The Responsibility of Doctrine: Bonhoeffer’s Ecclesiological Hermeneutics of Dogmatic Theology

Abstract

Amidst uncertainty as to the place of doctrinal theology in the academy and its role in civil public discourse, the basic question of the nature and significance of dogmatics has acquired new urgency. This article discusses how Bonhoeffer’s interpretation and use of dogmatics can inspire contemporary doctrinal theology. Four elements of Bonhoeffer’s position seem particularly promising for continuing reflection upon the hermeneutics and function of Christian doctrine: his emphasis on the contextual character of doctrine, his stress upon the responsibility of doctrine in and for the church, his criticism of systematic thinking, and his appeal to christology as a resource for widening the horizon of doctrine.