Lesson 6: Bonhoeffer
I had to do some research on Dietrich Bonhoeffer last week. It was very unsettling because it quickly became evident that he was facing very much the same situation we are.
True, he opposed Adolf Hitler, but that involved opposing the German National Christian Church, which heralded his rise. In many ways, this group produced Hitler by providing the program he used to obtain and sustain power.
It was an ecclesiastical party that tried to control the German Church back into the 19th century. It called for Christians to be manly and tight for values they claimed were Jesus’ teachings. These had to do primarily with restoring the purity of the German warrior race by getting rid of the Jews who were poisoning their blood.
Once Hitler gained power, they insisted the rest of the church sign oaths promising their loyalty to him and enforcing the Aryan clause that defrocked any pastor who had Jewish heritage.
Bonhoeffer spoke against this group, insisting that Jesus meant exactly what he said about unconditionally loving all people as brothers and sisters for whom Christ died.
Of course, his voice was ignored. The German Christian Nationalists became more and more of a pagan cult, observing the German folk’s mythology more than Jesus’s teachings. And in the end, Bonhoeffer was martyred.
I became more and more upset because I realized I was hearing the same message from our Christin Nationalists. The only change is immigrants have become the scapegoats.
It makes me think this religious group is a real threat to our democracy. They are especially dangerous because they claim to speak for Jesus and their message has nothing to do with his teachings.
Beyond that, they have begun to misuse Bonhoeffer in their campaign. They cite his work with a group that rescued Jews and plotted an unsuccessful coup; they suggest he would endorse their efforts. The Bonhoeffer family and all respectable Bonhoeffer scholars have denounced this, pointing especially to Project 2025, the January 6 insurrection, and the movie “Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Spy, Assassin.” These claim the Nationalists are totally misrepresenting his views.
The situation calls for the courage of Bonhoeffer that offers unconditional nonviolent love when attacked.
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I agree. I think we’re in our own Bonhoeffer Moment. Well said.