Letting the Bible itself speak: the mechanics of Karl Barth’s theological exegesis in Church Dogmatics II/2

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Letting the Bible itself speak: the mechanics of Karl Barth’s theological exegesis in Church Dogmatics II/2

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title: Letting the Bible itself speak: the mechanics of Karl Barth’s theological exegesis in Church Dogmatics II/2

creator: Irving, David M.

subject: Barth, Karl (1886-1968) - Church dogmatics.

subject: Barth, Karl (1886-1968) - Theology.

description: Abstract reads : "Karl Barth is a theologian who continues to receive both strong criticism and endorsement for his Biblical exegesis, demanding that his use of Scripture is better understood. This paper demonstrates that Barth uses several theological exegetical tools in his theological argumentation in Church Dogmatics II/2, at a place where he is eager to highlight the exegetical foundations of his theological argumentation. Four theological exegetical tools—Narrative, Juxtaposition, Typology, and Dialectic—correspond to four successive stages in Barth’s argumentation in II/2, and account for the way that Scripture functions in Barth’s theological argument. Whole-of-Scripture narrative exegesis frames Barth’s argument (§32); his juxtaposition of disparate texts builds his reconstructed Christocentric election hermeneutic (§33); he uses typology to extend this hermeneutic to God’s other objects of election (the community and the individual) (§34-45); and, finally, Barth draws his discussions to careful conclusions with dialectical exegesis (§35). Each of these terms have also been used to describe Barth’s use of Scripture and argumentation as a whole, but I show that they are best understood as providing a specific function at different stages of his argumentation, even if they do also demonstrate significant overlap. Understood in this way, Barth’s theolog-ical exegesis is more complex than his critics and supporters have appreciated. But each of these theological exegetical tools also manifest something of the moral dilemma at the heart of theological exegesis, and much of the misunderstanding about Barth: that theological concepts are not brought to overbear upon the text of Scripture without having been thoroughly informed by Scripture. To use the language of Oliver O’Donovan, that Scripture is to be read “along the grain.” While themechanics of Barth’s argument does not always demonstrate this moral virtue, his attempt to “let the Bible itself speak” provides a theological exegetical challenge that deserves its legacy of sustained reflection.Master of Theology, Moore Theological College.

publisher: Moore Theological College

date: 2019

type: Text

language: English

rights: In copyright - educational use only.This item may be used for the purposes of research and study. Please acknowledge David M. Irving and that it is held by Moore Theological College.This digital item is accessible online to all.

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