Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoefferwas a German Lutheran 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 became a modern classic...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth4 February 1906
CountryGermany
jesus law evil
The right way to requite evil, according to Jesus, is not to resist it. This saying of Christ removes the Church from the sphere of politics and law.
people path petitions
We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions.
hands tools principles
Principles are only tools in the hands of God; they will soon be thrown away when they are no longer useful.
running mean decision
But to procrastinate and prevaricate simply because you're afraid of erring, when others - I mean our brethren in Germany - must make infinitely more difficult decisions every day, seems to me almost to run counter to love. To delay or fail to make decisions may be more sinful than to make wrong decisions out of faith and love.
spiritual sleep should-have
We are silent at the beginning of the day because God should have the first word, and we are silent before going to sleep because the last word also belongs to God.
valentines-day hatred our-love
Love asks nothing in return, but seeks those who need it. And who needs our love more than those who are consumed with hatred and are utterly devoid of love.
night waiting heaven
No one has yet believed in God and the kingdom of heaven, no one has heard about his realm of the resurrected, and not been homesick from that hour, waiting and looking forward joyfully to being released from bodily existenceDeath is hell and night and cold, if it is not transformed by our faith. But that is just what is so marvelous, that we can transform death.
reality world tasks
One's task is not to turn the world upside down, but to do what is necessary at the given place and with a due consideration of reality.
blessing opportunity goodness
Possessions are not God's blessing and goodness, but the opportunities of service which he entrusts to us.
grace christianity monastic-life
Monastic life thus became a living protest against the secularization of Christianity, against the cheapening of grace.
christian prayer character
Prayer is the supreme instance of the hidden character of the Christian life.
christian hatred enemy
Christian love draws no distinction between one enemy and another, except that the more bitter our enemy's hatred, the greater his need of love.
prayer school great-schools
The Psalter is the great school of prayer.
want neighbor goodness
If you want my goodness to stay with you then serve your neighbor, for that is where God comes to you.