Life Together Published by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Life Together Published by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Life Together is a book published in 1938 by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that captures his reflections on the nature of the Christian community based on his experiences as a theologian and pastor at the underground Finkenwalde Seminary. Although the Gestapo clamped down on the theological college before long, Bonhoeffer, deeply moved by the authentic communal life, chose to write a book that described the nature of the Christian community. In Life Together, he posits that the communal life of Christians is not ideal but a divine reality and is unified through and in Jesus Christ. The book's central theme is that despite the imperfections of everyone, the Christian is an excellent resource to his brethren as they communally work to spread the message of salvation, which, the author argues, is the ultimate objective of all Christian communities. This essay will provide an analysis of Bonhoeffer’s work, including the historical context and bibliography details about the author’s life and how these, together with other factors, contribute to a proper understanding of the document. It argues that the physical presence of other Christians is a reality and gift by God to pursue Christ as a body of believers.
The book describes the nature of communal life using five concepts, each given a chapter: Community, The Day with Others, The Day Alone, Ministry, and Confession and Communion. In the first chapter, Bonhoeffer argues that Christians should pursue Christ as a community since every believer is bound to one another in and through Christ. However, he warns against idealizing the community as a world of great social experiences by admitting that man's sinful nature makes it inherently messy. Bonhoeffer advises his readers to view the Christian community as a gift of grace and refrain from critiquing their Church since communal life is not founded on common strengths or preferences but on the sincere desire to fellowship together as followers of Christ. He then proceeds to explain how believers should spend their day with others by debating the practical displays of this communion. He recommends that Christians pray, sing, and read the scripture together, not just for themselves but for the fellowship of all Christians.
After discussing what an authentic communal life looks like, Bonhoeffer turns his focus on the individual by outlining several personal spiritual disciplines like meditation, solitude, and prayer. Although he calls on believers to commune with others, he asserts that private devotion is central to appreciating the community. The author makes repeated warnings about the believer "who enters the community of Christians with his demands, sets up his law, and judges the brethren and God Himself accordingly" (Bonhoeffer, 2015; pg. 28). In order not to set unreasonable expectations of communal life and truly preserve it, Bonhoeffer recommends spending time alone meditating on the scripture and praying for our own needs as well as those of our Christian brethren. The fourth chapter is devoted to the Christian community's religious aspect, particularly believers' oneness and interdependency. He considers the most critical ministries in the Church to include: listening to one...