A teleological interpretation of Bonhoeffer’s concept of “A World Come of Age”
Abstract
This paper explores Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s concept of “the nonreligious interpretation
of biblical terms in a world come of age,” best known from his Letters and
Papers from Prison (LPP). As a case study of its possibilities, we will survey South
African thinkers who have explored the concept in rapidly changing contexts.
Our leading question is whether academic theology can develop a teleological
narrative for a nation that has “come of age.” When a nation or culture becomes
so secular that it “outgrows” a traditional use of biblical terms, can those terms
be reinterpreted to provide a teleological narrative for the nation? Bonhoeffer
can be a resource for academic theologians to address issues in public theology,
especially the suffering and oppression of communities still in pain despite
a democratic system.