The Theological Art of Failure Reading Bonhoeffer’s Late Writings with Jack Halberstam

Despite their very different contexts and styles, there are some striking resonances between Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s late theology and Jack Halberstam’s The Queer Art of Failure (2011). On the one hand, Bonhoeffer proposes a “view from below”, claiming that “suffering is a more useful key, a more fruitful principle than happiness for exploring the meaning of the world in contemplation and action.” On the other hand, Halberstam develops queer theory as “knowledge from below”, which can assist with countering “the logics of success that have emerged from the triumphs of global capitalism.” In this paper, I bring Bonhoeffer’s reflections on suffering and weakness into conversation with Halberstam’s insights into failure. Specifically, I explore how Halberstam’s work might help to supplement and radicalise some of Bonhoeffer’s reflections in his late theology.