It is only by refusing to allow any event to deprive us of our responsibility for history, because we know that is a responsibility laid upon us by God, that we shall achieve a relation to the events of history far more fruitful than criticism or opportunism.

How does an event deprive us of our responsibility? What is deprivation of responsibility?

Understanding "Deprivation of Responsibility"

In this quote, deprivation of responsibility refers to allowing external events or circumstances to strip away my sense of agency and moral obligation to act in history.

How Events Can Deprive Me of My Responsibility

Events can deprive me of my responsibility in several ways:

  1. Overwhelming circumstances - When events seem too large, too terrible, or too complex, I may feel powerless and use this as an excuse to withdraw from engagement ("What can I do? I'm just one person.")
  2. Victimhood mentality - Allowing myself to become purely a victim of circumstances, rather than an active participant who still has choices and moral obligations even in difficult situations
  3. Fatalism - Believing that events are predetermined or inevitable, leading me to abdicate my role in shaping outcomes ("It's going to happen anyway, so why bother?")
  4. Paralysis through trauma or shock - When events are so disturbing that I retreat into passivity rather than maintaining my moral agency

What Bonhoeffer Is Calling Me To

Bonhoeffer is arguing that I must refuse to let events—no matter how catastrophic or overwhelming—remove my responsibility for history. This connects directly to his previous statements:

  • I cannot be an "arm-chair critic" who merely judges from the sidelines
  • I cannot be an "opportunist" who simply goes along with whatever is happening
  • I must "take my full share of responsibility for the moulding of history, whether as victor or vanquished"

The key insight is that my responsibility is God-given, not circumstance-dependent. Even in the worst situations (like Bonhoeffer's own imprisonment under Nazi tyranny), I retain moral agency and the obligation to act responsibly according to God's call, rather than allowing events to turn me into a passive observer or victim.