dimanche 6 décembre 2015

Bonhoeffer on the Christian’s call to action

Finished reading Renate Wind’s biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose life and mind are so complex that they stumble the modern reader attempting to caricature him in either conservative or liberal frames. In contrast to a recent biographical work by Eric Metaxas, Wind’s take has a liberal bent (consistent with the observation that she herself is a female pastor).

There has been criticism lodged at Metaxas for attempting to superimpose the American right-wing agenda on Bonhoeffer’s perceived beliefs on Christian ethics and relationship with government. I also hold reservations on whether Bonhoeffer would consider himself aligned with political conservatism -- if not merely due to the lack of compassion it has often presented itself with in the culture wars.

During the end of his life, he expressed reluctance to lord religion and insert the name of God into all issues (even in cases of Christian encouragement of comfort!) precisely because he wanted to so exalt the name of God and prevent the name from being stained as it was by the Nazi-supported Protestant church. Sounds familiar now with the public’s resentment of prayers offered without the corresponding action. If there has been any action, it’s a Christian university president calling on his students to resort to violence.

Bonhoeffer’s disdain for the church losing her way is reflected in this quote:
“Our church, which over these years has fought only for its self-preservation as though that were an end in itself, is incapable of being the vehicle of the reconciling and redeeming word for human beings and the world. So the former words must become powerless and fall silent, and our being Christians today must consist of two things: in praying and doing what is right among men.”
For Bonhoeffer, prayer and action were two sides of the same coin. He wanted to live and act “as if there were no God,” at least not the God that relieved him of acting. Because if Christians were to start doing those activities of compassion and loving our enemies, we would find ourselves a lot closer to God in desperate prayer.

samedi 10 octobre 2015

“That is the capitulation of church to politics!”

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer, said of Protestant church groups who did not openly repudiate fascist policy during Nazi rule.

Bonhoeffer, among other liberal or non-reformed Protestants, can be a thorn in the side. Whereas traditional Calvinism inclines the church to distance itself from political provacateuring and incendiaries, we have these heroes outside the reformed tradition that were, to use a loaded phrase, “on the right side of history.”

Today, the situation is ironic in that American Christians, of all the issues we could politicize, appear to be most vocal about topics that will earn public disdain (I’m speaking mostly in the modern era). I acknowledge that the church does lesser-known good in the areas of poverty, illnesses, and disaster relief, but Christian blogs and podcasts would have me believe that majority culture evangelicalism doesn’t mind projecting its public identity onto unfavorable positions on sensational issues.

Maybe Bonhoeffer would be just as vocal as well on those issues, but can’t we gain some social capital by “diversifying” our outrage across the political spectrum? Why isn’t evangelicalism by-and-large decrying structural deficiencies leading to gun violence? Why don’t pastors give credence to climate change?

Our reformation fathers were bold in decrying the structural abuses of the Roman Catholic church, but from the modern perspective, the progressive causes of abolishing slavery and racial civil rights get the most kudos. My take is, of all the progressive causes, let’s make sure we’re leaders on all the right ones soli Deo gloria.