Dietrich Bonhoeffer Confessing Church

Oddly no one seems to consider mussolini.

Dietrich bonhoeffer confessing church. Dietrich bonhoeffer s radical message reaches to our own day. The confessing church was the result of anger at some of the changes made to the organisation and rules of the church. It is that a flaw within the german character allowed the rise of hitler and nazism. 4 february 1906 9 april 1945 was a lutheran pastor theologian anti nazi dissident and key founding member of the confessing church his writings on christianity s role in the secular world have become widely influential and his book the cost of discipleship has been described as a modern classic.

Led by martin niemoller and dietrich bonhoeffer the confessing church was formed following a meeting in barmen in 1934. In fact despite bonhoeffer s pleas the leaders of the confessing church were mostly concerned about the idea that hitler was trying to tell them how to run the church and whom to accept into leadership positions. The main aim of his life was the reformation of the german evangelical church. Dietrich bonhoeffer and the confessing church by wendy mcelroy first published in the freedom daily issued by the future of freedom foundation a destructive myth haunts world war ii.

In 1933 shortly after the nazi party gained power. How else can you explain the holocaust coming from one of the world s most cultured nations. It is a pity that today dietrich bonhoeffer is solely seen as a member of resistance against the nazis. It is that a flaw within the german character allowed the rise of hitler and nazism.

From his unfinished magnum opus ethics we are given an essay on guilt justification and renewal 1. Then he recognizes the objections some will. In this astonishing document bonhoeffer dares to confess in the name of the church the church s failure to keep god s commands in his own time. Bonhoeffer and those with him now knew that.

It aimed to protect evangelical rights and customs. Nonetheless this lack of urgency renewed bonhoeffer s understanding of the confessing church s role in the ongoing struggle. Its voice which harmonized for the first time on this day in 1934 was desperately needed in germany. Bonhoeffer s question was met with silence and more waiting.