The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer understood Western civilization to be approaching a completely religionless age to which Christians must respond and adapt.
This book explores Bonhoeffer's own response to this challenge--his concept of a religionless Christianity--and its place in his broader theology.
It does this, first, by situating the concept in a present-day Western socio-historical context.
It then considers Bonhoeffer's understanding and critique of religion, before examining the religionless Christianity of his final months in the light of his earlier Christ-centred theology.
The place of mystery, paradox, and wholeness in Bonhoeffer's thinking is also given careful attention, and non-religious interpretation is taken seriously as an ongoing task.
The book aspires to present religionless Christianity as a lucid and persuasive contemporary theology; and does this always in the presence of the question which inspired Bonhoeffer's theological journey from its academic beginnings to its very deliberately lived end--the question Who is Jesus Christ?About the Author Peter Hooton works for the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture on Charles Sturt University's Canberra campus.