Bonhoeffer’s [pacifism] is intrinsic to his whole theology. It cannot be separated from his Christology, his understanding of discipleship and the Sermon on the Mount, his way of reading the Bible, and his understanding of the gospel and of the church. It belongs to the heart of his faith. Accordingly, it cannot be reduced to a principle. It is not a discrete option on a menu of ethical “positions.” It is not a separate interchangeable part that can be removed from his theology and replaced by something else called, perhaps, “realism,” or even “responsibility.” His [pacifism] is woven
...more
