Bonhoeffer, Jews and Anti-Nazi Resistance : A Secular History

The Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer rejected Nazi racism but his political resistance was flawed. Bonhoeffer neglected the principle of equality under secular law. And his ambivalence towards Jews risked exposing them to increased dangers. The dilemma was that Bonhoeffer's faith stirred his anti-Nazism but also set its limits.

The Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer courageously resisted the Nazi regime. Yet, while inspired by sincere faith, his resistance was also politically short-sighted. In this study, Douglas G. Morris explores how Bonhoeffer's fear of the regime's assault on Christianity led him to neglect the liberal democratic value of equal justice under law. While opposing Nazi racism against Jews, Bonhoeffer always believed that they must eventually convert. Scorning Hitler's rule as godless, Bonhoeffer imagined in its place a secular government under Christ that was authoritarian, hierarchical, and anti-egalitarian. Thus, Bonhoeffer had little to offer Jews, other marginalised groups, or political dissenters. Based on a careful probing of extensive secondary literature and a meticulous analysis of Bonhoeffer's own writing, this study demonstrates how his faith both inspired his anti-Nazism and constrained his political understanding.