Dietrich Bonheoffer makes a case that religious acts are not Essay

Dietrich Bonheoffer makes a case that religious acts are not necessarily a path to righteousness and salvation - Essay Example Other than that, he wrote to Bethge Eberhard where the prison warders helped to sneak them out of prison and became instrumental in building on the Christian faith. The execution order resulted from his alleged involvement with the Abwehr, which was a military intelligence group that planned to wipe out Hitler’s existence. Over time, Bonhoeffer’s letters have become the subject of debate in which this theologian introduced the ‘religionless Christianity’ where to date there is no concrete meaning to this phrase. With this, this essay will delve into the meaning that Bonhoeffer sought to bring in this letter and discussing on how righteous acts do not necessarily lead to a person’s salvation. II. Arguments surrounding Bonhoeffer thinking Ideally, many questioned Bonhoeffer authority to write about Christianity as he confessed to having been smoking at the time that he was writing the letters from prison. In essence, Bonhoeffer argued that the society had changed into one that associated with ‘religionless Christianity’ as many of those that perceived to be religious did not practice anything that the religious principles required. On the other hand, critics argued that this theologian wrote these letters about religion out of the situation that he was living in at that time as he was living in imprisonment while awaiting execution. However, Bonhoeffer maintained his stand that Christians only relied on the miracles and the blessings to confirm their association with God, but could not do so when faced with challenging situations. In making his arguments solid, Bonhoeffer used two ideologies in which one was the historical ideology while the other was on from the theological perspective (Higgins 83). Many were not in support of his theological ideologies mainly because he participated in the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler despite the fact that this leader had caused too much suffering to the Jews. In many circ les, the interpretations of the letters that Bonhoeffer wrote to his friend have varied partly because of the nature in which he used to communicate his ideologies. III. The interpretation of religious texts in Bonhoeffer’s words To begin with Bonhoeffer intimates that religion had passed on and that was in existence did not portray the true ways that Jesus had called people to follow. As much as religion has lost substance, Bonhoeffer does not mourn of this, but instead welcomes it as a move to establishing true Christian religion. Many Christians only viewed God through the side of being a miracle worker and as one that cannot associate with suffering, which was a concept that was non-binding. According to Bonhoeffer, religion was a way of living and not a new religious concept that had never existed since the time that society started experiencing this relationship with God. However, Bonhoeffer argues that Christians were aware of the requirements of being a Christian, but they deliberately shut them out because they did not sit well with their belief. Further, Bonhoeffer asserts that the existing Christians did not interpret the scriptures as required, but only did so in ways that suited them, but not as Christ would want it. Philosophers had also established a way of interpreting concepts in the bible in a political way in order to suit their