A History of Christian Governance

A History of Christian Governance

A Look at Christianity vs Civil Political Rule

by ChatGPT 4.0 & R.E. Slater

Below is a short but comprehensive look at Christianity's track record when it comes to people and governing. It consists of three sections with the third and last section speaking specifically to process philosophy and theology in relationship to people and governance.... 

To date, any processual systems I am aware of have generally been positively applied into societal structures with positive outcomes moving towards moral principles of justice and equality. However, there have been many Judeo-Christian political pacts and governances which have been processually abusive, oppressive and harmful to society.

Here then, is what AI and I have decided upon when it comes to Christianity and political power with a final display in Part III and emphasis towards processual governmental leadership structures that are free, cooperative, participative, communal, and healing.

R.E. Slater

March 5, 2025

*Please be aware that AI will spit out anything I ask it. As usual, I am trying not to qualify it's answers while also attempting to ensure any statements given are as correct as I understand them to be. Where AI may be drifting from inaccuracy or shading the question I will re-correct it and re-establish a new line of thought. However, this necessity has proved to be very seldom in my experience with AI. Usually it's myself which needs the oversight and correction. - res

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I

Hi. Historically, what kinds of political philosophies has Christianity been associated with? Remembering that a lot of Christianity is based in the Western Hemisphere, thus perhaps prejudicing the historical record from its fuller experience of Christian governance.

ChatGPT said

Christianity has historically been associated with a wide range of political philosophies, largely shaped by the cultural, economic, and philosophical contexts of different periods. While much of the historical record is Western-centric, there have been diverse expressions of Christian governance beyond Europe and the Americas. Below is a broad overview of key political philosophies associated with Christianity:

1. Theocratic and Monarchist Christianity (4th–18th Centuries)

• Constantinianism (4th century): With Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan (313 AD), Christianity transitioned from a persecuted sect to an imperially endorsed religion.
• Under Theodosius I (Edict of Thessalonica, 380 AD), Christianity became the state religion of Rome, integrating with Roman imperial authority.
• Caesaropapism (Byzantine Empire): The emperor was considered both a secular ruler and a divinely appointed religious overseer, influencing Orthodox Christianity.
• Divine Right of Kings (Medieval Europe–17th Century): Rooted in Catholic and Protestant traditions, monarchs claimed direct authority from God (e.g., James I of England, Louis XIV of France).
• Augustinian Political Thought (5th century): St. Augustine’s City of God distinguished between the earthly city (human governance) and the City of God (divine rule), shaping medieval Christendom’s politics.
• Holy Roman Empire (800–1806): Attempted to unite Christendom under a Christian emperor, with tensions between papal authority and imperial rule.

2. Medieval and Early Modern Christian Communitarianism

• Monastic Governance: Christian monastic communities (e.g., Catholic Benedictines, Franciscans) developed their own political structures, emphasizing communal ownership, work ethics, and moral authority.
• Theocratic Protestantism: Some Reformed communities (e.g., Calvin’s Geneva) experimented with church-led governance based on biblical law.

Note: John Calvin's Geneva was a city in Europe that became a model of Protestant ideology and moral uprightness. Calvin established a council to enforce morality and integrated the church and civic life. He also emphasized education and created strict rules to govern everyday life. 

• Radical Reformation Movements (16th century): Groups like the Anabaptists rejected state-church integration, forming communal societies based on voluntary discipleship, pacifism, and economic sharing.

*3. Christian Liberalism and Democracy (18th–21st Centuries)

• Catholic Social Teaching (19th–20th centuries): Encyclicals like Rerum Novarum (1891) promoted social justice, workers’ rights, and subsidiarity, influencing Christian democracy movements in Europe and Latin America.
• Christian Democracy (20th century): Political parties like Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) blended social conservatism with welfare policies, opposing both communism and radical capitalism.
• Social Gospel Movement (late 19th–early 20th century): Protestant movement in the U.S. and Canada advocating for economic justice, labor rights, and public welfare. [Known as Christian Humanism as written here several years ago - re slater]
• Liberal Protestantism and Human Rights: Many Protestant traditions [large mainstream Protestant denominations? - re slater] championed individual rights, religious freedom, and democratic governance, leading to alliances with liberal political movements.

4. Christian Socialism and Left-Wing Christianity

• Christian Socialism (19th–20th centuries): Figures like Frederick Denison Maurice (UK) and Dorothy Day (U.S.) advocated for economic justice, wealth redistribution, and workers’ cooperatives.
• Liberation Theology (1960s–present): Latin American Catholic theologians (e.g., Gustavo Gutiérrez, Óscar Romero) fused Christian ethics with Marxist critique, emphasizing the "preferential option for the poor".
• African and Latin American Indigenous Christian Movements: Integrated communitarian governance, eco-theology, and post-colonial critiques into Christian political thought.

5. Christian Conservatism and Authoritarianism

• Integralism and Catholic Corporatism (20th century): Supported authoritarian regimes like Franco’s Spain and Salazar’s Portugal, opposing liberal democracy.

NOTE: A liberal democracy is a good thing... sic, America's Constitution al governance was established as a liberal democracy which is associated with political stability, including economic growth, and robust state institutions that guarantee free elections, the rule of law, and individual liberties. - re slater

• American Christian Nationalism (21st century): A blend of evangelical conservatism, capitalism, and political populism, often tied to the Religious Right.

Note. Similar to Calvin's Geneva theocracy known as Dominionism or Reconstructionism, Theonomy. - re slater

• Eastern Orthodox Christian Nationalism: Countries like Russia, Serbia, and Greece have integrated Christian Orthodox identity with nationalist politics.

6. Process Thought and Progressive Christianity

• Whiteheadian Process Political Thought: Some progressive Christian theologians (e.g., John Cobb) integrate process philosophy with political ethics, advocating for pluralism, environmental justice, and non-coercive democracy.
• Postmodern and Postcolonial Christianities: Engage in deconstructing Western hegemonies in Christian governance, exploring more fluid, community-driven models of participation.

Global Variations

• African Christianity: Blends traditional tribal governance with Pentecostal and charismatic influences, often with an emphasis on moral conservatism and communal decision-making.
• Asian Christianity: In places like South Korea, Christian governance has merged with capitalism, economic development, and anti-communist sentiment.
• Latin American Christianity: Has been deeply involved in both right-wing military dictatorships (e.g., Chile under Pinochet) and leftist social movements (e.g., Sandinistas in Nicaragua).

Conclusion

Christianity’s political expressions have ranged from monarchy to socialism, from democracy to nationalism. While much of the historical record reflects Western Christian governance, non-Western Christianities have developed their own indigenous and hybrid political models. The key challenges today remains balancing ethical governance with evolving global realities, whether through democracy, socialism, or new process-based approaches.

Would you like to explore any specific era or tradition in more depth?

II

You said:

When reviewing the historical record which shows a potpourri of social contracts between people and their leadership, is there anything helpful, harmful, or remarkable that stands out?

ChatGPT said

Reviewing the historical record of Christianity’s involvement in governance reveals a potpourri of social contracts—from theocratic empires to democratic republics, from socialist experiments to authoritarian nationalisms. Several key helpful, harmful, and remarkable patterns emerge:

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HELPFUL Contributions of Christian Political Thought

1. Moral and Ethical Foundation for Justice

   • Christian ideas of human dignity, charity, and justice (rooted in Jewish and Greco-Roman traditions) have influenced social contracts emphasizing compassion, fairness, and the common good.

   The ancient Greek City-States were known for tyranny and oligarch until 507 BCE when under Cleisthenes, the citizens of Athens began to develop a system of popular rule they called democracy which lasted nearly two centuries. - re slater

   • Catholic Social Teaching (e.g., Rerum Novarum, 1891) inspired labor laws, fair wages, and economic justice in industrial societies.
   • The abolition of slavery was championed by Christian reformers like William Wilberforce, the Beechers of Boston, and Quakers, who framed it as a moral imperative. - (I am related to Harriet Beecher of Uncle Tom's Cabin fame. - re slater)

2. Christianity and Democracy

   • Many democratic movements (e.g., Magna Carta, 1215; the American Revolution, 1776; the European Christian Democratic parties) were influenced by Christian principles of individual rights, accountability, and moral leadership.
   • The Protestant Reformation (16th century), with its emphasis on individual conscience and decentralized religious authority, indirectly encouraged political self-governance.
   • The Civil Rights Movement (1950s–60s), led by Christian figures like Martin Luther King Jr., connected Christian ethics to racial justice and democratic participation.

3. Social Welfare and Public Good

   • Christianity has historically been a major driver of public education, healthcare, and social services.
   • Monastic communities (e.g., Benedictines) and Christian charitable organizations pioneered hospitals, schools, and relief programs.
   • Liberation Theology in Latin America empowered grassroots movements for social justice, advocating for the poor and marginalized.

4. Checks on Absolute Power

   • Medieval Christianity played a role in limiting absolute rule, as seen in the Investiture Controversy (11th–12th centuries), where the papacy challenged monarchs, promoting a balance of powers.
   • The idea of "just war theory" (developed by Augustine and Aquinas) provided ethical guidelines for war and governance, ensuring power was exercised with moral restraint.

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HARMFUL Patterns and Consequences

1. Theocratic Authoritarianism and Religious Persecution

   • The fusion of state and church often led to intolerance and oppression, such as:
     • The Spanish Inquisition (15th–19th centuries), which persecuted Jews, Muslims, and suspected heretics.
     • The execution of dissenters (e.g., Joan of Arc, executed in 1431 for religious-political reasons).
     • Puritan rule in England (1650s) and Calvin’s Geneva, which enforced rigid religious laws.
   • In Orthodox Christianity, Caesaropapism (e.g., Byzantine and Russian traditions) placed the church under direct state control, suppressing religious freedom.

2. Support for Colonialism and Imperialism

   • The Doctrine of Discovery (1493) legitimized European Christian empires’ colonial conquests, often justifying enslavement, forced conversions, and genocide.
   • Christian missionary activity, while sometimes altruistic, was often entangled with colonial exploitation (e.g., Spanish conquests in the Americas, British rule in Africa and India).
   • The Apartheid regime in South Africa (1948–1994) was partly justified by Dutch Reformed Church theology, linking Christianity to racial segregation.

3. Opposition to Scientific and Social Progress

   • Christianity, when intertwined with state power, has sometimes resisted social and intellectual progress:
     • Galileo’s condemnation (1633) for heliocentric theory.
     • Opposition to women’s rights movements (e.g., suffrage, reproductive rights).
     • Resistance to LGBTQ+ rights, especially in evangelical and Catholic traditions.
   • Reactionary Christian politics in some regions (e.g., American Christian Nationalism) have fueled polarization and anti-intellectualism.

4. Nationalism and Religious Extremism

   • Christianity has been co-opted by nationalist and fascist regimes:
     • Nazi Germany had state-supported Christian movements that fused Christianity with Aryan ideology.
     • Franco’s Spain (1939–1975) and Salazar’s Portugal (1932–1968) used Catholicism to suppress dissent and enforce totalitarianism.
     • Modern Orthodox Christian Nationalism in Russia (under Putin) and Serbia has fueled ethno-religious conflicts.

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REMARKABLE Trends and Paradoxes

1. Christianity as Both an Oppressor and a Liberator

   • Christianity has been used both to justify oppression and to resist it:
     • Pro-slavery theologians argued that slavery was divinely ordained, while abolitionists used the Bible to condemn it.
     • Colonial Christian missionaries imposed Western cultural dominance, yet some indigenous Christian movements resisted colonial rule.
     • Evangelical churches in the U.S. historically defended segregation, yet Black churches were central to the Civil Rights Movement.

2. Christianity’s Enduring Political Adaptability

   • Unlike rigid political ideologies, Christianity has demonstrated remarkable adaptability, aligning with:
     • Medieval feudalism
     • Absolutist monarchies
     • Democratic liberalism
     • Socialist movements
   • The ability to shape-shift has helped Christianity survive and thrive in dramatically different political landscapes.

3. The Ongoing Tension Between the Individual and the Collective

   • Christianity has alternated between communitarian and individualist ethics:
     • Medieval Christendom emphasized communal identity (e.g., parish-based life, sacramental participation).
     • Protestant Reformation and Enlightenment Christianity pushed for individual rights and conscience.
     • Modern Pentecostalism thrives on personal salvation, while Catholic Social Teaching stresses collective social responsibility.

4. Process-Based Theological Innovation as a Potential Future Path

   • Process Theology (e.g., Whiteheadian thought) provides a non-coercive, relational view of governance, emphasizing:
     • Democratic participation
     • Ethical decision-making as an evolving process
     • The interconnectedness of all beings, moving beyond hierarchical or nationalist paradigms.
   • This could offer a way forward in rethinking governance for a globalized, interdependent world.

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FINAL THOUGHTS: LESSONS FROM HISTORY

• Christianity’s fusion with power is always dangerous—whenever it has been too closely tied to political authority, it has harmed human dignity and progress.
• Christianity’s ethical core can be a force for good—when focused on compassion, justice, and human dignity, it has contributed to progressive social change.
• The future of Christian political engagement depends on rejecting coercion—a process-based, relational approach that respects diversity, democracy, and planetary well-being may be Christianity’s best path forward.

Would you like to expand on any of these themes in greater depth?

III

You said:

Perhaps as a final summation, how might processual philosophies assist global faiths and religions towards justice and equality?

ChatGPT said

Processual Philosophies and Their Role in Advancing Justice and Equality in Global Faiths

Process philosophy, particularly in its Whiteheadian form, provides a relational, dynamic, and evolving framework that can help faith traditions move toward greater justice and equality. Unlike static metaphysical systems that anchor religious thought in fixed dogmas or hierarchical structures, process-based philosophies emphasize becoming over being, relationality over absolutism, and participation over coercion. Below is a final summation of how process-oriented thought can aid global religions in their pursuit of justice and equality.

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1. A Theology of Relationality and Interdependence

• Process philosophy insists that all entities are in a constant state of relational becoming—no being exists in isolation.
• This decentralizes hierarchical power structures within religions, fostering participatory ethics where faith communities listen, evolve, and respond dynamically to human needs.
• Practical Outcome: Instead of top-down theological decrees, faith traditions would emphasize inclusive dialogue, mutual flourishing, and shared decision-making, making justice a lived, collective practice.

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2. Moving Beyond Dualisms and Exclusive Truth Claims

• Traditional theological systems often rely on dualistic binaries: sacred/secular, good/evil, believer/non-believer. These have historically been used to justify exclusion and inequality (e.g., colonial Christianity, caste-based religious systems, religious nationalism).
• Process thought deconstructs rigid oppositions and instead sees reality as a continuum of experiences, possibilities, and perspectives.
• Practical Outcome: A shift from "one true way" theology to an open-ended, evolving faith that respects multiple pathways to truth and fosters interreligious cooperation rather than competition.

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3. Ethics as a Dynamic, Evolving Process

• Process philosophy does not treat ethics as static (e.g., divine command theory) but as a responsive, adaptive engagement with the world.
• Justice is not a fixed decree but a continuous moral negotiation informed by lived experience, changing social conditions, and deeper wisdom traditions.
• Practical Outcome: Religions could move away from legalistic or retributive ethics (e.g., rigid moral codes) and embrace restorative, context-driven justice systems that prioritize healing over punishment.

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4. Expanding Divine Presence from Hierarchy to Immanence

• Process panentheism (the idea that God is in all things and all things are in God) allows for a non-coercive, participatory divine presence that works with creation rather than ruling over it.
• This removes the justification for religious authoritarianism—if God is immanent in all beings, then all beings possess inherent dignity, making oppressive hierarchies illegitimate.
• Practical Outcome: A theology of cosmic equality that could dismantle patriarchal, racial, caste, or class-based religious structures, replacing them with a deep commitment to shared human dignity.

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5. Decentering Power and Rethinking Leadership

• Many religious institutions have centralized power structures (e.g., the Papacy, Islamic caliphates, evangelical megachurch hierarchies) that reproduce inequalities.
• Process theology suggests that power should not be monopolized but relationally distributed in ways that foster co-creation and mutual empowerment.
• Practical Outcome: Faith traditions could adopt more democratic, decentralized governance models, ensuring women, marginalized communities, and lay participants have a voice.

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6. Interfaith Solidarity and Pluralism

• If reality itself is open-ended and processual, then no single religious tradition can claim an absolute, unchanging grasp of divine truth.
• This makes dialogue, cooperation, and pluralism not just ethical imperatives but ontological necessities.
• Practical Outcome: Faith traditions could unite around shared concerns—climate justice, human rights, economic fairness—rather than doctrinal differences, shifting from conversionist mindsets to co-liberation.

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7. The Ethical Imperative of Ecological Justice

• Process thought expands moral consideration beyond humans, recognizing the interconnectedness of all life forms.
• A process-based theology rejects anthropocentrism and calls for a deep ecological ethic that respects planetary systems.
• Practical Outcome: Religious traditions would prioritize environmental responsibility, moving from dominion-based stewardship to cooperative, reciprocal kinship with nature.

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8. Eschatology as Transformation, Not Escape

• Many traditional religious eschatologies focus on apocalyptic finality (heaven/hell, end-times judgment, divine intervention).
• Process theology envisions an open future, where divine action is persuasive rather than coercive, working through human and ecological participation to bring about justice.
• Practical Outcome: This would inspire long-term activism and commitment to improving the world rather than resigning to fatalistic end-times thinking.

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Final Vision: A Process-Oriented Global Faith Ecology

• Rather than seeing religious traditions as competing dogmas, process theology invites faiths into a larger, evolving cosmic narrative where they co-create justice, equality, and sustainability together.
• Justice becomes not a rigid law imposed from above, but a creative, relational unfolding of harmony among all beings.
• Instead of seeking certainty, religions would embrace participation in the Great Becoming, knowing that truth emerges through shared, ongoing co-creation with the divine.

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Concluding Thought

A processual framework provides global faiths and religions with a non-coercive, relational, and pluralistic path toward justice and equality—one that moves away from exclusivity and dominance and instead embraces interconnectedness, transformation, and mutual flourishing.

Would you like to explore practical applications of these ideas in specific religious or political contexts?

You said:

Wow. Love it. Thank you. Pls save as "Christianity and Political Philosophy." Cya

ChatGPT said

You're very welcome! I've saved the discussion under "Christianity and Political Philosophy." Looking forward to our next conversation. Take care!

A History of Christian Governance

A History of Christian Governance <-- the capstone to all below (esp read part III)

Part 2 - Jesus' Empire of Love v Maga's Empire of Hate <--Examining Maga Beliefs, Part 2

Part 1 - Maga-Evangelicalism's Unloving Doctrines of God and People <--Examining Maga Beliefs, Part 1

The Evolution of God: From Polytheism to Monotheism <-- Divine Revelation in Process

The Rise of the Catholic Right

The Christian Right of the 1980s

Constitutional Democratic Governance Using Whitehead's Process Approach, Part 5 (Conclusion)

Constitutional Democratic Governance - Connolly and Process, Part 4

Constitutional Democratic Governance - 5 Dissenting Political Voices, Part 3

Constitutional Democratic Governance vs Maga-Trumpism's NeoLiberal Rule, Part 2

Constitutional Democratic Governance vs Maga-Trumpism's NeoLiberal Rule, Part 1

Searching for Bonhoeffer: "The Rise of Bonehoeffer"

Pastor Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer

EPISODE 01: Searching for Bonhoeffer

The Rise of Bonehoeffer Podcast

Sep 17, 2024Join Dr. Jeffrey Pugh & Dr. Tripp Fuller as they delve into the complex life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The story flashes forward to a powerful juxtaposition: on February 1, 1933, two days after Hitler became Chancellor, both men addressed Germany. Hitler promised to restore national pride, while Bonhoeffer warned against creating an idol out of a leader. How did Bonhoeffer come to see the Nazi threat while so many others didn't? This episode begins the story by turning to his early life, his burgeoning critiques of National Socialism, and how his family, education, and travels deeply influenced his evolving theology. Discover how Bonhoeffer's early liberal theological perspectives, grappling with German nationalism, eventually led him to challenge authoritarianism and develop a profound ethical and theological stance against the Nazi regime.

Want to learn more about Bonhoeffer? Join our open online companion class, The Rise of Bonhoeffer, and get access to full interviews from the Bonhoeffer scholars, participate in deep-dive sessions with Tripp and Jeff, unpack curated readings from Bonhoeffer, send in your questions, and join the online community of fellow Bonhoeffer learners. The class is donation-based.

• You can get more info here: www.RiseOfBonhoeffer.com
• Check out the Newsletter: www.ProcessThis.substack.com
• Follow the podcast here: www.BonhoefferPodcast.com

Featured Scholars in the Episode include:

Victoria J. Barnett served from 2004-2014 as one of the general editors of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, the English translation series of Bonhoeffer's complete works. She has lectured and written extensively about the Holocaust, particularly about the role of the German churches. In 2004 she began directing the Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum until her retirement.

Andrew Root is Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of more than twenty books, including Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker: A Theological Vision for Discipleship and Life Together, Faith Formation in a Secular Age, The Pastor in a Secular Age, The Congregation in a Secular Age, Churches and the Crisis of Decline, The Church after Innovation, and The End of Youth Ministry? He is a frequent speaker and hosts the popular and influential When Church Stops Working podcast.

Robert Vosloo is professor in Systematic theology at the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and a senior researcher at the Beyers Naudé Center for Public Theology at the same institution. His most recent book is entitled Reforming Memory: Essays on South African Church and Theological History.

Gary Dorrien is Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University. He is also the author of Anglican Identities: Logos Idealism, Imperial Whiteness, Commonweal Ecumenism, Social Ethics in the Making: Interpreting an American Tradition, American Democratic Socialism and In a Post-Hegelian Spirit: Philosophical Theology as Idealistic Discontent.

Who Is Dietrich Bonhoeffer?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer remains one of the 20th century's greatest theologians and witnesses to radical faith. He was a German pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident, and key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential, and his book The Cost of Discipleship has been described as a modern classic.

Apart from his theological writings, Bonhoeffer was known for his staunch resistance to Nazi dictatorship, including vocal opposition to Hitler's euthanasia program and genocidal persecution of the Jews. He was arrested in April 1943 by the Gestapo and imprisoned at Tegel prison and later Flossenbürg concentration camp. After being accused of being associated with the July 20th plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, he was quickly tried and then hanged on April 9, 1945 as the Nazi regime was collapsing, 21 days before Adolf Hitler committed suicide.

REGISTER FOR THE CLASS!

ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS: You can participate fully without being present at any specific time. Replays are available on the Class Resource Page.

COST: A course like this is typically offered for $250 or more, but we invite you to contribute whatever you can (including $0) to help make this possible for everyone!

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AI Overview

Dialectical theology is a Protestant theological approach that emphasizes the difference between God and humans; and that God is unknowable to humans. It's also known as neo-orthodoxy or theology of crisis.

Here are some characteristics of dialectical theology:

• Transcendence of God - Dialectical theology focuses on God's transcendence and the idea that God is beyond human comprehension.

• Opposition between God and humans - Dialectical theology emphasizes the difference between God and humans, and that humans' attempts to overcome this difference are "sin".

• Faith over reason - Dialectical theology holds that God is unknowable to humans through reason, and that faith must replace reason.

• Paradoxical nature of Christian existence - Dialectical theology emphasizes the paradoxes and ambiguities of Christian existence.

• Reaction to liberal theology - Dialectical theology developed after World War I as a reaction against 19th-century liberal theology.

• Reevaluation of Reformation teachings - Dialectical theology re-evaluated the teachings of the Reformation, which had been in decline since the late 18th century.

German theologian Karl Barth introduced dialectical theology in his 1919 Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans.

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AI Overview

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's dialectic theology is based on a number of ideas, including:

Lutheranism
Bonhoeffer's theology is grounded in the objective Word of God in Christ, and he summarized his own view of the human situation as "simul justus et peccator" (both justified and a sinner).

Costly grace
Bonhoeffer differentiated between "cheap grace" and "costly grace" in his book The Cost of Discipleship. "Cheap grace" is the grace that Lutheranism has tended to preach, while "costly grace" demands obedience and true discipleship.

Christology
Bonhoeffer's Christology begins with the assertion of Christ as the authoritative Logos of God. This high Christology allowed him to oppose Nazi policies that violated the command of Christ.

Revelation
Bonhoeffer believed that God's truth is revealed even through fallible words spoken or written by human instruments, such as the apostles.

Church and State
Bonhoeffer believed that Church and State should limit each other in one reality under Christ.

Theology of grace
Bonhoeffer embraced Barth's theology of grace revealed in Jesus Christ as the Word of God.

Dialectical reading of Paul
Bonhoeffer realized that his dialectical reading of Paul was open to abuses, as evident in the Lutheran church of his day.

 

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Study Resources

A Theology of Divine Calling in Light of Karl Barth, A.N. ...
Scholarship @ Claremont
https://scholarship.claremont.edu › viewcontent

by KTC Cheung · 2022 — The theology/philosophy of Karl Barth, A. N. Whitehead, and Meister Eckhart is utilized. They represent three distinctive theological forms: revelational, ...

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Dialectic | Hegelian, Synthesis & Antithesis
Britannica
https://www.britannica.com › ... › Philosophical Issues

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Neoorthodoxy | Definition, Protestantism, History, Key ...
Britannica
https://www.britannica.com › topic › neoorthodoxy

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Dialectic, Philosophy, Ideas - Plato
Britannica
https://www.britannica.com › ... › Philosophers

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Dialectical dualism | religion
Britannica
https://www.britannica.com › topic › dialectical-dualism

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the most significant Protestant theologians of the twentieth century, a legacy sealed by his imprisonment in a German concentration camp and eventual execution. His resistance against Nazism and pivotal role in the Confessing Church movement have been key points of illumination for many on the nature of Christian political witness and action. Millions have been inspired by his rich reflections on the Christian life, especially his beloved works on discipleship and ethics. As a professor, seminary leader, and ecumenical theologian, Bonhoeffer's work also profoundly shaped academic theology, especially systematic theology, and the life of the church.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer WorksReader's Edition Set

Using the acclaimed Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works English translation and adapted to a more accessible format, these new editions of Discipleship, Ethics, Letters and Papers from Prison, and Life Together feature the latest translations of Bonhoeffers works, supplemental material from Victoria J. Barnett, and insightful introductions by Geffrey B. Kelly, Clifford J. Green, and John W. de Gruchy.

Originally published in 1937, Discipleship soon became a classic exposition of what it means to follow Christ in a modern world beset by a dangerous and criminal government.

Life Together gathers Bonhoeffers 1938 reflections on the character of Christian community, based on the common life experienced at the Finkenwalde Seminary and in the Brothers House there.

Ethics embodies the culmination of Dietrich Bonhoeffers theological and personal odyssey and is one of the most important works of Christian ethics of the last century.

Letters and Papers from Prison presents the full array of Bonhoeffers 19431945 prison letters and theological writings, introducing his novel ideas of religionless Christianity, his theological appraisal of Christian doctrines, and his sturdy faith in the face of uncertainty and doubt.

This four-volume set of Bonhoeffers classic works allows all readers to appreciate the cogency and relevance of his vision.

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Karl Barth, 1965

BRITANNICA

World War I to the present - European Lutheranism

At the beginning of the 20th century, European Lutheranism remained divided between liberal and conservative wings. It was also marked by varying degrees of loyalty toward the 16th-century Lutheran confessions. The experience of World War I, which was widely understood by theologians as demonstrating the bankruptcy of optimistic theological liberalism, triggered both a conservative reaction and an interest in interconfessional cooperation.

Most Lutheran theologians followed the general reorientation of Protestant theology away from liberalism and toward a synthesis between religion and culture, theology and philosophy, and faith and science. Known as “dialectic theology” in Europe and “neoorthodoxy” in North America, this movement emphasized the “otherness” of God and the pivotal importance of the Word of God. The key theologian of neoorthodoxy was the Reformed theologian Karl Barth of Germany and Switzerland. As Barth’s theological premises, which related all divine revelation to Jesus Christ, became increasingly clear [other more liberal] Lutheran theologians such as Werner Elert and Paul Althaus developed an analogous conservative Lutheran perspective based on a traditional understanding of Martin Luther’s thought.

The end of World War I also brought the disestablishment of the Lutheran churches as state churches in Germany. The constitution of the Weimar Republic provided for the separation of church and state, though it granted Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches continued modest privileges. Unhappiness with the Weimar Republic, along with the political conservativeness of most Lutheran leaders and Luther’s concept of the orders of creation (see below Church and state), contributed to the acceptance of Nazi notions by many Lutherans when Adolf Hitler became German chancellor in January 1933.

The ensuing crisis in the Lutheran churches in Germany arose as a result of the efforts of one pro-Nazi church, the German Christians (Deutsche Christen), to obtain control of the Lutheran regional synods in Germany. The German Christians propounded a Christianity devoid of any Jewish influence (they rejected the Old Testament and declared Jesus to have been Aryan); they also advocated a single, centralized Protestant church in Germany, an objective that contradicted the long-standing tradition of autonomous regional synods but was subtly supported by the Nazi government.

In 1934 Lutheran church leaders and theologians joined Reformed leaders to form the Pastors’ Emergency League, out of which came the Barmen Declaration (see Barmen, Synod of). This statement affirmed traditional Protestant doctrine and led to the formation of the Confessing Church (Bekennende Kirche), which comprised pastors and congregations loyal to traditional confessional standards. The remainder of the decade was marked by continued theological and political confrontation between the confessionally minded camp and the German Christians. This controversy, known as the German Church Struggle, led a minority of Lutheran church leaders, such as Martin Niemöller, a decorated World War I submarine captain, to question the legitimacy of the Nazi regime; some, including the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, even became active in the anti-Nazi opposition.

By the middle of the 20th century, European Lutheranism continued to enjoy privileged status in several traditionally Lutheran countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Germany). Regular church attendance, however, was declining, and more and more people formally left the church. The number of church members declined slowly during the first three decades of the century, dwindled dramatically in Germany during Nazi rule, and continued to decline through the rest of the century.

The Theology and Ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Zumbro Lutheran Church-Rochester, MN

Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019

Presenter: Professor Lori Brandt,

Hale of Augsburg University