### **Dietrich Bonhoeffer** (1906–1945) **Who**: German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident. **Key Themes**: Radical discipleship, [[ethics]], resistance to tyranny, [[Religion]] and "religionless Christianity." ![[Dietrich Bonhoeffer_0980.jpeg]] #### **Major Contributions**: 1. **Theology of Costly Grace** (*The Cost of Discipleship*, 1937) - Critiqued "cheap grace" (faith without action). - Emphasized obedience and sacrifice in following Christ. 2. **Ethics** (Unfinished, pub. posthumously) - Argued for context-driven moral action over rigid rules. - "Responsibility to God and neighbor" as core. 3. **Resistance to Nazism** - Co-founded the **Confessing Church** (opposed Nazi-co-opted Christianity). - Joined the **Abwehr conspiracy** to assassinate Hitler (executed for this in 1945). 4. **Letters from [[Prison]]** (*Letters and Papers from Prison*) - Explored "religionless Christianity"—faith in a secular, suffering world. - Influenced post-[[War]] theology (e.g., secular theology, liberation theology). **Legacy**: - Martyr symbolizing moral courage. - Influenced civil rights movements (e.g., MLK Jr.), modern Christian ethics. **Tags**: #Theology #Resistance #Ethics #WWII #Christianity --- `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:`