Bonhoeffer's Discipleship During the postmodern time period of theology during which the religious landscape had developed into a multi-centered, experience-oriented social imaginary as expressed by influential philosophers such as Friedrich Hegel and Immanuel Kant, Dietrich Bonhoeffer offered a revolutionary theology that pushed back against these pluralistic notions of religion and Christianity. Unlike Hegel and Kant who saw reason as the way to encounter the world and experience God, Bonhoeffer based his theology on faith and on God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. Such a radical belief allowed Bonhoeffer to interpret the meaning of Christianity as more than a highly intellectual state of a “divine Jesus” or some generic idea of God. Stirred …show more content…
The inspiration for discipleship cannot stem from human morals and ideals. Instead, true discipleship is a way of life based upon God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. A way of life in which we willingly and wholeheartedly choose to enter into the suffering of our neighbors, not out of selfish ambition for a positive public perception, but instead as an act of genuine and costly love for our neighbors inspired by God’s genuine costly love for us. In justification of his interpretation, Bonhoeffer points to and spends a large portion of this book discussing Jesus’ message of the Sermon on the Mount. For Bonhoeffer, it is in this message that Jesus outlines the exemplary life of a Christian based on the “law of love” which governs how we should interact with those around us. Although Bonhoeffer believes that this exemplary life may be an impossible task for us as humans to do on our own, he strongly believes that we have been given the perfect representation of what such a life of love should look like and have been enable to live such a life through God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. By striving to follow in the footsteps of Jesus’ actions, we too may be able to live and lead a life grounded by love and inspired by God’s
This sermon provokes the one who has had their own hearts weaken to seek holiness from the transformation of love. Wesley desires every Christian to attain the status of perfect love, where the love of God and neighbor would reign in their hearts. As evidence he quotes St. Paul, “Earnestly desire the higher gifts, and I will show unto you a more excellent way.” (The More Excellent Way,
In contrast Pope Benedict XVI’s book, Jesus of Nazareth, stated that the ‘Kingdom of God’ is “… an inner disposition characterised in daily behaviour by adopting the mind and outlook of Christ…” A teacher of the law once asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the most important?” He deemed loving God and your neighbour as the two most important. So here it is clear that Jesus is talking about love as a major theme in personal conduct a theme which is exemplified by biblical stories of Jesus’ own behaviour. Jesus demonstrated his love for others on many occasions and in many different ways. He spoke to people who were outcasts or disliked such as the woman at the well and Zacchaeus. He met people’s physical needs through some of his
Bonhoeffer, Dietrick. The Cost of Discipleship, New York,NY 10022: The Macmillan Company, Published 1959. 344 pp. $1.95
The book Discipleship was wriiten by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and was published in 1937. It was his fourth volume of sixteen and has also been published under the title The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer was a pastor in Germany that was alter arrested, imprisoned and executed by the Nazis.
Henry, M. (2003). I am the truth: toward a philosophy of Christianity. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press.
While the following essay will focus on this discussion of the essence of Christianity, it is important to note that Schleiermacher recognises that there is the possibility, and reality, of
Living in Christian community is a necessity for the everyday life of a Christian. Without community, the Christian has no one else to “sharpen” them, no one else to understand the everyday struggle of living in the world, sharing the Gospel, but not partaking in the sinful ways of the world. In “Life Together”, Dietrich Bonhoeffer explores Christian community, and presents not only the benefits of Christian community, but also the toxins that can destroy the community. Living in Christian community brings incomparable joy and community in and through Jesus Christ, but can be easily lost due to humanistic ideals, or “dreams”.
What does Christian community really mean? Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer gives insight into what Christians relationships were designed to be like. The main theme Bonhoeffer explores is Christ in the Christian community under the Word of God. Bonhoeffer explains God’s gift of community by arguing the following: “It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren” (Bonhoeffer, 1978, p. 20). In addition the author adds, “Christian community is like the Christian’s sanctification. It is a gift of God, which we cannot claim. Only God knows the real state of our fellowship, of our sanctification” (p. 30). Overall Life Together is biblically
The Book of John, and the life and death of Jesus Christ are key components of the authors evidence to back up his ways of solving the issues of Christian worldviews. Along with this, the author includes testimonials of his friends that specifically dealt with real-life issues in conflict with their Christian views as well.
Chapter two starts off with the author talk about his education of true christian counseling before settling on one called the discipleship approach (Collins, 23). Readers explore some people-helper principals; starting with “the helper.” This principal starts out citing Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia in which Paul instructed the leaders there to “restore” the individuals who were apparently struggling with sin and other issues (23). Paul instructs that only those who are spiritual may help the struggling individuals so that the struggling individuals may get the real help they need by means of healthy, loving caring relationships. In principal two, we learn how to help people that can be difficult to penetrate
Bonhoeffer had been challenging his seminarians to make the choice before them to embrace the cross of Christ by sharing in his suffering and death
Hegel’s critique of Kant’s philosophy is quite prevalent throughout the unfolding of Hegel’s own dialectical philosophy. Several of Hegel’s critiques of Kant’s work can especially be seen in one of his earlier works, “The Phenomenology of Spirit.” This is particularly established once Hegel begins to undertake the developing of Spirit within his Phenomenology. Here, Hegel makes several attacks on Kantian philosophy principles, and at some of the foundations of Kant’s use of pure reason in philosophy. There are several passages within the section where Hegel gives criticism of Kant’s work; critiques that strike at the very heart of what Hegel himself is trying to elucidate through his own dialectic, while discounting one of the greatest German philosophers.
Over the years, many models have been developed and implemented to endeavor to make disciples. Some of the models have been effective and others have not. Among some of the most biblical and efficient models are the ones that involve small groups. Within the small groups models, they can be broken down into further detail, such as pastoral involvement, the church’s goal, missions mindedness, etc. In this paper, I will explain my philosophy of small groups in a church and the importance of the relational group in authentic disciple making. I will also explain how missional groups can help the body of Christ move out into the community. Finally, I will summarize my status in regards to living in community with other believers and being missional with that community.
Known as the father of modern liberal theology, Friedrich Schleiermacher was a German theologian, philosopher and biblical scholar who focused his attention on the nature of religious experience from the viewpoint of the individual and human nature itself (Mariña 3). Influenced by German Romanticism, Schleiermacher attempted to reconcile the criticisms of the Enlightenment with traditional Protestant Christianity (Crouter 261). By doing so, he abandoned the pietistic Moravian theology that had failed to satisfy his increasing doubts and he adopted the rational spirit of Christian Wolff and Johann Salomo Semler. He then became acquainted with the techniques of historical criticism of the New Testament and of Johann Augustus Eberhard, from whom he acquired a love of the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. As a result, he began applying ideas from the Greek philosophers to a reconstruction of Immanuel Kant’s system (Mariña 3). On this basis, this essay articulate Friedrich Schleiermacher’s understanding of religion and its relationship to Christianity as described in Speech I: Defense and Speech II: The Nature of Religion of his work On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers. The essay will explore Schleiermacher’s rejection of various views of religion held by the despisers, explain his identification of the true religion with feeling and describe his view of the relationship between religion and Christianity.
Reading Lohfink was an experience in climbing an inviting ladder of which some of the rungs were missing when you got there. His description of how the community of believers lived their faith and the impact they had is truly inspiring. It leaves me to reflect on the life of our own community: Have we indeed left everything to follow Jesus? Are we living toward each other with the kind of love that is uncommon in the world? Are we a people of peace, light to the world, flavorful salt in how we live? Reading the accounts of how the early church lived among the pagans and loved sacrificially, there is a call for me as a leader to teach, practice and exemplify that kind of love among our people, along with making opportunities for us to practice it together. On the other hand, Lohfink’s polarizing reaction to “individualism” failed to recognize that a contrast-community consists of individuals who have been transformed by the cross of Jesus and the power of His Spirit. Lohfink argues that no missionary effort is needed because the church as contrast-society will gather people to itself by attraction. He quotes Bronx, saying: “…if it is possible at all to speak of the ancient church's missionary theory the most that can be said is this. The twelve apostles preached the