Arguing with Karl Barth

Karl Barth discusses being a disputant utilizing his classic “yes” and “no”.  Though many have referred to his argumentation as “dialectical” it is notable that he prefers the term “dialogical”.

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Sorry for My Theologizing

Reading Barth is like taking in a breath of fresh air.  One would not naturally think this should be so when reading a book with “Dogmatic” in the title (as that word has taken rather negative connotations).  Not that Barth does not create difficulty with the breathing (its quite a struggle and rather slow going [...]

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Saved By Grace (A Sermon by Karl Barth)

The following is a sermon titled “Saved by Grace” preached by Karl Barth to inmates of the prison at Basel, Switzerland on August 14, 1955.  I thought it appropriate on this Resurrection Sunday and so I give it with prayers included: O Lord, our God!  Through thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, thou hast made [...]

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Deus Absconditus

In reading Barth…one cannot help but be confronted by his notion that only God can reveal God.  For instance, Who can reveal God except God Himself? Neither a man that has been raised up nor an idea that has come down can do it.  These are both creatures. (CD I.1 p.406) Barth moves from this [...]

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A Kind and Erudite Review of Metaxas’ “Bonhoeffer”

CBD Academic has a blog well worth reading where there was a guest review of Eric Metaxas’ “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” by Bonhoeffer scholar Joe McGarry (Aberdeen University).  In it, he gives credit to Metaxas for his ability to craft a book that has become a NYTimes best seller about a dead German theologian [...]

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The Freedom to Pray

The real basis of prayer is man’s freedom before God, the God-given permission to pray which, because it is given by God, becomes a command and order and therefore a necessity.  As he is created free before God, man is simply placed under the superior, majestic and clear will of God.  He is not, therefore, [...]

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Theology as “science”?

Barth opens his Church Dogmatics by making pronouncements concerning the nature of theology as “science”.  This is not the normal language that I personally am accustomed to and wonder what others think of this?  He regards theology in its own right as a unique science that does “not have to justify itself” to the other [...]

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Gourmet Theology

To set the context of Barth’s term “gourmet theologians” I thought I better give just a bit of context: The external growth of the book is also connected with my desire to give more space to an indication of the biblico-theological pre-suppositions and the historico-dogmatic and polemical relations of my statements.  I have condensed all [...]

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Why I Want to Read Barth

As we begin our new blogging venture, I am thinking about why we all ordered Barth’s Church Dogmatics and why we want to read them. Marc has spoken his mind. Here are my reasons. (Bear in mind, I haven’t read much Barth, so what follows are my impressions of Barth. Actually reading his books might [...]

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A community blog is born

I realize I’ll be preaching to the choir–that is, the guys who will participate in this blog are the only ones who know about it at this point–but I have an urge to write something, because I’m excited about this new venture. I hope none of the guys mind. T & T Clark, the original [...]

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