Christopher Asprey
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199584703
- eISBN:
- 9780191723209
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199584703.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book provides a detailed examination of Karl Barth's theology during the time he was professor at the University of Göttingen (1921–6). The analysis draws on a variety of posthumously published ...
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This book provides a detailed examination of Karl Barth's theology during the time he was professor at the University of Göttingen (1921–6). The analysis draws on a variety of posthumously published works by Barth (especially his academic lecture courses in dogmatics, exegesis, and historical theology), as well as on better known texts from the period, providing comparisons and contrasts with some of Barth's major contemporaries. A major task of the book is to examine in detail the Unterricht in der christlichen Religion (Göttingen Dogmatics), the only full dogmatics cycle Barth completed during his lifetime. A picture emerges of Barth's concerns during this period that is different from many other established accounts: rather than being ‘occasionalist’ or dualist, Barth's theology in the 1920s was characterised by an orientation towards the eschatological encounter between God and humankind. Barth's intention in the Göttingen Dogmatics was to introduce his students to their responsibility before the Word of God, all other theological topics then flowing towards or from the ‘dialogical’ moment of encounter between this Word and human beings. This reading is borne out by in-depth analyses of some of the major themes in the dogmatics: revelation, incarnation, resurrection, pneumatology, moral, and sacramental theology. While Barth's focus on the eschatological presence of God explains the freshness and immediacy of his writing in the 1920s, it is also shown at a number of points how this perspective generates various dilemmas in his theology, which remain unresolved during this period.Less
This book provides a detailed examination of Karl Barth's theology during the time he was professor at the University of Göttingen (1921–6). The analysis draws on a variety of posthumously published works by Barth (especially his academic lecture courses in dogmatics, exegesis, and historical theology), as well as on better known texts from the period, providing comparisons and contrasts with some of Barth's major contemporaries. A major task of the book is to examine in detail the Unterricht in der christlichen Religion (Göttingen Dogmatics), the only full dogmatics cycle Barth completed during his lifetime. A picture emerges of Barth's concerns during this period that is different from many other established accounts: rather than being ‘occasionalist’ or dualist, Barth's theology in the 1920s was characterised by an orientation towards the eschatological encounter between God and humankind. Barth's intention in the Göttingen Dogmatics was to introduce his students to their responsibility before the Word of God, all other theological topics then flowing towards or from the ‘dialogical’ moment of encounter between this Word and human beings. This reading is borne out by in-depth analyses of some of the major themes in the dogmatics: revelation, incarnation, resurrection, pneumatology, moral, and sacramental theology. While Barth's focus on the eschatological presence of God explains the freshness and immediacy of his writing in the 1920s, it is also shown at a number of points how this perspective generates various dilemmas in his theology, which remain unresolved during this period.
Tom Greggs
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199560486
- eISBN:
- 9780191721533
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199560486.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Theology
This book explores the dynamics of the Spirit and Son in the economy of salvation. It offers an interpretation of Barth and Origen around this theme, bringing them into a formative dialogue for a ...
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This book explores the dynamics of the Spirit and Son in the economy of salvation. It offers an interpretation of Barth and Origen around this theme, bringing them into a formative dialogue for a constructive theology of universal salvation. Examining Barth's doctrine of election and Origen's understanding of apokatastasis, the book proposes that a proper understanding of the eternal salvific plan of God in the person of Jesus Christ points towards universal salvation. However, salvation is not achieved through a general principle or rule; it is achieved through the very particularity of the Son in whom all humanity is saved. Further place for human particularity is established through the economy of the Spirit. Origen and Barth's economic pneumatologies indicate the reverse dynamic to that of their interpretation of the Son's economy: while the particularity of the Son has universal effects for all particulars, the universality of the Spirit particularizes that universal in individuals and communities in the present. However, this is in a manner which avoids a binary separation of Christians (as the saved) from all other humans (as the damned); instead, Christians are led into the ever greater depths of God, in a manner which allows God's Spirit to be present in diverse ways with humans and human communities in their temporal particularities. This dynamic of Spirit and Son in salvation allows for the place of faith, ongoing history, and community within a soteriological schema which offers a universal hope of salvation in Christ.Less
This book explores the dynamics of the Spirit and Son in the economy of salvation. It offers an interpretation of Barth and Origen around this theme, bringing them into a formative dialogue for a constructive theology of universal salvation. Examining Barth's doctrine of election and Origen's understanding of apokatastasis, the book proposes that a proper understanding of the eternal salvific plan of God in the person of Jesus Christ points towards universal salvation. However, salvation is not achieved through a general principle or rule; it is achieved through the very particularity of the Son in whom all humanity is saved. Further place for human particularity is established through the economy of the Spirit. Origen and Barth's economic pneumatologies indicate the reverse dynamic to that of their interpretation of the Son's economy: while the particularity of the Son has universal effects for all particulars, the universality of the Spirit particularizes that universal in individuals and communities in the present. However, this is in a manner which avoids a binary separation of Christians (as the saved) from all other humans (as the damned); instead, Christians are led into the ever greater depths of God, in a manner which allows God's Spirit to be present in diverse ways with humans and human communities in their temporal particularities. This dynamic of Spirit and Son in salvation allows for the place of faith, ongoing history, and community within a soteriological schema which offers a universal hope of salvation in Christ.
Francis X. Clooney
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195138542
- eISBN:
- 9780199834099
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195138546.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
Hindu God, Christian God, an exercise in comparative theology, proposes that theology today is an interreligious discipline and illustrates this with reference to Christianity and ...
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Hindu God, Christian God, an exercise in comparative theology, proposes that theology today is an interreligious discipline and illustrates this with reference to Christianity and Hinduism. Thinkers in many religious traditions share similar theological questions and problems in their quest to understand their faith, and so too use comparable methods for seeking right answers. However, much traditions emphasize their uniqueness and the necessity of faith, their thinkers usually teach, and often such teachings are recorded and become available as books that can be read and understood, and even translated. Religions are partially intelligible to outsiders; reasoning inquirers, in beginning to understand various beliefs and practices, cross even the most firmly fixed religious boundaries. In the process, they learn from the new tradition and also see their own tradition anew, by a comparative reading process. The best theology is therefore not only interreligious but also comparative, well versed in how different traditions have dealt with the same concerns.It is also dialogical, since authors must explain their ideas in ways that at least make sense to thinkers in the other traditions being discussed; they also need to be willing to learn from the critiques and responses of those other thinkers. Lastly, the discovery of common ground and shared concerns does not mean agreement; believers can still disagree and continue to hold views at odds with what others believe. Apologetics remains an issue. Hindu God, Christian God argues these points by bringing into conversation Christian theological beliefs – exemplified by the writings of Richard Swinburne, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karl Rahner, and Karl Barth — and beliefs from some major Hindu traditions, including Nyaya [Logic], Vaisnavism [devotion to Visnu], and Saivism [devotion to Siva], as expressed in classic Sanskrit‐ and Tamil‐language texts. Issues discussed include Hindu and Christian views of God's nature; proofs for God's existence; the true religion; incarnation or divine embodiment; revelation as offering definitive knowledge of religious truth.Less
Hindu God, Christian God, an exercise in comparative theology, proposes that theology today is an interreligious discipline and illustrates this with reference to Christianity and Hinduism. Thinkers in many religious traditions share similar theological questions and problems in their quest to understand their faith, and so too use comparable methods for seeking right answers. However, much traditions emphasize their uniqueness and the necessity of faith, their thinkers usually teach, and often such teachings are recorded and become available as books that can be read and understood, and even translated. Religions are partially intelligible to outsiders; reasoning inquirers, in beginning to understand various beliefs and practices, cross even the most firmly fixed religious boundaries. In the process, they learn from the new tradition and also see their own tradition anew, by a comparative reading process. The best theology is therefore not only interreligious but also comparative, well versed in how different traditions have dealt with the same concerns.
It is also dialogical, since authors must explain their ideas in ways that at least make sense to thinkers in the other traditions being discussed; they also need to be willing to learn from the critiques and responses of those other thinkers. Lastly, the discovery of common ground and shared concerns does not mean agreement; believers can still disagree and continue to hold views at odds with what others believe. Apologetics remains an issue.
Hindu God, Christian God argues these points by bringing into conversation Christian theological beliefs – exemplified by the writings of Richard Swinburne, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karl Rahner, and Karl Barth — and beliefs from some major Hindu traditions, including Nyaya [Logic], Vaisnavism [devotion to Visnu], and Saivism [devotion to Siva], as expressed in classic Sanskrit‐ and Tamil‐language texts. Issues discussed include Hindu and Christian views of God's nature; proofs for God's existence; the true religion; incarnation or divine embodiment; revelation as offering definitive knowledge of religious truth.
Charles K. Bellinger
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134988
- eISBN:
- 9780199833986
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195134982.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
In the twentieth century, many thinkers have put forward theories that purport to explain the motivations underlying the violent behavior of human beings. This book presents Kierkegaard's thought as ...
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In the twentieth century, many thinkers have put forward theories that purport to explain the motivations underlying the violent behavior of human beings. This book presents Kierkegaard's thought as offering a way of interpreting violent behavior that is superior to the alternatives. The basic elements of Kierkegaard's psychology are drawn out of his published and unpublished works, concentrating on The Concept of Anxiety, Works of Love, and The Sickness unto Death. Violence, most fundamentally, arises out of human resistance to the possibility of psychological change and growth into maturity. Violence toward others seeks to fend off that potential for otherness within oneself that is entailed by the incompleteness of creation. Kierkegaard's theory of violence is compared and contrasted with Rene Girard's theory, and both thinkers are brought into conversation with Karl Barth and Eric Voegelin. Anabaptism's approach to interpreting the history of Christian violence is taken into consideration. Hitler and Stalin, as key contemporary examples of demonic violence, are analyzed in connection with Kierkegaard's aesthetic and ethical spheres of existence. The book closes with reflections on the Christian doctrine of atonement in light of the preceding discussion of the roots of human evil.Less
In the twentieth century, many thinkers have put forward theories that purport to explain the motivations underlying the violent behavior of human beings. This book presents Kierkegaard's thought as offering a way of interpreting violent behavior that is superior to the alternatives. The basic elements of Kierkegaard's psychology are drawn out of his published and unpublished works, concentrating on The Concept of Anxiety, Works of Love, and The Sickness unto Death. Violence, most fundamentally, arises out of human resistance to the possibility of psychological change and growth into maturity. Violence toward others seeks to fend off that potential for otherness within oneself that is entailed by the incompleteness of creation. Kierkegaard's theory of violence is compared and contrasted with Rene Girard's theory, and both thinkers are brought into conversation with Karl Barth and Eric Voegelin. Anabaptism's approach to interpreting the history of Christian violence is taken into consideration. Hitler and Stalin, as key contemporary examples of demonic violence, are analyzed in connection with Kierkegaard's aesthetic and ethical spheres of existence. The book closes with reflections on the Christian doctrine of atonement in light of the preceding discussion of the roots of human evil.
Tapio Luoma
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195151893
- eISBN:
- 9780199834419
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195151895.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Thomas Torrance's original contribution to the dialog between theology and the natural sciences arises from two interrelated features in his thought: first, his adherence to the theology of Karl ...
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Thomas Torrance's original contribution to the dialog between theology and the natural sciences arises from two interrelated features in his thought: first, his adherence to the theology of Karl Barth and, second, his insistence on the centrality of Christology, especially the doctrine of the Incarnation and the concept of the homoousion. He has succeeded in having brought into the dialog not only his own Reformed tradition (Calvinism and Barthianism) but also the central viewpoints of patristic theology of the Early Church. His claim that the empirical natural sciences, both in their epistemological and ontological aspects, as well as the modern relational view of space and time, are actually an outcome of the patristic incarnational theology needs a firmer evidential ground to be convincing. Realism proves to be essential for Torrance's discussion, but, at the same time, his view of realism does not open fully through philosophy of science but rather, through his understanding of God's compulsive power as revealed, especially in the election, a central Reformed doctrine. The most serious threat to realism and its proper function in theology and science is, according to Torrance, the phenomenon he calls dualism, a deep‐seated way of perceiving reality through two opposing principles with no genuine interaction between them. Torrance's interpretation of Arius and Arianism as well as Isaac Newton and his science proves that the main reason for Torrance's criticism of dualism lies in its inability to take seriously the true humanity and true divinity of Christ. Torrance holds that the modern natural sciences, having begun to free themselves of dualistic habits of thought, now have something important to remind theology of, especially regarding the ontological and epistemological grounds of theological science. Torrance's view of the doctrines of Christology, involving the Incarnation and the homoousion, and Trinity as the correct basis with which to begin theological reflection is an ambitious effort to redirect modern theology to follow the example of theoretical novelties in physics back toward its ontological and epistemological basis. Both the freshness and the strength, and the restrictions and the weaknesses, of Torrance's contribution to theology–science dialog can be seen to lie in his determinate adherence to the Incarnation and to the concept of homoousion.Less
Thomas Torrance's original contribution to the dialog between theology and the natural sciences arises from two interrelated features in his thought: first, his adherence to the theology of Karl Barth and, second, his insistence on the centrality of Christology, especially the doctrine of the Incarnation and the concept of the homoousion. He has succeeded in having brought into the dialog not only his own Reformed tradition (Calvinism and Barthianism) but also the central viewpoints of patristic theology of the Early Church. His claim that the empirical natural sciences, both in their epistemological and ontological aspects, as well as the modern relational view of space and time, are actually an outcome of the patristic incarnational theology needs a firmer evidential ground to be convincing. Realism proves to be essential for Torrance's discussion, but, at the same time, his view of realism does not open fully through philosophy of science but rather, through his understanding of God's compulsive power as revealed, especially in the election, a central Reformed doctrine. The most serious threat to realism and its proper function in theology and science is, according to Torrance, the phenomenon he calls dualism, a deep‐seated way of perceiving reality through two opposing principles with no genuine interaction between them. Torrance's interpretation of Arius and Arianism as well as Isaac Newton and his science proves that the main reason for Torrance's criticism of dualism lies in its inability to take seriously the true humanity and true divinity of Christ. Torrance holds that the modern natural sciences, having begun to free themselves of dualistic habits of thought, now have something important to remind theology of, especially regarding the ontological and epistemological grounds of theological science. Torrance's view of the doctrines of Christology, involving the Incarnation and the homoousion, and Trinity as the correct basis with which to begin theological reflection is an ambitious effort to redirect modern theology to follow the example of theoretical novelties in physics back toward its ontological and epistemological basis. Both the freshness and the strength, and the restrictions and the weaknesses, of Torrance's contribution to theology–science dialog can be seen to lie in his determinate adherence to the Incarnation and to the concept of homoousion.
Jason A. Springs
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195395044
- eISBN:
- 9780199866243
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Discontinued
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195395044.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Toward a Generous Orthodoxy provides a refined exposition of Hans Frei's christologically motivated engagement with Ludwig Wittgenstein, Clifford Geertz, Erich Auerbach, his use of ...
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Toward a Generous Orthodoxy provides a refined exposition of Hans Frei's christologically motivated engagement with Ludwig Wittgenstein, Clifford Geertz, Erich Auerbach, his use of ordinary language philosophy and nonfoundational philosophical insights, while illuminating and expanding his orientational indebtedness to Karl Barth's theology. By placing Frei's work into critical conversation with developments in pragmatist thought and cultural theory since his death, the rereading of Frei offered here aims to correct and resolve many of the complaints and misunderstandings that vex his theological legacy. The result is a clarification of the unity and coherence of Frei's work over the course of his career; a reframing of the complex relationship of his work to that of his Yale colleague George Lindbeck and successive "postliberal" theological trends; demonstration that Frei's uses of Barth, Wittgenstein, Auerbach, and Geertz do not relegate his theological approach to critical quietism, methodological separatism, epistemic fideism, or a so-called "theological ghetto"; explication and development of Frei's account of the "plain sense" of Scripture that evades charges of narrative foundationalism and essentialism on one hand and, on the other, avoids criticisms that any account so emphasizing culture, language, and practice will reduce scriptural meaning to the ways the text is used in Christian practice and community. What emerges from Toward a Generous Orthodoxy is a sharpened account of the christologically anchored, interdisciplinary, and conversational character of Frei's theology, which he came to describe as a "generous orthodoxy," modeling a way for academic theological voices to take seriously both their vocation to the Christian church and their roles as interlocutors in the academic discourse.Less
Toward a Generous Orthodoxy provides a refined exposition of Hans Frei's christologically motivated engagement with Ludwig Wittgenstein, Clifford Geertz, Erich Auerbach, his use of ordinary language philosophy and nonfoundational philosophical insights, while illuminating and expanding his orientational indebtedness to Karl Barth's theology. By placing Frei's work into critical conversation with developments in pragmatist thought and cultural theory since his death, the rereading of Frei offered here aims to correct and resolve many of the complaints and misunderstandings that vex his theological legacy. The result is a clarification of the unity and coherence of Frei's work over the course of his career; a reframing of the complex relationship of his work to that of his Yale colleague George Lindbeck and successive "postliberal" theological trends; demonstration that Frei's uses of Barth, Wittgenstein, Auerbach, and Geertz do not relegate his theological approach to critical quietism, methodological separatism, epistemic fideism, or a so-called "theological ghetto"; explication and development of Frei's account of the "plain sense" of Scripture that evades charges of narrative foundationalism and essentialism on one hand and, on the other, avoids criticisms that any account so emphasizing culture, language, and practice will reduce scriptural meaning to the ways the text is used in Christian practice and community. What emerges from Toward a Generous Orthodoxy is a sharpened account of the christologically anchored, interdisciplinary, and conversational character of Frei's theology, which he came to describe as a "generous orthodoxy," modeling a way for academic theological voices to take seriously both their vocation to the Christian church and their roles as interlocutors in the academic discourse.
Bruce L. McCormack
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269564
- eISBN:
- 9780191600678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269560.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter presents a synthesis of the preceding discussions on the theological development of Karl Barth. Through all the phases of his development, Barth was a critically realistic dialectical ...
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This chapter presents a synthesis of the preceding discussions on the theological development of Karl Barth. Through all the phases of his development, Barth was a critically realistic dialectical theologian. All of his efforts in theology may be considered as an attempt to overcome Kant by means of Kant; not retreating behind him and seeking to go around him, but through him. It is important to note that however critical Barth may have been of modern theology, the form in which he taught dialectical theology was a thoroughly modern option.Less
This chapter presents a synthesis of the preceding discussions on the theological development of Karl Barth. Through all the phases of his development, Barth was a critically realistic dialectical theologian. All of his efforts in theology may be considered as an attempt to overcome Kant by means of Kant; not retreating behind him and seeking to go around him, but through him. It is important to note that however critical Barth may have been of modern theology, the form in which he taught dialectical theology was a thoroughly modern option.
Bruce L. McCormack
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269564
- eISBN:
- 9780191600678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269560.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This section presents several lines from a sermon by Karl Barth dated December 28, 1913.
This section presents several lines from a sermon by Karl Barth dated December 28, 1913.
Stephen H. Webb
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199827954
- eISBN:
- 9780199919468
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199827954.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book is the first to reconstruct the obscure origins of Heavenly Flesh Christology, examine its implications, and defend it from the charge of heresy. More importantly, this book uses this ...
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This book is the first to reconstruct the obscure origins of Heavenly Flesh Christology, examine its implications, and defend it from the charge of heresy. More importantly, this book uses this Christology to re‐examine theology's commitment to the metaphysics of immaterialism. After surveying ancient metaphysical debates and the contemporary insights of physics about the nature of matter, the author argues that theology needs to reconsider the relationship of spirit to matter, beginning with a new, post-Platonic understanding of the eternal body of Jesus Christ. The result is a defense of an anthropomorphic and corporeal understanding of the nature of God. This portrait of God is tested against the theologies of Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth. It is also put into dialogue with the metaphysical materialism of Mormonism. Along the way, the author shows how the thought of Duns Scotus and Caspar Schwenckfeld contribute to a new understanding of heavenly flesh, and how this Christology can enable a new way of appreciating the much-neglected position of Monophysitism.Less
This book is the first to reconstruct the obscure origins of Heavenly Flesh Christology, examine its implications, and defend it from the charge of heresy. More importantly, this book uses this Christology to re‐examine theology's commitment to the metaphysics of immaterialism. After surveying ancient metaphysical debates and the contemporary insights of physics about the nature of matter, the author argues that theology needs to reconsider the relationship of spirit to matter, beginning with a new, post-Platonic understanding of the eternal body of Jesus Christ. The result is a defense of an anthropomorphic and corporeal understanding of the nature of God. This portrait of God is tested against the theologies of Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth. It is also put into dialogue with the metaphysical materialism of Mormonism. Along the way, the author shows how the thought of Duns Scotus and Caspar Schwenckfeld contribute to a new understanding of heavenly flesh, and how this Christology can enable a new way of appreciating the much-neglected position of Monophysitism.
Timothy J. Gorringe
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198752462
- eISBN:
- 9780191695117
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198752462.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, History of Christianity
Karl Barth (1886–1968) was the most prolific theologian of the 20th century. Avoiding simple paraphrasing, this book places the theology in its social and political context, from the First World War ...
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Karl Barth (1886–1968) was the most prolific theologian of the 20th century. Avoiding simple paraphrasing, this book places the theology in its social and political context, from the First World War through to the Cold War by following Barth's intellectual development through the years that saw the rise of national socialism and the development of communism. Barth initiated a theological revolution in his two Commentaries on Romans, begun during the First World War. His attempt to deepen this during the turbulent years of the Weimar Republic made him a focus of theological resistance to Hitler after the rise to power of the Nazi party. Expelled from Germany, he continued to defy fashionable opinion by refusing to condemn communism after the Second World War. Drawing on a German debate largely ignored by Anglo-Saxon theology the book shows that Barth responds to the events of his time not just in his occasional writings, but in his magnum opus, the Church Dogmatics. In conclusion the book asks what this admittedly patriarchal author still has to contribute to contemporary theology, and in particular human liberation.Less
Karl Barth (1886–1968) was the most prolific theologian of the 20th century. Avoiding simple paraphrasing, this book places the theology in its social and political context, from the First World War through to the Cold War by following Barth's intellectual development through the years that saw the rise of national socialism and the development of communism. Barth initiated a theological revolution in his two Commentaries on Romans, begun during the First World War. His attempt to deepen this during the turbulent years of the Weimar Republic made him a focus of theological resistance to Hitler after the rise to power of the Nazi party. Expelled from Germany, he continued to defy fashionable opinion by refusing to condemn communism after the Second World War. Drawing on a German debate largely ignored by Anglo-Saxon theology the book shows that Barth responds to the events of his time not just in his occasional writings, but in his magnum opus, the Church Dogmatics. In conclusion the book asks what this admittedly patriarchal author still has to contribute to contemporary theology, and in particular human liberation.
Nigel Biggar
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198264576
- eISBN:
- 9780191682728
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198264576.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book offers a fresh and up-to-date account of the ethical thought of one of the 20th century's greatest theologians: Karl Barth. The book seeks to recover Barth's ethics from some widespread ...
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This book offers a fresh and up-to-date account of the ethical thought of one of the 20th century's greatest theologians: Karl Barth. The book seeks to recover Barth's ethics from some widespread misunderstandings, and also present a picture of it as a whole. Drawing on recently published sources, it construes the ethics of the Church Dogmatics as it might have been had Barth lived to complete it. However, this book is more than apology and description, for it recommends to contemporary Christian ethics the theological rigour with which Barth expounds the good life in terms of the living presence of God-in-Christ to his creatures; his conception of right human action as that which is able to hasten in the service of humanity precisely by waiting prayerfully upon God; and his discriminate openness to moral wisdom outside the Christian church. Among particular topics treated are: the concept of human freedom and of created moral order; moral norms and their relation to individual vocation; the relative ethical roles of the Bible, the Church, philosophy, and empirical science; moral character and its formation; and the problem of war.Less
This book offers a fresh and up-to-date account of the ethical thought of one of the 20th century's greatest theologians: Karl Barth. The book seeks to recover Barth's ethics from some widespread misunderstandings, and also present a picture of it as a whole. Drawing on recently published sources, it construes the ethics of the Church Dogmatics as it might have been had Barth lived to complete it. However, this book is more than apology and description, for it recommends to contemporary Christian ethics the theological rigour with which Barth expounds the good life in terms of the living presence of God-in-Christ to his creatures; his conception of right human action as that which is able to hasten in the service of humanity precisely by waiting prayerfully upon God; and his discriminate openness to moral wisdom outside the Christian church. Among particular topics treated are: the concept of human freedom and of created moral order; moral norms and their relation to individual vocation; the relative ethical roles of the Bible, the Church, philosophy, and empirical science; moral character and its formation; and the problem of war.
Paul M. Collins
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198270324
- eISBN:
- 9780191683985
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198270324.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
In his approach to the question of being, Karl Barth sought to reconstruct the inheritance of the West. Barth drew his answer to the question of being from the witness of the Scriptures to the living ...
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In his approach to the question of being, Karl Barth sought to reconstruct the inheritance of the West. Barth drew his answer to the question of being from the witness of the Scriptures to the living God, and from God's dealings with the world. Thus, it is from the Incarnation and the event of God's self-revelation that we learn who God is. The divine act and event of self-revelation is understood to be the revelation of the divine being, and this becomes the basis for the interpretation of the biblical testimony that God is love. Thus, the essence of God is understood as life and love, as act and event. God's being-in-act is the reality and life of the one who loves in freedom. In that God's being-in-act is understood in terms of the Trinity and the event of revelation, it is also to be understood in terms of the divine self-reiteration (or identity-in-distinction) and the divine fellowship.Less
In his approach to the question of being, Karl Barth sought to reconstruct the inheritance of the West. Barth drew his answer to the question of being from the witness of the Scriptures to the living God, and from God's dealings with the world. Thus, it is from the Incarnation and the event of God's self-revelation that we learn who God is. The divine act and event of self-revelation is understood to be the revelation of the divine being, and this becomes the basis for the interpretation of the biblical testimony that God is love. Thus, the essence of God is understood as life and love, as act and event. God's being-in-act is the reality and life of the one who loves in freedom. In that God's being-in-act is understood in terms of the Trinity and the event of revelation, it is also to be understood in terms of the divine self-reiteration (or identity-in-distinction) and the divine fellowship.
Matthias Gockel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203222
- eISBN:
- 9780191707711
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203222.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The chapter argues that Karl Barth's Commentary on Romans questions the individualistic assumptions of traditional views. For Barth, as for Schleiermacher, predestination is a divine act that ...
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The chapter argues that Karl Barth's Commentary on Romans questions the individualistic assumptions of traditional views. For Barth, as for Schleiermacher, predestination is a divine act that constitutes the unity of all human beings and not an absolute distinction between two kinds of persons. Every person is the object of God's universal judgment and grace, at once separated from and bound to God. The divine decision to elect or reprobate is not predetermined but occurs time and again in the historical event in which God's address leads to faith or to unbelief. Is Barth's thinking already ‘open toward the later characteristic christological centring of election’? He argues that humankind's reprobation is overcome in Christ because of Christ's resurrection from the dead, but he does not yet say that Christ's reconciling death is the result of God's self‐determination to be God in a covenant with humankind.Less
The chapter argues that Karl Barth's Commentary on Romans questions the individualistic assumptions of traditional views. For Barth, as for Schleiermacher, predestination is a divine act that constitutes the unity of all human beings and not an absolute distinction between two kinds of persons. Every person is the object of God's universal judgment and grace, at once separated from and bound to God. The divine decision to elect or reprobate is not predetermined but occurs time and again in the historical event in which God's address leads to faith or to unbelief. Is Barth's thinking already ‘open toward the later characteristic christological centring of election’? He argues that humankind's reprobation is overcome in Christ because of Christ's resurrection from the dead, but he does not yet say that Christ's reconciling death is the result of God's self‐determination to be God in a covenant with humankind.
Matthias Gockel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203222
- eISBN:
- 9780191707711
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203222.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The chapter argues that the main theme of the doctrine of election in Karl Barth's Göttingen Dogmatics is the twofold possibility of faith and unbelief, which is an integral part of God's address to ...
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The chapter argues that the main theme of the doctrine of election in Karl Barth's Göttingen Dogmatics is the twofold possibility of faith and unbelief, which is an integral part of God's address to humanity. God's ‘unveiling’ is the purpose of His ‘veiling’, but the decision when and how the ‘unveiling’ occurs is made by God alone. Reprobation is the event in which God withholds the gift of faith, but it is not an end in itself and is always oriented toward election and salvation as the steadfast goal. Barth changes the concept of an eternal double predestination from a concept that refers to a pre‐temporal divine foreordination into an actualistic concept that refers to the freedom and contingency of God's acting in history. The modification underscores the theocentric and teleological character of his view.Less
The chapter argues that the main theme of the doctrine of election in Karl Barth's Göttingen Dogmatics is the twofold possibility of faith and unbelief, which is an integral part of God's address to humanity. God's ‘unveiling’ is the purpose of His ‘veiling’, but the decision when and how the ‘unveiling’ occurs is made by God alone. Reprobation is the event in which God withholds the gift of faith, but it is not an end in itself and is always oriented toward election and salvation as the steadfast goal. Barth changes the concept of an eternal double predestination from a concept that refers to a pre‐temporal divine foreordination into an actualistic concept that refers to the freedom and contingency of God's acting in history. The modification underscores the theocentric and teleological character of his view.
Matthias Gockel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203222
- eISBN:
- 9780191707711
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203222.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The chapter shows how Barth's second revision of the doctrine, culminating in Church Dogmatics II/2, puts the doctrine on a new foundation. Predestination now is identical with the election of Jesus ...
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The chapter shows how Barth's second revision of the doctrine, culminating in Church Dogmatics II/2, puts the doctrine on a new foundation. Predestination now is identical with the election of Jesus Christ. It is a primal decision, by which God determines not only humankind but also Himself, and a gracious choice, by which God chooses reprobation for Himself and election for human beings. The idea of Jesus Christ as the subject and object of election overcomes the traditional distinction between God's will in Jesus Christ and God's eternal will. Barth's second revision of the doctrine succeeds in defining election more concretely. The teleological view of reprobation and election is preserved, but with a new focus on Jesus Christ, the ‘atoning substitute’ (Schleiermacher). The christological revision leads to a consideration of the election of the congregation and of the individual, two topics neglected in the Göttingen Dogmatics.Less
The chapter shows how Barth's second revision of the doctrine, culminating in Church Dogmatics II/2, puts the doctrine on a new foundation. Predestination now is identical with the election of Jesus Christ. It is a primal decision, by which God determines not only humankind but also Himself, and a gracious choice, by which God chooses reprobation for Himself and election for human beings. The idea of Jesus Christ as the subject and object of election overcomes the traditional distinction between God's will in Jesus Christ and God's eternal will. Barth's second revision of the doctrine succeeds in defining election more concretely. The teleological view of reprobation and election is preserved, but with a new focus on Jesus Christ, the ‘atoning substitute’ (Schleiermacher). The christological revision leads to a consideration of the election of the congregation and of the individual, two topics neglected in the Göttingen Dogmatics.
Michael P. DeJonge
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199639786
- eISBN:
- 9780191738708
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199639786.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Church History
This book argues that the central concept of Bonhoeffer’s early theology, ‘person’, positions his thought in relationship to his own Lutheran tradition as well as the two most important post‐First ...
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This book argues that the central concept of Bonhoeffer’s early theology, ‘person’, positions his thought in relationship to his own Lutheran tradition as well as the two most important post‐First World War theologies, Karl Barth’s dialectical theology and Karl Holl’s Luther interpretation. Barth convinces Bonhoeffer that theology must understand revelation as originating outside the human self in God’s freedom. But whereas Barth understands revelation as the act of an eternal divine subject, Bonhoeffer treats revelation as the act and being of the historical person of Jesus Christ. On the basis of this person‐concept of revelation, Bonhoeffer rejects Barth’s dialectical thought, designed to respect the distinction between God and world, for a hermeneutic way of thinking that begins with the reconciliation of God and world in the person of Christ. Here Bonhoeffer mines a Lutheran understanding of the incarnation as God’s unreserved entry into history, and the person of Christ as the resulting historical reconciliation of opposites. This also distinguishes Bonhoeffer’s Lutheranism from that of Karl Holl, one of Bonhoeffer’s teachers in Berlin, whose location of justification in the conscience renders the presence of Christ superfluous. Against this, Bonhoeffer emphasizes the present person of Christ as the precondition of justification. Through these critical conversations, Bonhoeffer develops the features of his person‐theology—a person‐concept of revelation and a hermeneutical way of thinking—which remain constant despite the sometimes radical changes in his thought.Less
This book argues that the central concept of Bonhoeffer’s early theology, ‘person’, positions his thought in relationship to his own Lutheran tradition as well as the two most important post‐First World War theologies, Karl Barth’s dialectical theology and Karl Holl’s Luther interpretation. Barth convinces Bonhoeffer that theology must understand revelation as originating outside the human self in God’s freedom. But whereas Barth understands revelation as the act of an eternal divine subject, Bonhoeffer treats revelation as the act and being of the historical person of Jesus Christ. On the basis of this person‐concept of revelation, Bonhoeffer rejects Barth’s dialectical thought, designed to respect the distinction between God and world, for a hermeneutic way of thinking that begins with the reconciliation of God and world in the person of Christ. Here Bonhoeffer mines a Lutheran understanding of the incarnation as God’s unreserved entry into history, and the person of Christ as the resulting historical reconciliation of opposites. This also distinguishes Bonhoeffer’s Lutheranism from that of Karl Holl, one of Bonhoeffer’s teachers in Berlin, whose location of justification in the conscience renders the presence of Christ superfluous. Against this, Bonhoeffer emphasizes the present person of Christ as the precondition of justification. Through these critical conversations, Bonhoeffer develops the features of his person‐theology—a person‐concept of revelation and a hermeneutical way of thinking—which remain constant despite the sometimes radical changes in his thought.
Willis Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328516
- eISBN:
- 9780199869862
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328516.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Stewardship needs to show how God's action makes nature matter for faithful practices. To investigate theological support for an answer, this chapter turns to Karl Barth, querying the thoughts of ...
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Stewardship needs to show how God's action makes nature matter for faithful practices. To investigate theological support for an answer, this chapter turns to Karl Barth, querying the thoughts of this theologian of redemption with regard to the problems of stewardship ethics. Since the strategy of stewardship appeals to the general pattern of grace Barth defended, his theology should display the liabilities and the promise of stewardship. It should also point stewardship theologies toward the most helpful resources within the pattern of redemptive grace. The chapter inquires especially after themes of place and reconciliation in Barth.Less
Stewardship needs to show how God's action makes nature matter for faithful practices. To investigate theological support for an answer, this chapter turns to Karl Barth, querying the thoughts of this theologian of redemption with regard to the problems of stewardship ethics. Since the strategy of stewardship appeals to the general pattern of grace Barth defended, his theology should display the liabilities and the promise of stewardship. It should also point stewardship theologies toward the most helpful resources within the pattern of redemptive grace. The chapter inquires especially after themes of place and reconciliation in Barth.
Willis Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195328516
- eISBN:
- 9780199869862
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328516.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Paul Santmire expressed his disappointment in a personal encounter with Barth in which the latter was roundly critical of Santmire's proddings to produce a theology of nature. This chapter argues ...
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Paul Santmire expressed his disappointment in a personal encounter with Barth in which the latter was roundly critical of Santmire's proddings to produce a theology of nature. This chapter argues that Santmire seems to have missed the place Barth's theology had already made for nature: the way of the Reconciler restores nature to theology and humans to the earth. Yet there are ambivalences, shortcomings, and inconsistencies in Barth's thought that may explain why Barth himself could not tell Santmire of that place. Barth failed to engage sufficiently and seriously with the natural world, for which he is rightly faulted. Despite his love of country retreats and mountain walks, it was the world of letters and politics that captivated his extratheological attentions. But that bias is not necessary to his theological commitments. In only a few cases do substantial dogmatic or interpretive decisions lie behind Barth's evasion of nature, and even here they appear unnecessary from Barth's wider project. Otherwise his theology bends in the other direction, as God claims human freedom within the environment of Jesus. In answer to the problems with stewardship ethics, Barth's account of grace counsels stewardship away from the hubris of partnership models and shows how it might theologically accommodate the use of natural sciences and environmental experience. Barth also lets stewardship theologies imagine how to talk about an ethical place of Christian witness, thus showing how stewardship may be well suited to engage issues like agriculture, built environments, and ecological restoration.Less
Paul Santmire expressed his disappointment in a personal encounter with Barth in which the latter was roundly critical of Santmire's proddings to produce a theology of nature. This chapter argues that Santmire seems to have missed the place Barth's theology had already made for nature: the way of the Reconciler restores nature to theology and humans to the earth. Yet there are ambivalences, shortcomings, and inconsistencies in Barth's thought that may explain why Barth himself could not tell Santmire of that place. Barth failed to engage sufficiently and seriously with the natural world, for which he is rightly faulted. Despite his love of country retreats and mountain walks, it was the world of letters and politics that captivated his extratheological attentions. But that bias is not necessary to his theological commitments. In only a few cases do substantial dogmatic or interpretive decisions lie behind Barth's evasion of nature, and even here they appear unnecessary from Barth's wider project. Otherwise his theology bends in the other direction, as God claims human freedom within the environment of Jesus. In answer to the problems with stewardship ethics, Barth's account of grace counsels stewardship away from the hubris of partnership models and shows how it might theologically accommodate the use of natural sciences and environmental experience. Barth also lets stewardship theologies imagine how to talk about an ethical place of Christian witness, thus showing how stewardship may be well suited to engage issues like agriculture, built environments, and ecological restoration.
Michael Patrick Murphy
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195333527
- eISBN:
- 9780199868896
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195333527.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The chapter serves both as a brief biography of Balthasar and a protracted bibliography of his work. The consideration of Balthasar's monumental opus (The Glory of the Lord, Theo‐drama, and ...
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The chapter serves both as a brief biography of Balthasar and a protracted bibliography of his work. The consideration of Balthasar's monumental opus (The Glory of the Lord, Theo‐drama, and Theo‐logic) provides a critical “system” in which to read texts and begins to illustrate Balthasar's unique contribution to current discussions about the intersection between theology, history, philosophy, and narrative art. The chapter demonstrates that not only is Balthasar one of the most important Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, but also his work has practical contributions to make to discourses in critical theory. Like critical theory, Balthasar's work is theological, literary, anthropological, philosophical, psychological, political, and historical, which are critical theory's main components. In the spirit of the ressourcement theology that shaped him, Balthasar is primarily interested in renewing attention to older sources in order to critique the idealistic excesses of modernity. In this sense, Balthasar reveals a postmodern temperament: he too is concerned with issues of language and difference, with aporia, with plurality, with surplus, and with horizons of meaning, to name a few. The difference between Balthasar and the majority of critical theorists resides in ontological and theological orientation: it is therefore a difference of imagination and of grammar. The chapter elaborates on these and other dynamic relationships.Less
The chapter serves both as a brief biography of Balthasar and a protracted bibliography of his work. The consideration of Balthasar's monumental opus (The Glory of the Lord, Theo‐drama, and Theo‐logic) provides a critical “system” in which to read texts and begins to illustrate Balthasar's unique contribution to current discussions about the intersection between theology, history, philosophy, and narrative art. The chapter demonstrates that not only is Balthasar one of the most important Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, but also his work has practical contributions to make to discourses in critical theory. Like critical theory, Balthasar's work is theological, literary, anthropological, philosophical, psychological, political, and historical, which are critical theory's main components. In the spirit of the ressourcement theology that shaped him, Balthasar is primarily interested in renewing attention to older sources in order to critique the idealistic excesses of modernity. In this sense, Balthasar reveals a postmodern temperament: he too is concerned with issues of language and difference, with aporia, with plurality, with surplus, and with horizons of meaning, to name a few. The difference between Balthasar and the majority of critical theorists resides in ontological and theological orientation: it is therefore a difference of imagination and of grammar. The chapter elaborates on these and other dynamic relationships.
Michael Patrick Murphy
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195333527
- eISBN:
- 9780199868896
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195333527.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Chapter 4 isolates several essential aspects of Balthasar's theodramatic theory and discusses how they “play” in and through Lars von Trier's dramatic film Breaking the Waves (1996), the first ...
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Chapter 4 isolates several essential aspects of Balthasar's theodramatic theory and discusses how they “play” in and through Lars von Trier's dramatic film Breaking the Waves (1996), the first installment of his Golden Heart trilogy. It is no coincidence that Balthasar places his theodramatic program precisely between his Aesthetics and Logic in order to emphasize the spatial centrality of God's dramatic action in, with, and through the world. In addition to examining theological mysteries (such as kenosis and the “events” of Holy Saturday), the chapter demonstrates more acutely the many contributions that Balthasar provides the contemporary religious critic. The chapter finds that the retrieval of this powerful relationship between theology and narrative art—between theological rhetoric and dramatic representation—is a main topic of Balthasar's Theodrama and that a serious study of the implications of his theodramatics bears ripe fruit for theorists of contemporary literature.Less
Chapter 4 isolates several essential aspects of Balthasar's theodramatic theory and discusses how they “play” in and through Lars von Trier's dramatic film Breaking the Waves (1996), the first installment of his Golden Heart trilogy. It is no coincidence that Balthasar places his theodramatic program precisely between his Aesthetics and Logic in order to emphasize the spatial centrality of God's dramatic action in, with, and through the world. In addition to examining theological mysteries (such as kenosis and the “events” of Holy Saturday), the chapter demonstrates more acutely the many contributions that Balthasar provides the contemporary religious critic. The chapter finds that the retrieval of this powerful relationship between theology and narrative art—between theological rhetoric and dramatic representation—is a main topic of Balthasar's Theodrama and that a serious study of the implications of his theodramatics bears ripe fruit for theorists of contemporary literature.
