as separate churches, but as one unitedchurch of Christ.

2.Bonhoeffer's ancestors were imprisoned for their liberal beliefs, andopposing the popular secularism that had overtaken 19thCentury Germany, vying for the separation of church and state, andfor Christianity in itself to be rejected.

Hase'saim was to reconcile modern culture with historical Christianity in ascientific way. But though a liberal theologian, he was no dryrationalist.Hevigorously attacked rationalism (abelief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reasonand knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response),as distinguished from the rational principle, charging it with beingunscientific inasmuch as it ignored the historical significance ofChristianity, shut its eyes to individuality and failed to givereligious feeling its due. This was not popular with the Germansociety of that time, and so he was imprisoned for his views.

3.Bonhoeffer never studied with Barth, but he took extreme interest hiswritings. Barth led the new "dialectical theology" movement thatwas bringing the themes of the Reformation back into the light, andthe new views and revelations that could be found within the Bible.

Like Barth,Bonhoeffer rejected the nineteenth century's liberal theology, withits focus on human religion. He embraced Barth's belief in gracerevealed in Jesus Christ as the Word of God, which was confirmed by Scriptureand spread by the church. Barth's personal battle cry, "Revelation, notreligion!" would remain an important piece of Bonhoeffer'stheology to the end. (But, like Luther, Bonhoeffer would stress thatGod's revelation is deeply hidden "in the likeness of sinfulflesh.")

The historical time period Jeremiah lived in contained such events as the fall of Nineveh, the death of Josiah at Megiddo, the fall of the Assyrian Empire, the first siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the second siege of Jerusalem, and the final stage of Jerusalem, beginning the Babylonian captivity. It encompasses the reigns of king Josha, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. It was a very important period of time for the Israelites, as they were in the center of a whirlwind of events revolving around them. It was a time of powerful discrimination against the Israelites as well, which may be why Bonhoeffer used it as the guiding passage for his book. Because it was similar, to him, to the time he was living in, where Christians and Jews were being persecuted in the extremely secularist Germany of that time. Just as during Jeremiah's life, the Jews were taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, Christians and Jews were being captured by the Germans and held in prison camps. Many of them were executed as well. It was a very dark and trying time for the Israelites and their faith, and the same holds true for Bonhoeffer.

"Dietrich himself was a martyr many times before he died." This may seem to be a confusing statement. It certainly was to myself. It was then illuminated to me, that one does not necessarily have to be killed to be a martyr. Rather, one's hobbies, pursuits, and dreams can be martyred as well. I believe this sentence is saying that Bonhoeffer sacrificed not only his life when he was hanged, but also his pursuits and original career. Bonhoeffer became something of a rebel when Hitler rose to power, speaking out against his rule and against the political system that now invaded Germany, one of extreme secularism. Originally intending to be a minister, Bonhoeffer was forced to put his career on hold to help other christian leaders who were rising up to oppose Hitler. Doing this required sacrifice on Bonhoeffer's part, that sacrifice being his career. In this way, Dietrich Bonhoeffer killed many of his dreams and goals by taking a stand against Hitler with his christian brothers.