Karl Barth's Christological Ecclesiology

by Kimlyn J. Bender, D. Stephen Long (Foreword by)

Overview

In a revision of her doctoral dissertation for Princeton Theological Seminary, Bender (theology and philosophy, U of Sioux Falls, US) seeks to explicate Barth's (1886-1968) ecclesiology by drawing attention to the Christological logic that governs its inner shape, structure, and content. Her goal is to trace the past and present missteps in interpreting his ecclesiology back to a failure either to place his doctrine of the church within his larger dogmatic framework, or to understand its implicitly ethical nature. She offers a chronological narrative of the development and representation of the inner logic of his doctrine of the church from its earliest versions to its final formulations. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781725248649
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	10/10/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	324
File size:	50 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Dr Kimlyn J. Bender is Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy at the University of Sioux Falls, USA.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the Paperback Edition D. Stephen Long xi

Preface to the Paperback Edition xv

Acknowledgments xvii

Abbreviations xix

1 Introduction 1

Part 1 Barth's Early Ecclesiology

2 Barth's Early Theology: Battles on the Left and on the Right 17

1 The Setting - Wilhelm Herrmann and the Legacy of Liberalism 17

2 The Struggle against Neo-Protestantism and Its Church Concept 24

A Revolt Against the Church-Culture Synthesis and the Romans Commentary 24

B Debate with Schleiermacher, Founder of Liberal Protestantism 37

3 The Engagement with Roman Catholicism and Its Ecclesiology 45

3 The Path to the Ecclesiology of the Church Dogmatics 59

1 From Critical to Constructive Ecclesiology - A Shift in Emphasis 59

2 The Ecclesiology of the Gottingen Dogmatics 66

A Exposition: The Shape and Content of Earth's Ecclesiology in the GD 67

B Evaluation: The Achievement of Barth's Ecclesiology in the GD 75

3 Reactions to Barth's Early Ecclesiology 82

4 A Return to me Beginning 89

Part 2 Barth's Mature Ecclesiology

4 The Election of Jesus Christ: The Foundation of Ecclesiology 95

1 Introduction - Theology as Church Dogmatics 95

2 The Election of Jesus Christ: The Church and Predestination 97

3 The Election of Jesus Christ: The Church and Christology 106

4 The Church in Light of the Election of Jesus Christ 121

5 Summary 127

5 Reconciliation as the Context of Ecclesiology 130

1 Introduction - Jesus Christ and the History of the Covenant 130

2 Reconciliation and Human Agency: The Action of the Church 136

3 Reconciliation and History: The Nature of the Church 141

A The Question of Historical Distance: Christ and the Church 147

B The Question of Historical Duration: The Spirit and the Church 152

4 Summary 158

6 The Origin of the Church as the Fellowship of the Spirit 162

1 Introduction - The Holy Spirit and the Christian Community 162

2 The Reality of the Church: The Church as Event and Institution 168

A The Noetic Basis of the Church: The Church as an Article of Faith 168

B The Ontic Basis of the Church: The Church as Invisible and Visible 170

3 The Obedience of the Church: The Church as Sinful and Sanctified 174

4 The Growth of the Church: Numerical and Spiritual Increase 180

5 The Marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic 181

A The Church Is One 182

B The Church Is Holy 185

C The Church Is Catholic 188

D The Church Is Apostolic 190

6 Summary 192

7 The Order of the Church as the Body of Christ 194

1 Introduction - Christ and the Christian Community 194

2 Christ, the Spirit, and the Community 195

3 The Form of the Community 198

A The Church as the Body of Christ 198

B The Totus Christus 202

4 The Order of the Community 205

A The Correspondence of the Life of the Community to Christ 205

B The Dialectical Nature of Church Law 208

C The Christological Basis of Church Law 209

5 Dogmatic Presuppositions of Church Law 211

A Church Law as a Law of Service 211

B Church Law as Liturgical Law 213

C Church Law as Living Law 216

D Church Law as Exemplary Law 219

6 Summary 221

8 The Ordination of the Church as the People of God in the World 225

1 Introduction - The Community of God in World-Occurrence 225

2 The World in the Light of Christ and the Community 229

3 The Church in the World: The Influence of the World upon the Church 235

A Freedom and Dependence 236

B Weakness and Strength 241

4 The Church for the World: Its Task and Ministry 243

A The Mission of the Church in the Light of Christ's Mission 244

B The Mission of the Church as Solidarity with the World 247

C The Nature of the Church's Ministry 250

D The Forms of the Church's Ministry 253

5 The Church and the State 257

6 Summary 267

9 Looking Back and Looking Ahead 270

Bibliography 288

Index 299

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Both comprehensive and authoritative, Kimlyn Bender's fine study of Karl Barth's Christocentric doctrine of the church will undoubtedly serve as the standard work on the topic. The volume demonstrates that Barth's ecclesiology, while leaving some questions unresolved, is far richer, more coherent, and more complex than his critics have recognized."

Daniel Migliore,
Professor of Theology, Emeritus
Princeton Theological Seminary

"Karl Barth's Christological Ecclesiology is one of the most distinguished studies of Barth's theology of the church. For scope, penetration, analytical precision and maturity of judgement, it can scarcely be bettered."

John Webster,
Professor of Divinity, St Mary's College
University of St Andrews, Scotland

"Kimlyn Bender has written one of the best books on Barth's ecclesiology. No one interested in this question can afford to ignore it. Theologically incisive throughout, it contains a thorough and unsurpassed account of how Barth's views developed over time, from his earliest writings to his final works."

George Hunsinger,
Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Systematic Theology
Princeton Theological Seminary

"Kimlyn Bender has given us a splendid study of a key theme in the theology of Karl Barth. This work clearly and competently explores Barth's views of the church, generated through his overall christological focus. The breadth is wide and Bender's scholarship is deep. Especially valuable is that this exposition of ecclesiology leads through chapters on major themes in Barth's theology as a whole. So the book serves as a prism of Barth's theology, introducing us to insights from his theological enterprise which impact his christological, ecclesiological emphases. This volume shows Barth as firmly a church theologian and is most welcome as an important, useful study of the twentieth century's greatest theologian."
Donald K. McKim
Editor, How Karl Barth Changed My Mind

Editorial Reviews

'Kimlyn Bender offers a lucid, well-organised and thorough account of Barth's doctrine of the church, a doctrine derived from and informed by a Christo-logic at every point... Bender has filled a significant gap in English language Barth studies and serves as a sure-footed guide who blazes a trail through tough territory and points out the stunning scenery as he goes.' Zeitschrift für Dialektische Theologie 'This well-documented and clearly presented study of the ecclesiology of Kark Barth comprises a bold attempt to revisit a topic that, for over 50 years, has been treated by a number of noted Barthian experts... The sheer skill and intensity with which Bender conducts this exposition is impressive... As an orderly and serious compendium of Barth's thought on the Christian community, this study is valuable... Bender's passion for the event of the church as Barth understood it might lead many readers to learn on their own why the avid master of Basel still generates like-minded scholars.' Theological Studies ’Bender’s work is a wonderful contribution to Barth studies and to ecclesiological reflection in general. Bender makes a strong case that future thinking on the nature and task of the church ought to go ’through and not around Barth’s doctrine of the church’ (p. 284). Certainly future work on Barth’s ecclesiology will have to be undertaken in dialogue with Bender’s elaboration and interpretation of it.’ Ecclesiology

From the Publisher