Friends with a Mandate: Friendship and Family in Bonhoeffers Ecclesiology
Several social and cultural developments have led to a rethinking of the place and meaning of friendship within the life of the Church, not least its relation to family (and marriage). Dietrich Bonhoeffers theology has great potential for informing such renewed reflection. At face value, he appears...
Published in: | Studies in Christian ethics |
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Main Author: | |
Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Sage
[2017]
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In: |
Studies in Christian ethics
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IxTheo Classification: | KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history NBN Ecclesiology NCA Ethics |
Further subjects: | B
Vicarious role
B Friendship B Church B Bonhoeffer B Ecclesiology B Family B VICARIOUS atonement (Theology) B Families B mandates B Social Development |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | Several social and cultural developments have led to a rethinking of the place and meaning of friendship within the life of the Church, not least its relation to family (and marriage). Dietrich Bonhoeffers theology has great potential for informing such renewed reflection. At face value, he appears to count both Church and family among the divine mandates, leaving friendship to a realm of freedom outside the mandates. Yet closer reading of his writingsnot least his correspondence with Bethgereveals, first, a more singular role of the Church vis-à-vis the mandates (including family); and secondly, congeniality between friendship and the vicarious representative practices that lie at the heart of Bonhoeffers ecclesiology. Together, these findings allow us to recognise family and friendship as complementary expressions of discipleship, each supporting the other precisely by setting a limit to the specific type of vicarious representative responsibility entrusted to each. |
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ISSN: | 0953-9468 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Studies in Christian ethics
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0953946817693586 |