Preserving and Redeeming the Penultimate Through Healthcare:
A Theological Foundation as visualised through the dual lens of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Albert Schweitzer.

Abstract

The Church in England has withdrawn from healthcare in a way that it has not withdrawn from education. This raises the question as to whether there are theological reasons why healthcare should be seen as an important part of the mission of the Church. In answering this question, I have examined the relationship between the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the theology and praxis of Albert Schweitzer and assessed how that relationship might play into the twenty-first century debate on the role of the Church and healthcare, particularly in terms of the preservation and redemption of the penultimate; the penultimate being our present reality. In Bonhoeffer’s words, it is ‘all that precedes the ultimate’ and is where ‘Jesus lets human reality exist’. Central to the work of both Bonhoeffer and Schweitzer are shared questions regarding the value of Christianity to the modern world and an emphasis on the practical application of the tenets of Christianity to improve the life of humankind. This shared philosophy links Schweitzer’s work with Bonhoeffer’s focus on the importance of redeeming the penultimate, the combination having a natural affinity with the work and raison d’étre of healthcare and thereby making the work of Schweitzer and Bonhoeffer pertinent today. Furthermore, if ‘being human’ is to be revered amidst questions around artificial intelligence, transhumanism and the posthuman, the ethical work of Bonhoeffer and Schweitzer assumes increased importance. Through the dual lens of their work, this research reveals the possibility of re-envisioning the praxis of healthcare as theologically central to the mission of the Church.