Bonhoeffer's Reception of Luther

by Michael P. DeJonge

Overview

In Dietrich Bonhoeffer's writings, Martin Luther is ubiquitous. Too often, however, Bonhoeffer's Lutheranism has been set aside with much less argumentative work than is appropriate in light of his sustained engagement with Luther. As a result, Luther remains a largely untouched hermeneutic key in Bonhoeffer interpretation. In Bonhoeffer's Reception of Luther, Michael P. DeJonge presents Bonhoeffer's Lutheran theology of justification focused on the interpersonal presence of Christ in word, sacrament, and church. The bridge between this theology and Bonhoeffer's ethical-political reflections is his two-kingdoms thinking. Arguing that the widespread failure to connect Bonhoeffer with the Lutheran two-kingdoms tradition has presented a serious obstacle in interpretation, DeJonge shows how this tradition informs Bonhoeffer's reflections on war and peace, as well as his understanding of resistance to political authority. In all of this, DeJonge argues that an appreciation of Luther's ubiquity in Bonhoeffer's corpus sheds light on his thinking, lends it coherence, and makes sense of otherwise difficult interpretive problems. What might otherwise appear as disparate, even contradictory moments or themes in Bonhoeffer's theology can often be read in terms of a consistent commitment to a basic Lutheran theological framework deployed according to dramatically changing circumstances.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198797906
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/09/2017
Pages:	294
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Michael P. DeJonge is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of South Florida, where he teaches on the history of Christian theology and topics in modern religious thought. His previous publications include Bonhoeffer's Theological Formation (2012) and The Bonhoeffer Reader (co-edited with Clifford J. Green; 2014).

Table of Contents

List of abbreviationsIntroduction: An Argument for Bonhoeffer Interpretation1. On the Way toward Christocentrism2. Christology in Conversation with Barth and the Lutheran Tradition3. Caricatures of the Two Kingdoms4. The Twofold Form of Christ: Bonhoeffer's Two-Kingdoms Thinking5. Anabaptists and Peace6. Lutheran Resistance Resources7. Struggle and ResistanceBibliography

Editorial Reviews

"Bonhoeffer's Reception of Luther by Michael DeJonge is probably one of the most important books on Bonhoeffer that have come out in recent years...It will help future Bonhoeffer scholars avoid the mistakes that many have made in the (recent) past. Both for the sake of the legacy of Bonhoeffer and the faithful application of Bonhoeffer for our time, the value of this book can hardly be overstated." — Josh de Keijzer, Cultural Encounters

"This book will undoubtedly become an important resource for Bonhoeffer scholarship, providing general readers with a more comprehensive understanding of Bonhoeffer and his theological thought." — Jin Li, Calvin Theological Journal

"DeJonge emphasizes the importance of Luther's legacy for central themes of Bonhoeffer's theology and ethics. This is to be welcomed in view of widespread misjudgements, especially in English-speaking research." — Christoph Strohm, University of Heidelberg, The Journal of Theological Studies

"Collectively, the essays are fresh, engaging, interesting and nourishing food for thought. As the editors hoped, they breathe new life into some fairly well worn topics - e.g. miracles, faith, fine-tuning arguments, Pascal's wager, religious diversity, religious disagreement, religious expertise and religious experience - and raise some less familiar topics - e.g. disagreement between Aquinas and Scotus on testimony, disagreement between Henry (of Ghent) and Scotus on divine illumination, Maimonides's views on repentance, and reasoning about infinite universes - to greater prominence." — Graham Oppy , Monash University Melbourne, Analysis

"Bonhoeffer s Reception of Luther is an excellent work, worthy of close reading and engagement. It promises to open up new vistas for better and more responsible understandings of Bonhoeffer s life, work, and ongoing significance. DeJonge shows convincingly how deeply Bonhoeffer was steeped in and in critical dialogue with Luther s thought and legacy, and likewise how recognition of this reality presents great opportunity for improved engagement with Bonhoeffer himself." —Reading Religion

"Students will benefit greatly from DeJonge's investigations of Sanctorum Communio, Act and Being, as well as of The Cost of Discipleship. . .Most exciting is the appreciation of Bonhoeffer's concept of revelation, of the church as Christus praesens in the world here and now. This takes the Catholic doctrine of the church as the body of Christ to new dimensions, as the various works of the German Roman Catholic theologian Ernst Feil (1932-2013) have attested, for example his The Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1985). DeJonge's recent contribution is a further welcome enrichment of Bonhoeffer literature." —Journal of Religious History

"This work will be essential for anyone interested in the development of Bonhoeffer's theology. Michael DeJonge writes with remarkable clarity about some of the more complex and contested aspects of Bonhoeffer's thought, offering provocative new insights into Bonhoeffer's approach to the two kingdoms, Christian pacifism, and the challenges of resistance. Without ignoring the other theological influences on Bonhoeffer's thought, this book makes a convincing case that to understand Bonhoeffer we must examine his reading and interpretation of Luther." —Victoria J. Barnett, General Editor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works English Edition

"In this new work, rising star Michael DeJonge executes a lucid, patient and in the end devastating critique of North American readings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theological legacy. That alone is worth the price of admission. Even better is the extraordinary retrieval he makes of Bonhoeffer's core Lutheranism. DeJonge understands Luther better than many a Lutheran and Bonhoeffer better than any other North American interpreter. Tolle lege." —Paul R. Hinlicky, Tise Professor of Lutheran Studies, Univerzita Komenskeho, Slovakia

"DeJonge's meticulously-researched, contextually-grounded analysis of Bonhoeffer's frequent appropriate of Luther's thought and specific Lutheran" elements of his application of the biblical message to the mid-twentieth century world combines with the author's critical engagement with scholars who have minimized and misinterpreted Bonhoeffer's deep immersion in the reformer's theology. DeJonge confirms the estimation of Bonhoeffer's own associates who recognized their friend's appreciation of and reliance on Luther's thought in a clearly-stated, convincing argument. This volume offers sharper and deeper insights into Bonhoeffer's ever more relevant assessment of the Christian gospel, the church, and society, and thus it points Bonhoeffer studies in new, exciting directions." —Robert Kolb, Emeritus Professor of Systematic Theology, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis

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