Bonhoeffer and the Idea of Christian Humanism

Abstract Chapter 1 prepares the ground for depicting Bonhoeffer’s theology as a form of Christian humanism. This preparatory work begins by delineating Bonhoeffer’s own initially negative use of the term humanism for all forms of thought that fail to acknowledge human beings’ radical need for God’s transforming grace: ancient Greek philosophy, secular humanism, and secular Protestantism. Even the later Bonhoeffer’s more positive attitude toward humanism remains ambivalent, resulting in the contrast between his rhetorical use of the term and the actual agreement of his theology with the substance of Christian Humanism as defined by the Christian tradition. The remainder of the chapter engages European cultural history to contextualize Bonhoeffer’s theology in light of Christian humanisms (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) and secular or existentialist humanisms of his time.