The Relationship between Christological Ideas of Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Ethics

This essay explores the relationship between the Christological ideas of Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer on ethics. The similarities and differences in their viewpoints are assessed.

Running head: THEOLOGY TODAY
Theology Today
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Introduction
The purpose of the following essay is to determine the relationship between the
Christological ideas of Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the grounds of ethics. Both the
theologians have discussed upon the relevance on different themes of Chritian theology over the
years. The similarities and differences in their viewpoints would be assessed in this essay.
Views of Karl Barth
According to the ethics of Karl Barth, the main factor is the command of the omnipotent
God. Karl Barth had taught all the human beings that the human experience in this earth is only
the reflection of the words by God. He had felt some issues while he studied the Bible. He
observed a ‘strange new world’ while he believed that the right and just thoughts about the
human beings formed the content of the Bible (Mangina, 2017). He had been a regular critic of
the liberal theology. Barth had opined in favor of the transcendence of God above completely
contrary to the theology based on the human beings (Burgess, 2017).
In the opinion of Barth, there has always been a crisis between the theological views
between the God and humanity. This is why theology of crisis and dialectical theology has come
to existence. Barth had also gave the emphasis on predicting the life of faith in God so the human
beings could avoid the clash between the Godly faith and human thoughts (Mangina, 2017).
Barth has also provided views on the theological aspects by saying that there are generally three
modes like the Holy Jesus Christ, His messages though the Scriptures and the preaching of
Church from the Holy Scriptures.

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Views of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer has also been one of the best theologians of his period. The sort of
teaching that Dietrich Bonhoeffer practiced has been very much influential for all the people
within the Christian community. The works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer has shaped the mindset of the
people following Christianity in a different manner than the common things (Godsey, 2015). The
things Dietrich Bonhoeffer has said reflects the post-Christian age where the ethical issues and
political facts will not be determined by the religious beliefs (Pangritz, 2018).
This is why it can be called as the ‘religionless age’. The people who believe in this
theory have shown no difference than the people unbelieving of the Christian values and norms.
He had questioned on the implications of Christian ethics and the relevance of the Jesus Christ in
the current times. This is why he had been judged as a person with the devilish thoughts and he
had been confined solitarily in Berlin. He assumed that there has been no such thing as
religionless Christianity and he wanted to see Jesus Christ not as the omnipotent God but as the
living human being who is the Lord of all his subjects (Pangritz, 2018).
Conclusion
This paper can be concluded by saying that the ideas of Dietrich Bonhoeffer are more
precious standing in the 21st Century as religions have drawn a barrier between the different
communities. As Barth has stressed on the Divine things than putting more importance on human
beings, the ideas of Dietrich Bonhoeffer seem to be more valuable.

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References
Burgess, A. (2017). The Ascension in Karl Barth. Routledge.
Godsey, J. D. (2015). The Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Mangina, J. L. (2017). Karl Barth: Theologian of Christian Witness. Routledge.
Pangritz, A. (2018). Karl Barth in the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Wipf and Stock
Publishers.