This is a theological concept popularized by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wanted to free evangelical Christianity from its preoccupation with personal salvation and other-worldliness.

His ideas, though never systematically worked out, were published in 1951 under the title, "Letters and Papers from Prison." This book was accorded plenty of cred, since it was a collection of writings that he produced before being executed by the Nazi regime for his role in a conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler.