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Ethics

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"The sword can never bring about the unity of the Church and of faith. Preaching can never govern nations." --Ethics

In an time where secularity is in the mainstream of modern thought, Bonhoeffer's Ethics is a must-read, with regards to Christian behaviour in a modern era.

In this (unfinished) book, Bonhoeffer focuses on the realms of both Heaven and of man, and finely describes how the two are inter-related, and yet separate, outlining true Christianity action, behaviour through love and compassion. As far as Christian action is concerned, he emphasizes the necessity to react against injustice and cruelty, as opposed to a legislated, perhaps even non-existant Christian ethos.

Bonhoeffer's unfortunate and untimely death at the hands of Nazi Germany leaves this book partially incomplete, and to some degree, not fully arranged, thus the footnotes are of utmost importance; A primer on the basic rights of man/social contract might also aid the uninitiated reader. In the end, however, Bonhoeffer's insight is as timely now as it was when he wrote it. Refreshing and vividly spiritual, it is both a comfort and food for thought.

I imagine many of you reading this have read _The Cost of Discipleship_. Having just completed _Ethics_, I feel it is a superior work. I was constantly challenged as I was reading to rethink many of my assumptions about ethics from a Christian perspective. The portion at the end about "telling the truth" is alone worth the price of the book.

A couple of difficulties I had were that many sections were left incomplete with a bare outline to indicate where he was heading. Also, some of the latter portion of the book was very heavy on historical Lutheran wrtings, of which I am quite unfamiliar.

It was certainly stimulating for me as an american to read a quite different perspective on some issues, e.g. submissive relationships. It is typical in this country for people to feel that all rules should apply equally to all. Of course this is absurd when applied to parent/child or teacher/student or ruler/subject relations. Since ethics has to do with how people act towards other people, the actual type of relationship involved has to play a role in how to think about ethical behaviour from one individual to another.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a rare individual. He transcended the human plane as he practiced what he taught. This is his last writing, and it is unfinished because he was executed in prison for living the ethics he preached. In this book, Bonhoeffer states, "Ethics as formation, then, means the bold endeavor to speak about the way in which the form of Jesus Christ takes form in our world, in a manner which is neither abstract nor casuistic, neither programmatic nor purely speculative." Partly because his theology would not allow a speculative ethic, Bonhoeffer returned from the safety of New York City to a Germany ruled by the insanity called National Socialism. There, he became a leader, along with Martin Niemueller and Karl Barth, in the "bekennende Kirche" opposing National Socialism and an advocate on behalf of Jewish People. His efforts earned him imprisonment in 1943. As the Second European War (1939-1945) came to a close, Bonhoeffer was hanged until dead in the concentration camp at Flossenburg. Dietrich Bonoeffer understood the cost of discipleship. I think that this book has something to offer people who have faith, regardless of creed. It is written by someone of strong convictions, and is inspiring to me as I develop my own ethical standards. It is not easy to develop a spiritual relationship in a temporal world. Reading "Ethics" increased my resolve and desire to try. If you are interested in learning about Christianity and ethics from someone who lived what he taught, this book will be interesting to you.

The new edition of Bonhoeffer's ETHICS (Fortress Press 2005)is completely re-arranged, newly translated, full of helpful notes, and includes an introduction and a commentary by the editors. These help explain Bonhoeffer's ethical thinking and his radical critique of Nazi policies. The text and the commentary help the careful reader understand Bonhoeffer's rationale for working in the conspiracy against Hitler, and his challenge to Christians and the church in the postwar period. Bonhoeffer regarded his ETHICS as his most important mature writing, and reviewers have called it "one of the greatest works of 20th century theology." Incomplete because interrupted by Bonhoeffer's arrest, the old edition's arrangement created problems for readers. The new edition largely overcomes these problems.

You can't speed read Bonhoeffer; as a German he was used to a high degree of order and formality in his life and this is reflected in his writing style. But his is a voice that deserves to be heard, because he was so acutely aware of the horror of the Nazi rule in his native land and his treatise on ethics was written in this environment. Throughout its writing, Bonhoeffer knew that at any time he might be executed by the Nazis, which is what finally happened just days before the war's end.

As when reading The Cost of Discipleship, I found myself understanding and agreeing with Bonhoeffer most of the time, but at times I couldn't quite connect - perhaps because I haven't reached the depth of his faith or his sensitivity to the issues on which he wrote.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book on "Ethics" reveals an underlying message that runs deeper than just a "how to" guide on ethical behavior. This message is that Jesus Christ was more than a prophet, enlightened man, or guide for life. Namely, that Christ, the "I AM" and Adonai Elohim revealed in God's Word is our personal savior from sin and the only key to eternal life with God. This book has weaved within the surface of conscious law the free redemptive work of Christ as payment for the sin of the world, and our resulting praise in ethical living no longer demanded by God, but now offered in thanks to Him. If you are looking for an enhanced understanding of our position in God's spiritual kingdom while on earth, then this book offers a marvelous insight into that ethical position by bringing us to know God's immeasurable love for mankind.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) helped lead the Confessing Church in Nazi Germany and died for its cause; he was hanged by the Nazis on April 6, 1945 at a concentration camp. And yes, as Luther declared Justification is distinct from Sanctification, yet a justified Christian will grow in Sanctification as one affirms, embraces, and aims to practice biblical ethics to please the Lord Jesus.

Bonhoeffer says in a foundational quote concerning ethics: "In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give; life can be rich only with such realization."

He adds: "To be silent does not mean to be inactive; rather it means to breathe in the will of God, to listen attentively and be ready to obey."

Our duty is: "When we come to a clearer and more sober estimate of our own limitations and responsibilities, that makes it possible more genuinely to love our neighbor."

And "There is not a place to which the Christian can withdraw from the world, whether it be outwardly or in the sphere of the inner life. Any attempt to escape from the world must sooner or later be paid for with a sinful surrender to the world."

Bonhoeffer asserts the preeminent moral aim is: "The first call which every Christian experiences is the call to abandon the attachments of this world."

As he adds: "Earthly possessions dazzle our eyes and delude us into thinking that they can provide security and freedom from anxiety. Yet all the time they are the very source of anxiety."

Bonhoeffer offers exacting, some contemporary Christians may think austere, ethical imperatives and prohibitions. Powerful, thoughtful, and part of what modern believers need.
There Are Moral Absolutes: How to Be Absolutely Sure That Christianity Alone Supplies

Bonhoeffer offers penetrating theological, ethical, and spirtual insight in this unfinished, posthumously published book. I feel that this work has more to offer than the Cost of Discipleship (a classic and wonderful book in its own right) and more to offer academically (perhaps not spiritually) than Letters and Papers From Prison. Bonhoeffer's writing style is incredibly clear and straigthforward. In an almost Nietzschean fashion, Bonhoeffer gets right to the point and does not weigh the reader down with non-essentials. It's two greatest weaknesses are that it is unfinished and the chapters were ordered by Bonhoeffer's friend, leaving one wondering how Bonhoeffer would have desired its organization. Its greatest strength is that it offers a theology that is academically rigorous AND deeply practical. In this "postmodern" age such theology is valuable. This work has significantly influenced my theological thinking. Perhaps not recommended for the theological novice, but highly reccommended for anyone with a little background in theology and/or Bonhoeffer.

Dietrich has left the church a stunning book that came out of one of the darkest periods in the history of mankind. Ethics offers every reader many challenges and dares them to confront the reality of Christian thought and the assumptions which drive the church. No where else outside of Scripture have I seen or heard the challenge of Jesus expressed so clearly as I have in Ethics. If you let it this book will challenge you to radical change in the name of God and it will help you begin to understand who you are in Him.

This is not a substitution for Scripture but rather it is a clear expression of the conviction that Scripture placed in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life.

This book is highly intellectual and will require a good deal of effort and meditation to work through. It is a work that will truly be "over the heads" of most readers but we must endeavor to read and explore it anyway as few over the last century have so clearly glimpsed into the mind of God through the writings of Scripture.

"To do evil is better than to be evil." With that the reader is launched into a book filled with thoughts, and 20th century proverbs that require us to think. Thinking....a new activity for some, a joy for others. This treatise has been a source of great joy and in its new format and updated edition is a must for bookshelves, teachers, theologians, and those who work among the poor, the hurting, and the victims. Proverbs are not easy...nor are Bonhoeffer's ethics. This book takes a lifetime to dissolve into the bloodstream and yet we have history to put each proverb into a context that helps it become applicable to the 21st century and beyond.