Costly Following: A Study on Christological Formation Guided by Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Poetry

Abstract

This project explores how Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s poetry can serve as a useful resource for contesting modern escapism, offering my Christian community a renewed vision for lived theology. While there are many approaches to addressing this prevalent concern within the church, my own method is grounded in the poetic voice of this faithful witness, helping to name four distinct Christological stations that address the prevailing sanctification gap between one’s initial conversion and ultimate journey to heaven. My research provides a comprehensive analysis of Bonhoeffer’s poem, “Stations on the Road to Freedom.” Specifically, the four stanzas—discipline, action, suffering, and death—are placed in conversation with Christ’s mandate to follow in Mark 8:34-35. A Christian education curriculum is developed by examining the way each stanza illustrates how to live out this imperative command of Christ. Accordingly, my thesis argues that Bonhoeffer’s poetry offers my community a revitalized incarnational pattern for lived theology.