Bonhoeffer and Contemporary Philosophy

Abstract

How does Bonhoeffer view the relation between philosophy and theology? To what extent is his own theology shaped by philosophical thought? Moreover, how do the major themes of Bonhoeffer’s theological work relate to concerns of contemporary philosophy? These are the questions addressed in this chapter. Given Bonhoeffer’s training in and proclivity to continental philosophy, we will focus on the phenomenological tradition in general and on personalism and hermeneutics in particular. As it turns out, Bonhoeffer’s Christological starting point in the incarnation offers important insights for contemporary ethical philosophy (Lévinas) and postmodern hermeneutical thinkers (Derrida, Kearney, Caputo, and Vattimo).