In this program, the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer is discussed with special attention focused on what we might learn today from his opposition to Hitler. In 1930, the young scholar arrived in the United States to study at New York’s Union Theological Seminary. This introduction to America exposed him to racism and social injustices that existed especially towards African-Americans. Interestingly, this experience led later to his deeper awareness of Hitler’s attacks on Jews which, Bonhoeffer explained, was not an attack on one’s religious faith but rather “race.”
Bonhoeffer’s work reminds us that it only took a few months for Germany to go from being a democracy to becoming a fascist state. Here in the United States, as concern grows that the institutions and guardrails that gird our democracy are under threat, Bonhoeffer’s warnings deserve a revisit.
Dr. Larry Rasmussen, a longtime resident of Santa Fe, and professor emeritus of social ethics at Union Theological Seminary, discusses with Forum co-hosts Talitha Arnold and Peter Smith the lessons we should take from Bonhoeffer.
Hosts: Peter Smith & Talitha Arnold
Guest: Dr. Larry Rasmussen, professor emeritus of social ethics, Union Theological Seminary