Issue 1: Civil Disobedience

• parallels between Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King - empathy, solidarity
• Obedience to Christ stands above laws and responsibilities of citizenship
• Luke 9:57-62- a man has to bury his father (legal responsibility) but Jesus says 'let the dead bury the dead'
• Reason, conscience, responsibility and piety are obstacles to 'single minded obedience'
• mark 2:41- Jesus calls his discipleship and they follow him.
• Duty to authorities- civil disobedience justified when they are working against the interest of State
• doing nothing in the face of evil as bad as doing evil
• spoke out against Nazi ideas in the university
• its not always clear when authorities are sufficiently working against the interests of the state to justify disobedience.
• Bible is clear that we should obey the state authorities
• civil disobedience= leads to greater harm
• common life together- reduces the risk of distorting the Bible
• Bonhoeffer did not encourage distorted views of God's will