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Creative Disobedience
Unquestioning obedience--in politics, religion, and gender roles--leads to disaster. But how are we to overcome these pernicious traditions without hurtling toward anarchy and antinomianism? In this updated edition of a classic text, theologian Dorothee Solle examines historical patterns of obedience and oppression and suggests a model of timeless "creative disobedience" that leads to liberation for all. Appealing to the figure of Jesus, whose earthly ministry was marked by submission to the will of God, not to oppressive institutions, Solle reminds us that this kind of revolutionary response is required of all of us. She offers a revealing account of her own evolution as a female scholar searching for the meaning of God--a search that led not to a rejection of her faith, but to the theological justification of faithful and creative disobedience.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
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172 people want to read
About the author
Dorothee Sölle
99 books47 followersDorothee Steffensky-Sölle was a German liberation theologian and writer.
Sölle studied theology, philosophy and literature at the University of Cologne. She became active in politics, speaking out against the Vietnam War, the arms race of the Cold War and injustices in the developing world. Notably, from 1968 to 1972 she organized Cologne's Politisches Nachtgebet (political night-prayers). Between 1975 and 1987, she spent six months a year at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where she was a professor of systematic theology.
She wrote a large number of books, including Theology for Skeptics: Reflections on God, The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance (2001) and her autobiography Against the Wind: Memoir of a Radical Christian (1999). In Beyond Mere Obedience: Reflections on a Christian Ethic for the Future she coined the term "Christofascist" to describe fundamentalists. Perhaps her best-known work in English was Suffering, which offers a critique of "Christian masochism" and "theological sadism." Sölle's critique is against the assumption that God is all-powerful and the cause of suffering; humans thus suffer for some greater purpose. Instead, God suffers and is powerless alongside us. Humans are to struggle together against oppression, sexism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of authoritarianism.
"I believe in God who created the world has not done such a thing that always must remain, not the ruled by eternal laws, which are immutable, not by natural systems of rich and poor, experts and uninformed, rulers and extradited. I believe in God, who wants the appeal of living and the change in all states through our work, our policy".
Sölle studied theology, philosophy and literature at the University of Cologne. She became active in politics, speaking out against the Vietnam War, the arms race of the Cold War and injustices in the developing world. Notably, from 1968 to 1972 she organized Cologne's Politisches Nachtgebet (political night-prayers). Between 1975 and 1987, she spent six months a year at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where she was a professor of systematic theology.
She wrote a large number of books, including Theology for Skeptics: Reflections on God, The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance (2001) and her autobiography Against the Wind: Memoir of a Radical Christian (1999). In Beyond Mere Obedience: Reflections on a Christian Ethic for the Future she coined the term "Christofascist" to describe fundamentalists. Perhaps her best-known work in English was Suffering, which offers a critique of "Christian masochism" and "theological sadism." Sölle's critique is against the assumption that God is all-powerful and the cause of suffering; humans thus suffer for some greater purpose. Instead, God suffers and is powerless alongside us. Humans are to struggle together against oppression, sexism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of authoritarianism.
"I believe in God who created the world has not done such a thing that always must remain, not the ruled by eternal laws, which are immutable, not by natural systems of rich and poor, experts and uninformed, rulers and extradited. I believe in God, who wants the appeal of living and the change in all states through our work, our policy".
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 13, 2019
Oh that I had found this book 20 or 25 years sooner! Beautiful punchy intense interrogation of the perils of centering “obedience” in (Christian) god-talk / theology. I especially loved her very Adorno-esque insistence that any theology that fails to respond to Auschwitz has thereby delegitimized itself. I’ve never seen such a compact and powerful critique of pat, self-satisfied old-school Christian theology.
Quite inspiring. So excited to read more of her work.
Quite inspiring. So excited to read more of her work.
August 12, 2018
The main thesis of Sölle’s book is that the long-standing approach to theology has been based on an authoritarian obedience model that leads to dangerous outcomes. If our service to God and our obedience to the church and the Bible remains heavily steeped in an unthinking authoritarianism, it not only leads to an unfulfilling Christian life and the practice of oppression in the church, this mindset can be hijacked by the secular powers as well. Sölle sees unquestioning obedience to “proper” authority as having lead to the Nazi regime and the holocaust in Germany, and it continues to drive the oppression of individuals in society, whether they be women, racial minorities or the poor.
Sölle suggests that an alternative way of approaching the Christian life is from a position of self-awareness or self-fulfillment, the justification for this being that before a person can truly decide to work toward the betterment of others they must know themselves. Simply being obedient to a set of rules out of a traditional sense of obligation is not only less fulfilling, it also leads to a much less creative approach to living out God’s love in the world. Sölle asserts that the reason Jesus could so confidently work toward the betterment of others while breaking the rules laid down by tradition was that he knew who he was—He was self-actualized (my word choice, not Sölle’s).
Jesus repeatedly shattered the expectations of the Jewish leaders of His day, openly breaking many of the rules considered obligatory for all believers, whenever doing so lead to more effective ways of bettering the lives of those around Him or of teaching a lesson on creative engagement with the world. Sölle chooses the word “phantasy” to represent Jesus’ approach to living out who He was. Jesus’ phantasy was to establish His kingdom by creatively and lovingly engaging humanity:
“Of all humans who ever lived I consider Jesus of Nazareth the person most conscious of his own identity. And I am of the opinion that the strength of his phantasy must be understood as rising out of this joyous self-realization. Phantasy has always been in love with fulfillment. It conceives of some new possibility and repeatedly bursts the boundaries which limit people, setting free those who have submitted themselves to these boundaries which thereby have been endlessly maintained. In the portrayal of the Gospels Jesus appears as a man who infected his surroundings with happiness and hope, who passed on his power, who gave away everything that was his.”
In a similar manner, we are to follow Jesus example:
“When one attempts to describe this relationship in terms of traditional theology, one must speak of grace, of the justification of the sinner, and of the sanctification of the world. In that grace which appears in such a way that a person's life is fulfilled, a new self, an "I," comes into being which is removed from the realm of one's own fears, which is freed or redeemed. And precisely this new self can no longer see its task as carrying out given rules or regulations, can no longer establish a Christian ethic on the basis of obedience since the task now is to transform the world, a task which requires the virtue of phantasy.”
The upshot of this approach is that those who have long been oppressed by strict adherence to the traditional Christian virtue of obedience are now free. Jesus and Paul often refer to the freedom conferred by the Gospel. To Sölle this freedom is what she refers to as phantasy, which I interpret to mean the license to use a principle-based approach to living. Decisions about self-sacrifice flow from a place of self-fulfillment and self-awareness with the motivating principle being whether the act furthers the improvement of the earth or others, ultimately furthering of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a much more creative and fruitful approach toward Christian service. Instead of following a strict set of rules of what to do and not do we act from basic principles of goodness, compassion and love.
This approach should be especially good news to those, like women, who have long been oppressed by the obedience model. The traditional Church model of the self-sacrificing wife and mother, who suppresses her own needs and desires to those of her family so that her husband and children can seek their own self-fulfillment is swept away. In its place is a system where each member in the system participates in a more nuanced give-and-take. In such a system room is made for the woman to also seek self-fulfillment. Although Sölle does not develop the results of this in detail, she does recognize that such an approach is not only better for women, but also for men. Men no longer get to selfishly seek self-fulfillment at the expense of the woman, something which ultimately damages both partners, but instead participate as equals in creatively making the family a better place.
I find Sölle’s approach very refreshing and liberating. One of the longstanding problems within the church has been authoritarianism, which has often been assumed to be the correct approach because so much of the Bible gives the appearance that God is a top-down dictator. Recognizing that Jesus routinely fought against this viewpoint and emphasized a more creative approach toward discipleship is helpful. To truly follow Jesus’ example, we need first learn who we are, that as the result of the Gospel we are God’s children and partners with Him in His work. Once we recognize our place in God’s kingdom, then we can accept the freedom this gives us to act out our “phantasy” to make the Kingdom of Heaven a reality.
Sölle suggests that an alternative way of approaching the Christian life is from a position of self-awareness or self-fulfillment, the justification for this being that before a person can truly decide to work toward the betterment of others they must know themselves. Simply being obedient to a set of rules out of a traditional sense of obligation is not only less fulfilling, it also leads to a much less creative approach to living out God’s love in the world. Sölle asserts that the reason Jesus could so confidently work toward the betterment of others while breaking the rules laid down by tradition was that he knew who he was—He was self-actualized (my word choice, not Sölle’s).
Jesus repeatedly shattered the expectations of the Jewish leaders of His day, openly breaking many of the rules considered obligatory for all believers, whenever doing so lead to more effective ways of bettering the lives of those around Him or of teaching a lesson on creative engagement with the world. Sölle chooses the word “phantasy” to represent Jesus’ approach to living out who He was. Jesus’ phantasy was to establish His kingdom by creatively and lovingly engaging humanity:
“Of all humans who ever lived I consider Jesus of Nazareth the person most conscious of his own identity. And I am of the opinion that the strength of his phantasy must be understood as rising out of this joyous self-realization. Phantasy has always been in love with fulfillment. It conceives of some new possibility and repeatedly bursts the boundaries which limit people, setting free those who have submitted themselves to these boundaries which thereby have been endlessly maintained. In the portrayal of the Gospels Jesus appears as a man who infected his surroundings with happiness and hope, who passed on his power, who gave away everything that was his.”
In a similar manner, we are to follow Jesus example:
“When one attempts to describe this relationship in terms of traditional theology, one must speak of grace, of the justification of the sinner, and of the sanctification of the world. In that grace which appears in such a way that a person's life is fulfilled, a new self, an "I," comes into being which is removed from the realm of one's own fears, which is freed or redeemed. And precisely this new self can no longer see its task as carrying out given rules or regulations, can no longer establish a Christian ethic on the basis of obedience since the task now is to transform the world, a task which requires the virtue of phantasy.”
The upshot of this approach is that those who have long been oppressed by strict adherence to the traditional Christian virtue of obedience are now free. Jesus and Paul often refer to the freedom conferred by the Gospel. To Sölle this freedom is what she refers to as phantasy, which I interpret to mean the license to use a principle-based approach to living. Decisions about self-sacrifice flow from a place of self-fulfillment and self-awareness with the motivating principle being whether the act furthers the improvement of the earth or others, ultimately furthering of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a much more creative and fruitful approach toward Christian service. Instead of following a strict set of rules of what to do and not do we act from basic principles of goodness, compassion and love.
This approach should be especially good news to those, like women, who have long been oppressed by the obedience model. The traditional Church model of the self-sacrificing wife and mother, who suppresses her own needs and desires to those of her family so that her husband and children can seek their own self-fulfillment is swept away. In its place is a system where each member in the system participates in a more nuanced give-and-take. In such a system room is made for the woman to also seek self-fulfillment. Although Sölle does not develop the results of this in detail, she does recognize that such an approach is not only better for women, but also for men. Men no longer get to selfishly seek self-fulfillment at the expense of the woman, something which ultimately damages both partners, but instead participate as equals in creatively making the family a better place.
I find Sölle’s approach very refreshing and liberating. One of the longstanding problems within the church has been authoritarianism, which has often been assumed to be the correct approach because so much of the Bible gives the appearance that God is a top-down dictator. Recognizing that Jesus routinely fought against this viewpoint and emphasized a more creative approach toward discipleship is helpful. To truly follow Jesus’ example, we need first learn who we are, that as the result of the Gospel we are God’s children and partners with Him in His work. Once we recognize our place in God’s kingdom, then we can accept the freedom this gives us to act out our “phantasy” to make the Kingdom of Heaven a reality.
April 28, 2023
An authoritarian model of obedience is prevalent in our society. It starts with the first relationship we form, parent-child. "Obedience to the voice of command." We consciously or unconsciously practice this until it becomes habitual. It shapes our worldview and goes on to define our behavioral patterns because we live under structures that demand it to maintain social positions, uphold societal values, and ultimately provide a sense of fulfillment. This, of course, is beneficial to those in the dominant society for maintaining a status quo of exploitation and oppression.
Dorothee Soelle argues that this type of obedience was one of the underlying factors which allowed for such widespread support of the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime in Germany. She also argues that this model is reproduced by the Church. It invades our theology and leads to a life that is actually the opposite of fulfilling because it restricts our ability to truly know ourselves. A life that clearly has the propensity to cause harm and suffering to others.
Strict obedience to authority is therefore obviously an incorrect approach to biblical interpretation, theology, and discipleship. God is not a dictator. This is demonstrated through the life of Jesus in his rejection of legalism and literalism. Those who follow Jesus can reject this model of obedience through self-realization. Knowing who we truly are and understanding where we stand in relation to the Creator of all things gives us the freedom to participate creatively and imaginatively in the fulfilling and liberating work of achieving equality and justice.
Dorothee Soelle argues that this type of obedience was one of the underlying factors which allowed for such widespread support of the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime in Germany. She also argues that this model is reproduced by the Church. It invades our theology and leads to a life that is actually the opposite of fulfilling because it restricts our ability to truly know ourselves. A life that clearly has the propensity to cause harm and suffering to others.
Strict obedience to authority is therefore obviously an incorrect approach to biblical interpretation, theology, and discipleship. God is not a dictator. This is demonstrated through the life of Jesus in his rejection of legalism and literalism. Those who follow Jesus can reject this model of obedience through self-realization. Knowing who we truly are and understanding where we stand in relation to the Creator of all things gives us the freedom to participate creatively and imaginatively in the fulfilling and liberating work of achieving equality and justice.
March 1, 2025
Dorothee Sölle houdt (voor mij) bijna eigenhandig het geloof levend waar dat op zoveel plekken op sterven na dood is. Dit boek barst ook weer van essentiele theologie, is echter gezien de lengte niet scherp genoeg vergeleken met ander werk. Desalniettemin een fantastische aanzet voor verder (denk)werk.
November 26, 2020
Excellent! Granted this is a concept that has been rattling around in my head recently, but this is a formative book for me. Extremely concise and brilliant. Moving beyond obedience and the structures that demand it for fulfillment, to a fulfillment found in self-realization experience and fantasy (imagination/creativity). Profound! This is a re-read multiple times book for me.
November 3, 2016
Excellent book for contextual theologians, and teenagers.
December 27, 2020
Wonderful. Brief excursus on obedience and its misplacement as central to faith.
December 15, 2025
Dorothee Solle (1929-2003) was a theologian who taught in both Germany and the United States. 19 of her 34 books have been translated into English. In Creative Disobedience she critiques her own upbringing, having been taught to be loyal to Hitler, to a patriarchal culture, and to a rigid and nationalist church.
Her thesis is that obedience should not be viewed from an authoritarian model but from a model that is multi-dimensioned, that contains checks and balances. Obedience is a matter of 1) the individual making a free decision based on 2) the will of God 3) as revealed in any given, specific situation. There can be no “obedience” without freewill. And there can be no loyalty to God without understanding the specific context in which one has an opportunity to act.
Solle introduces the concept of “phantasy” as essential for Christian life and ethics. Phantasy employs imagination to understand God’s will for a better world, no matter how disobedient that better world might be in the eyes of a government, an institutional church, or a societal norm. Or one’s own timidity and self-less-ness.
This is a very thick book, hard to wrestle through—but extremely worth it. I read it for the first time more than 30 years ago, and it has influenced my life ever since. Having just read it, I find new hope and energy for myself. The book itself is an example of phantasy that inspires others toward a more just and liberating world.
Her thesis is that obedience should not be viewed from an authoritarian model but from a model that is multi-dimensioned, that contains checks and balances. Obedience is a matter of 1) the individual making a free decision based on 2) the will of God 3) as revealed in any given, specific situation. There can be no “obedience” without freewill. And there can be no loyalty to God without understanding the specific context in which one has an opportunity to act.
Solle introduces the concept of “phantasy” as essential for Christian life and ethics. Phantasy employs imagination to understand God’s will for a better world, no matter how disobedient that better world might be in the eyes of a government, an institutional church, or a societal norm. Or one’s own timidity and self-less-ness.
This is a very thick book, hard to wrestle through—but extremely worth it. I read it for the first time more than 30 years ago, and it has influenced my life ever since. Having just read it, I find new hope and energy for myself. The book itself is an example of phantasy that inspires others toward a more just and liberating world.
October 7, 2023
For the perplexed, this is a re-issue of the earlier "Beyond Mere Obedience" ... though the intro (perhaps more) has been edited. in the original intro (1982 I believe) she has a couple paragraphs which talk about "christofascism" In this reissue that paragraph was edited out and a few updated paragraphs which do not use the word 'christofascism' were added.
The book is really about her addressing the idea that obedience was a major virtue of the Nazis and many other authoritarian regimes (whether religious or not), so how do we move 'beyond mere obedience' and into a 'creative disobedience' ... I really appreciate everything I've read of Soelle/Sölle, and this may be my favorite book-length text of hers... though there is a series of essays called "The Window of Vulnerability" that I've returned to over and over again, and I've just begun "The Silent Cry" which perhaps I am now ready for.
The book is really about her addressing the idea that obedience was a major virtue of the Nazis and many other authoritarian regimes (whether religious or not), so how do we move 'beyond mere obedience' and into a 'creative disobedience' ... I really appreciate everything I've read of Soelle/Sölle, and this may be my favorite book-length text of hers... though there is a series of essays called "The Window of Vulnerability" that I've returned to over and over again, and I've just begun "The Silent Cry" which perhaps I am now ready for.
October 15, 2023
Short, to the point, and resonant with some of my deepest intuitions and most joy-filled seasons of life.
November 20, 2024
Väldigt intressant och baserad, måste läsa om när jag är smartare. Jag älskar jesus!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews