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The doctrine of christian evangelism
Evangelism throughout history
The doctrine of christian evangelism
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian, known for his public resistance against Hitler and the Nazi party in the 1930’s and 40’s. Bonhoeffer epitomizes what it means to be a martyr, as he created a resistance and eventually lost his life in order to defend his beliefs against social injustice and the Nazi regime. Bonhoeffer’s actions and ethical beliefs are still viewed as exemplary and a foundation of modern ethics. First, I will outline Bonhoeffer’s upbringing and the key events in his life. Then, I will discuss Bonhoeffer’s anti-Nazi resistance, which led to his eventual death in a Nazi extermination camp. Finally, I will examine the communities that turned Bonhoeffer into a martyr after his death and the beliefs that he died for.
Bonhoeffer was born on February 4, 1906 in Breslau, Germany along with his twin sister Sabine. Bonhoeffer was one of eight children raised in a well-educated, aristocratic family. His father, Karl was a well-known professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Berlin. Dietrich grew up in a liberal religious household, but to his parent’s dismay, at age 14 he decided to become a theologian and minister. By 1923, Bonhoeffer had enrolled in theological study at Tubingen University, where he excelled in his studies under prominent theologians like Hans Lietzmann and Adolf von Harnack. He completed the equivalent of his bachelor and masters degree at Tubingen University before earning his Doctorate of Theology, with summa cum laude honors from the University of Berlin in 1927. By this time, Bonhoeffer had already begun to formulate strong ideas about the church and against social injustice within the community. In 1930, Bonhoeffer was awarded the Sloane Fellowship, which allowed him to...
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...o follow Christ. Also, Bonhoeffer is one of only ten modern martyrs to be memorialized with a statue at Westminster Abbey in London.
Bonhoeffer was a visionary Christian who believed he must follow the will of Jesus by promoting social justice. His teachings influenced Christians to not just have a relationship with Jesus but to translate that into action within their daily lives. He believed he could accomplish this through actions such as campaigning for civil rights and helping the oppressed. Bonhoeffer played a pivotal role in enlightening German Christians of the dangers of a Nazi state-run church. Most importantly, Bonhoeffer will always be remembered for his public criticism and resistance against the oppression of the Jews. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an exemplar of moral courage and martyr for his faith, who ultimately gave his life to fight social injustice.
There are many heroic individuals in history that have shown greatness during a time of suffering ,as well as remorse when greatness is needed, but one individual stood out to me above them all. He served as a hero among all he knew and all who knew him. This individual, Simon Wiesenthal, deserves praise for his dedication to his heroic work tracking and prosecuting Nazi war criminals that caused thousands of Jews, Gypsies, Poles and other victims of the Holocaust to suffer and perish.
Elizer’s personal account of the holocaust does not merely highlight the facts of the holocaust: millions suffered and the event was politically and religiously motivated, but provides an in depth investigation to what a person endured mentally, physically, and emotionally. Beginning as a teenager, Elizer thought highly of God and of his own beliefs, however, that quickly diminished when he was put into a system of sorting and killing people. During the holocaust, Elizer was not the only person to change; almost everyone suffered and changed differently. The stressful and harsh times affected Elizer just as they affected the person working next to him in the factory. Elizer quickly began to question everything “I pinched myself: Was I still alive? Was I awake? How was it possible that men, women, and children were being burned and that the world kept silent?” (Wiesel 32). Although Elizer forms this mentality, he also finds the will to survive, to protect his father, and to not turn into the people that were aro...
Friedrich Nietzsche is recognized for being one of the most influential German philosophers of the modern era. He is known for his works on genealogy of morality, which is a way to study values and concepts. In Genealogy of Morals, Friedrich Nietzsche mentions that values and concepts have a history because of the many different meanings that come with it. Nietzsche focused on traditional ethical theories, especially those rooted in religion. Not being a religious man, he believed that human life has no moral purpose except for the significance that human beings give it.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on February 4th 1906, as a son of a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Berlin. Throughout his early life he was an outstanding student, and when he finally reached the age of 25 he became a lecturer in systematic theology at the University Berlin. Something that is very striking is that when Hitler came to power in 1933, Bonhoeffer became a leading spokesman for the Confessing Church, the center of Protestant resistance to the Nazis. He organized and for a shot amount of time he led the underground seminary of the Confessing Church. His book Life Together describes the life of the Christian community in that seminary, and his book The Cost Of Discipleship attacks what he calls "cheap grace," meaning that grace used as an excuse for moral laxity.
Human beings are subjected to living in a world filled with chaos, hate, war, inequality, and genocide, which makes exhibiting sheer goodness a challenge. Often times, individuals confused being “good” with following an established list of rules. However, there are times when goodness, or even ethical and moral behavior goes beyond following a rigid set of regulations as we recognize that certain demands are amoral. The genocidal extermination of millions of Jews orchestrated by Adolf Hitler at the time of Nazi occupation during World War II transformed Europe into a dark place. However, with many tragedies, there are often glimpses of goodness that shine through. The village of Le Chambon was an illumination. A primarily Protestant village in southern France, Le Chambon became a safe haven for Jews fleeing Nazi rule. The people of this nurturing, mountain-town community were true heroes as they banded together to take Jewish refugees into their homes, forge ID and ration cards and help them escape to safety. The actions of the Chambonnais during the Holocaust may have arguably been one of the most significant, modest acts of resistance. In order to gauge our understanding of this tight knit community, often times, one sits back and questions, why Le Chambon? Why was this place different from the rest of Europe who didn’t take action to help the Jews in a time of need? Why did goodness happen THERE? Unfortunately, there is not a black and white answer. However, through the history of both the village and its inhabitants permeating in their minds, the community has been shaped into virtuous village full of goodness. They have been driven to act ethically despite possible repercussions, which has set them apart from similar communit...
Surprisingly, the Christian martyrs did not care that they were sentenced to death. They believed that by dying for what they believe, it would only bring them closer to God and the Gates of Heaven. The document states, “For this cause have we devoted our lives, that we might do no such thing as this; this we agreed with you” (para. 18). To the martyrs, nothing was more important than fulfilling God’s duties.
" The businessman, Oskar Schindler, demonstrated a powerful example of a man who was moved emotionally to step in and take action to save the lives of the Jewish people. His bravery still commands great respect today. His role shows the great significance of speaking up against injustice and choosing not to be silent.
Himes, B. (2011). Discipleship as theological praxis: Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a resource for educational ministry. Christian Education Journal, 8(2), 263-277.
Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust. New York: Vintage, 1997. Print.
That doubt plagued Wiesel, causing him to abandon his faith and walk away from it. However, that nameless “neighbor” he encountered not only walked away, but followed a different path, a path where the man intending to slaughter the Jewish people was the sole figure he believed in.
Elie Wiesel spent thirteen years of his life seeking God through prayer, study, and examination of the goodness of those around him. In a few short months, Adolf Hitler managed to destroy all of things that made up the foundation of Elie’s life. The physical scars, the hunger, the sickness all healed with time, but Wiesel still is missing the most important pieces that were taken from him during his stay in Nazi concentration camps – his faith in his Lord, his trust in father and friend, and his knowledge of the essential goodness of humankind.
Within mainstream society it seems as if there is not a great deal of emphasis on the contributions made by theologians in society, as well as contributions by theologians to religious thought. Particularly in Christendom, ecclesiastical assemblies are so consumed with vain ideas of worship, and content on hearing biblical messages that capitulate to their personal desires, that theological studies are often neglected. Yet the contributions theologians have made in society, and the impact these contributions have had on religious assemblies have been pivotal in guiding religious discourse on subjects such as ethics, morality, and social transformation. It is for this reason, that in this essay an attempt will be made to analyze three essays from three world-renowned theologians of the 20th century. The theologians are Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Walter Wink, all of which have produced the essays used for this analysis, and have written works that have completely challenged status quo religion, and changed the landscape of Christendom forever.
Life and Death in the Third Reich. 1st Ed. -. ed. a. a. a. a. a. a. Cambridge, MA: Belknap, Harvard UP, 2008.
Heroes come from every walk of life, the very nature of a hero transcends culture, ethnicity, religion, geographical borders, and any other boundary set by the wicked. The heroes of the Holocaust came from every religion and faith found in the frontier of World War II and the creation of heroes and resistance groups were especially contingent on the indecency and anti-Semitism the Nazi culture would generate. The characteristics of a hero were numerous and various, but what qualities seemed to be exhibited most profoundly and created through religious experience? Compassion, selflessness, duty to others, courage, and integrity were five characteristics I found evident in all three of the examples