Ethics, repackaged edition

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influentialSamuel Wells is a noted Anglican writer, scholar and priest. Ordained in the Church of England, he is current the Vicar of St-Martin's-in-the-Fields, London. He is the author of several acclaimed books.

• Foreword by Samuel Wells ixStations on the Way to Freedom xvPART ONE 1I THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE DECAY OF THE WORLD 3The World of Conflicts 3Shame 5Shame and Conscience 8The World of Recovered Unity 10The Pharisee 10Proving 18Doing 22Love 26II THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD 31The Total and Exclusive Claim of Christ 32Christ and Good People 34III ETHICS AS FORMATION 38The Theoretical Ethicist and Reality 38Ecce Homo! 42The Despiser of Men 43The Successful Man 46The Idolization of Death 48Conformation 49The Concrete Place 53inheritance and decay 56guilt, justification and renewal 71The Confession of Guilt 71Justification and the Healing of the Wound 76IV THE LAST THINGS AND THE THINGS BEFORE THE LAST 79Justification as the Last Word 79The Penultimate 83The Preparing of the Way 89the natural 96Natural Life 100Suum cuique 102The Right to Bodily Life 105Suicide 112Reproduction and Nascent Life 117The Freedom of Bodily Life 125The Natural Rights of the Life of the Mind 127V CHRIST, REALITY AND GOOD 129(Christ, the Church and the World)The Concept of Reality 129Thinking in Terms of Two Spheres 134The Four Mandates 143VI HISTORY AND GOOD 148Good and Life 148the structure of responsible life 155Deputyship 155Correspondence with Reality 157The World of Things – Pertinence – Statecraft 163The Acceptance of Guilt 167Conscience 168Freedom 173the place of responsibility 177Vocation 177VII THE ‘ETHICAL’ AND THE ‘CHRISTIAN’ AS A THEME 184The Warrant for Ethical Discourse 184The Commandment of God 194the concrete commandment and the divine mandates 200The Concept of the Mandate 202The Commandment of God in the Church 205PART TWO 213I THE DOCTRINE OF THE PRIMUS USUS LEGIS ACCORDING TO THE LUTHERAN SYMBOLIC WRITINGS 2151. The Concept and its Usefulness 2152. The Theological Justification for the Doctrine 2163. Interest in the Concept 2174. Definition 2175. Contents 2186. Its Purpose 2197. Means of Execution 2208. The Proclaimer 2219. The Hearer 22110. The Primus Usus and the Gospel 22111. Some Deductions and Questions 22312. Critique of the Doctrine of Usus in the Lutheran Symbolic Writings 226II ‘PERSONAL’ AND ‘REAL’ ETHOS 2281. Personal or Real Ethos? 2282. The New Testament 223. The Symbolic Writings 2324. Some Criticisms of Dilschneider’s Thesis 2325. Systematic Considerations Concerning the Assertions Which Christian Ethics May Make With Regard to Secular Institutions 233III STATE AND CHURCH 2371. The Concepts Involved 2372. The Basis of Government 238A. In the Nature of Man 238B. In Sin 239C. In Christ 2403. The Divine Character of Government 242A. In its Being 242B. In its Task 243C. In its Claim 2454. Government and the Divine Institutions in the World 2465. Government and Church 247A. Government’s Claim on the Church 248B. The Church’s Claim on Government 248C. The Ecclesiastical Responsibility of Government 249D. The Political Responsibility of the Church 250E. Conclusions 2516. The Church and the Form of the State 252IV ON THE POSSIBILITY OF THE WORD OF THE CHURCH TO THE WORLD 254V WHAT IS MEANT BY ‘TELLING THE TRUTH’? 261INDEXESNames 271Subjects 273Biblical References 277References to the Lutheran Symbolic Writings 281