rhettsmith.com: "If we claim to have too perfect an understanding of the gospel, we at once lose our understanding." Karl Barth

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August 18, 2006

"If we claim to have too perfect an understanding of the gospel, we at once lose our understanding." Karl Barth

So I am reading one of those books that I was supposed to read at the time of a class I was taking, but I somehow didn't get around to it. And then a year or two, or later, I decided to pick that book up and read it. You know what I mean. That book is Karl Barth: His Life from Letters and Autobiographical Texts by Eberhard Busch and the class was Karl Barth and Evanglicalism taught by Dr. Ray Anderson. Great class, and it had a huge impact on my life and theology. I just didn't finish the book. But now I can't put it down.

What I have been really impressed with is Karl Barth's humility and willingness to always place himself in the position of a learner. You get the sense from reading his works is that he was one of those amazing theologians who was constantly in process. He never felt he had to have all the final answers now. He was humble enough to go back and re-edit a work, or completely do it over, which is pretty much the case with his The Epistle to the Romans. This type of humbleness is not often found in theology today, and certainly many theologians and pastors are unwilling to admit that they don't have all the answers or that certain doctrines and ideas they are still working through. I find this aspect of Barth's theology refreshing, and I think it is why many of his students were drawn to him and while his theological legacy is bigger than ever.

Another aspect of Karl Barth that I find refreshing as well is his own understanding of what it meant to be out in front of a theological movement, and when it was time to stop arguing and criticizing all the time, and when it was time to get to work. At the same time, he was content to let things progress and rework them until he felt they were ready in his eyes. I think a lot of work (including my own) is spent criticizing and arguing, rather than at the task of working, and really moving forward. It takes a rare person to put themselves out front knowing that their theology is not all wrapped up, but being vulnerable enough and exposing themselves enough to speak what they are still processing, all in the hopes of opening up dialogue and discussion. That person opens themselves up to all kinds of attacks and criticisms, but they are more courageous than those whom oppose them.

"The 'movement' stopped. Work began.' 'Now it was no longer a question of attacking all kinds of errors and abuses. All at once we were in the front rank. We had to take on responsibilities which we had not known about while we were simply in opposition. Suddenly we had been give an opportunity to say what we really thought in theology, and to show the church our real intention and ability...And yet we were far from being ready. It was not just a matter of building on and reinforcing positions which we had already taken up. We had only just begun on a course which each one had to follow laboriously to his own sphere. First of all the details had to be ascertained, clarified and above all tested. One close examination, many things were not what they had seemed to be at first sight."
--Busch, pp. 126-127

Where to begin? Read Barth on a Budget by Ben Myers.

Find out how to read Church Dogmatics in a Week. Great summary by Ben Myers again.

Visit Princeton Theological Seminary's Center for Barth Studies.