For some 40 years after Bonhoeffer’s death, scholars both historical and theological debated over the legacy of Bonhoeffer. Was he the property of Liberals? or of Conservatives? What really were his views on this or that topic. The problem was compounded by the fact that Bonhoeffer later cryptically wrote that almost all his writing was done while he wasn’t even a Christian (certainly not a Lutheran position) and that he had learned better.
Unlike a lot of scholarly debate, this became a much more popular issue since Bonhoeffer had been proclaimed a martyr by so many. I will dare to make the generalization that most people clung – and cling – to Bonhoeffer to help allay feelings of guilt over the tragic failures of Christians to oppose Nazi governance. They need a hero to look back at and say ‘if I were there, I would’ve stood up with X against Hitler!’ No one wants to say with the mea culpa, that actually they would’ve just lived their lives with indifference, they would’ve been a prison guard for enough money, they would have allowed the Communists to be shot (they’re only commies after all!), etc. The same fight over Bonhoeffer and Protestants in the Third Reich, occurs as did the explosive historiographic war over the issue of the Roman Catholic Church and the Nazis in the speculative work, “Hitler’s Pope”.
Ironically, the church Bonhoeffer was a part of was called ‘the Confessing Church’ and the greatest act of confession for our generation would be one of guilt. The Nazi period perhaps should be mined by Christians not for proofs of man’s sanctity without also being exposed as a great example of man’s depravity, of the sinfulness, cowardice, and wickedness of Christians, who are saved solely by the gracious gift of Christ and not through their own heroism or moral character. Even Bonhoeffer knew he wouldn’t have passed this test of saintliness, fleeing to America, and taking the preferential treatment of the guards rather than living in solidarity with his fellow prisoners to the fullest.
The reason I care about Bonhoeffer, the question that plagued me, was whether by opposing Nazi governance by force and out of a political theology whether he was doing anything revolutionary, or whether he was merely perpetuating the system of thought that allowed the Nazis to be elected. Was Bonhoeffer truly saying the Church is above and beyond and separate from the World/State/City of Man, as Augustine said, or was he saying that there ought to be a version of Christian Civilization that had a say in politics, as the Nazis said. After all, it should be remembered that Hitler used ‘German Christian’ Theology to support his rule, even if he sought the destruction of the Church and its leaders, he still used the language of God and providence – just like Anders Breivik.
I’ll discuss the answer to that question, tomorrow!