Bonhoeffer on Church

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident whose writings have become widely influential in Christian theology, particularly in aspects of ethics and resistance to injustice.
Bonhoeffer held a complex and nuanced view of the Church, understanding it as both a spiritual and societal entity.
He viewed the Church as the physical manifestation of Christ in the world, referring to it as “Christ existing as community”. As such, he argued that the Church had a responsibility to reflect Christ’s teachings through its actions.
Bonhoeffer challenged the established Church of his time, advocating for ‘religionless Christianity’. He believed that the Church had become too institutionalised and disconnected from the everyday realities of its followers.
Recognising the societal role of the Church, Bonhoeffer contended that the Church was not only meant to comfort the oppressed but also to challenge and combat the oppressor. It was in this spirit that he became involved in the resistance against Nazi Germany.
Bonhoeffer firmly believed in the concept of “costly grace”, arguing that grace should not be taken lightly or without consideration of the cost that Christ paid on the Cross. He contrasted this with the idea of “cheap grace”, which he perceived as the Church’s propensity to forgive without requiring repentance or personal transformation.
His theology of the Church pressed for a community that was socially engaged, ready to suffer, and one that lived out the teachings of Jesus. The living, active Church was symbolised in his term “Stellvertretung” (vicarious representative action), which emphasises embodied faith actions as response to worldly suffering.
Overall, this approach to Church emphasised the importance of action, sacrifice, and a genuine commitment to the principles of Christianity at the personal and communal levels.