Goddelijk lijden bij Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This article analyzes and evaluates Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s statements about divine suffering, an important theme in his published work through the last of his letters fromprison. The evaluation proceeds from the question: In what sense can we speak aboutdivine suffering? This is followed by conceptual clarification, biblical-theologicalremarks, comments on discussions from the history of theology on patripassionism,theopaschitism and the ‘communicatio idiomatum’. The article concludes that it ispossible to speak about the suffering of God in Christ, because one person of the holyTrinity suffered for us in the flesh (christological theopaschitism), and because Godvoluntarily accepted suffering out of holy love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit(theological theopaschitism). In the light of these conclusions the article evaluatesBonhoeffer’s views, especially failure to make distinctions about the Trinity, and agreesthat Bonhoeffer’s thought about divine suffering enriches Christian theology.