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
reality world tasks
One's task is not to turn the world upside down, but to do what is necessary at the given place and with a due consideration of reality.
men atheism hypothesis
Man has learned to cope with all questions of importance without recourse to God as a working hypothesis.
world have-faith this-world
It is only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith.
christian character responsibility
In the first place, the church can ask the state whether its actions are legitimate and in accordance with its character as state, i.e., it can throw the state back on its responsibilities. Secondly, it can aid the victims of state action. The church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community. The third possibility is not just to bandage the victims under the wheel, but to put a spoke in the wheel itself.
jesus enemy cherish
In the New Testament our enemies are those who harbor hostility against us, not those against whom we cherish hostility, for Jesus refuses to reckon with such a possibility.
self fool facts
So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take much to make him aggressive. A fool must therefore be treated more cautiously than a scoundrel.
littles beloved relative-truth
Human love has little regard for the truth. It makes the truth relative, since nothing, not even the truth, must come between it and the beloved person.
goal lust purity
The pursuit of purity is not about the suppression of lust, but about the reorientation of one's life to a larger goal.
tired grace tears
The proclamation of grace has its limits. Grace may not be proclaimed to anyone who does not recognize or distinguish or desire it... The world upon whom grace is thrust as a bargain will grow tired of it, and it will not only trample upon the Holy, but also will tear apart those who force it on them.
men mercy-of-god mercy
Once a man has truly experienced the mercy of God in his life he will henceforth aspire only to serve.
community members
One who loves his community destroys community; one who loves its members builds community.
morning fall new-beginnings
Each morning is a new beginning of our life. Each day is a finished whole. The present day marks the boundary of our cares and concerns. It is long enough to find God or lose Him, to keep faith or fall into disgrace.
doe praying pastor
A pastor who does not pray daily for his congregation is not a pastor.
humans human-beings
God is not free from human beings but for them.