On October 11th, Roots will kick off a new and timely teaching series called “Spoke in the Wheel: Dietrich Bonhoeffer & Kingdom Allegiance.”
In 1933, Dietrich Bonhoeffer delivered a lecture to a group of pastors who were uneasy about the way the German state was exercising its power, but were “good Lutherans” and so did not speak out.
“Dietrich mentioned three possibilities of church action towards the state: ‘In the first place it can ask the state whether its actions are legitimate and in accordance with its character as state, i.e., it can throw the state back on its responsibilities. Secondly, it can aid the victims of state action. The church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community. The third possibility is not just to bandage the victims under the wheel, but to put a spoke in the wheel itself.’ “ (Spoke in the Wheel, p.68)
In this series, we will examine the life and theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer as well as its import for followers of Jesus in the U.S. today—particularly in light of the present administration and the current election year.
What wisdom do Jesus, the Scriptures, and Bonhoeffer’s life offer us today?
What do Jesus-centered politics look like?
What does it mean to do justice in an unjust world?
We’ll explore these questions and many more.