Dietrich Bonhoeffer and a Theology of the Exception

Engaging with the many debates about the meaning and character of Bonhoeffer''s late resistance theology and action, particularly as it relates to his participation in the attempted coup d''etat against Hitler, this book attends to Bonhoeffer''s understanding of the exception. Resisting the common reduction of the exception to a political or ethical concept, O''Farrell argues that the exception for Bonhoeffer is an extraordinary moment in history that disarms persons, impinging on one''s understanding of politics and ethics. Through a wide engagement with the Bonhoeffer corpus, this book claims that this leads to distinctive narrations of key concepts in Bonhoeffer''s corpus: responsibility, the free venture, simple obedience, and action beyond the law. It also offers a different portrait of Bonhoeffer to contemporary narrations. The Bonhoeffer that emerges is neither a Niebuhrian realist, a pacifist, or a religious fanatic, but one who is impelled to act apart from the law without this action becoming arbitrary. This Bonhoeffer provides a hopeful political witness that seeks a world beyond the conflicts and divisions of this age.>

Préface
Examines the idea of the exception for Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which is a moment in history that befalls a person whereby God liberates them for a free response that participates in the emergence of new political and moral formations beyond the determinations of this age.

Auteur
Kevin O'Farrell is Director of Theological Education & Engagement at Joni and Friends, USA.

Contenu
Introduction Chapter One: Bonhoeffer and the Exception in Contemporary Theology Chapter Two: Reading Bonhoeffer's Life and Thought: Hermeneutical Questions Chapter Three: Bonhoeffer on History and the Moment Chapter Four: Reading the Exception in History and Good [2] Chapter Five: The Politics of Extraordinary Freedom Chapter Six: The Dismantling, Reconciliation, and Future of the Law Conclusion Bibliography Index