Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoefferwas a German 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 became a modern classic...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth4 February 1906
CountryGermany
men suffering obedience
It is infinitely easier to suffer in obedience to a human command than to accept suffering as free, responsible men.
differences community silence
The mark of solitude is silence, as speech is the mark of community. Silence and speech have the same inner correspondence and difference as do solitude and community. One does not exist without the other. Right speech comes out of silence, and right silence comes out of speech.
reality thinking opposites
Thinking in terms of two realms understands the paired concepts worldy-Christia n, natural-superna tural, profane-sacred, rational-revela tions, as ultimate static opposites...and fails to recognize the original unity of these opposites in the Christ-reality.
brethren
The beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them.
children grace only-child
God cleanses and sanctifies us, comes to us with grace and love. God makes us happy, as only children can be happy.
life christian mouths
God has willed that we should seek and find God's living Word in the testimony of other Christians, in the mouths of human beings.
justice compromise christ
Things do exist that are worth standing up for without compromise. To me it seems that peace and social justice are such things, as is Christ himself.
wisdom mean heart
The heart clings to collected treasure. Stored-up possessions get between me and God. Where my treasure is, there is my trust, my security, my comfort, my God. Treasure means idolatry.
christian talking people
Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians because we are talking when we should be listening.
kindness religion sin
There is no kindness more cruel than the kindness which consigns another person to their sin.
book thinking answers
One cannot simply read the Bible, like other books. One must be prepared really to enquire of it. Only thus will it reveal itself. Only if we expect from it the ultimate answer, shall we receive it. That is because in the Bible God speaks to us. And one cannot simply think about God in one’s own strength, one has to inquire of him. Only if we seek him, will he answer us.
spiritual men needs
Consequently there is a need for spiritual vitality. What protection is there against the danger of organisation? Man is once more faced with the problem of himself. He can cope with every danger except the danger of human nature itself. In the last resort it all turns upon man.
essence grace discipleship
The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing.
church ordinary helping
The church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving.