How Bonhoeffer prepared men for ministry

How Bonhoeffer prepared men for ministry August 4, 2015

Bonhoeffer’s underground seminary at Finkenwalde provided a rigorous program for his charges.  They were facing many  perils, and he knew that rigorous training was needed.

Paul House’s chapter 2 in Bonhoeffer’s Seminary Vision details the program.

1. Bonghoeffer trained them in daily habits of Bible reading, meditation, and holy living. They were to read a section of the Old Testament in Hebrew and a section of the New Testament in Greek each day.  The expectation was that they would learn the whole NT in this way and large parts of the OT similarly.  They were also trained in how to use concordances and dictionaries and commentaries.

2. They pledged themselves to brotherhood with one another and obedience to church authorities.

3. They were to learn the confessional traditions of their churches, either Lutheran or Reformed.

4. They faced persecution.  By 1937, just two years after the seminary started, 27 of the students had already spent time in prison.

5. The students were not heroes but ordinary young men.  House says they did not always enjoy the regimen that Bonhoeffer put them through.  They were tempted by position, prestige, patriotism, and desires for normalcy.  “They were not angels masquerading as human beings, and they were not zealots longing for martyrdom.  Overall, one cannot fail to be impressed with their dedication and promise.” (46)

6. Bonhoeffer taught these young men the value of silence.  Each day started and ended with an hour-long service of prayer, singing, and Scripture.  Silence was to be kept before the morning service, so that God’s Word would be the first word heard each day.  A half-hour of silence was to be kept in meditation after each morning service. Some protested this last half-hour, but most came in time to appreciate it.

7. Bonhoeffer mandated regular times of private confession, and set an example by offering his confession to a community member.

Tomorrow: The Cost of Discipleship

 


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