Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics for Everyone, Volume 1---The Doctrine of the Word of God: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners and Pros

by Marty Folsom

Overview

A Guided Tour of One of the Greatest Theological Works of the Twentieth Century

Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics is considered by many to be the most important theological work of the twentieth century and for many people reading it, or at least understanding its contents and arguments, is a lifelong goal. Yet its enormous size, at over 12,000 pages (in English translations) and enough print volumes to fill an entire shelf, make reading it a daunting prospect for seasoned theologians and novices alike.

Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics for Everyone, Volume 1--The Doctrine of the Word of God helps bridge the gap for would-be Karl Barth readers from beginners to professionals by offering an introduction to Barth's theology and thought like no other. User-friendly and creative, this guide helps readers get the gist, significance, and relevance of what Barth intended for the church... to restore the focus of theology and revitalize the practices of the church.

Each section contains insights for pastors, new theologians, professionals, and ordinary people including:

• Summaries of the section
• Contextual considerations
• And other visually informative features that reinforce the main points of the Barth's thought

In addition, each volume features the voices of authors from different academic disciplines who contribute brief reflections on the value of Church Dogmatics for creative discovery in their disciplines. Volume 1 reflections include:

• Douglas Campbell (biblical studies)
• Myk Habets (systematic theology)
• Richard Keith (pastors)
• Julie Canlis (ordinary people)
• James Chaousis (mental health)
• John Vissers (spiritual formation)

Whether you are just discovering Barth or want a fresh look at his magnum opus, this series invites you to an enjoyable and insightful journey into the Church Dogmatics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310125686
Publisher:	Zondervan Academic
Publication date:	06/21/2022
Series:	Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics for Everyone
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishing
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	768,758
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Marty Folsom (PhD, the University of Otago) has taught biblical studies and theology in New Zealand and in several Seattle area schools over the last three decades. He is author of the Face to Face trilogy and has published articles in a variety of journals including the Scottish Journal of Theology and CRUX. As a relational theologian who delves into the depths of academic resources, he then brings them to life for creative and constructive work in the church and personal relationships.

 

Table of Contents

Preface xi

How to Read This Book xiii

Introduction xix

We're Going on an Adventure xix

Tools for the Journey xx

A Map of What Follows xxiii

Who Was Karl Barth? xxiv

Part 1 Getting the Church Dogmatics in Focus

1 The View from Outer Space 3

2 The View from Earths Orbit 6

3 The View from 40,000 Feet 8

Space Shuttle Reentry View

4 The View from 30,000 Feet 11

View from an Airplane

5 The View from 14,000 Feet 15

View from a Mountaintop

6 The View from 5,000 Feet 19

View from a Mountain Loop Trail

7 The View from 1,200 Feet 25

View from the Trailhead

Part 2 Church Dogmatics 1.1

Engaging the God of the CD

Church Dogmatics, Chapter 1, "The Word of God as the Criterion of Dogmatics"

8 Preparing to Travel the Mountain Loop Trail 39

§ 1 The Task of Dogmatics

9 Getting Oriented for the Mountain Loop 43

§ 2 The Task of Prolegomena to Dogmatics

10 Checking to Make Sure We Are On the Correct Trail System 47

§ 3 Church Proclamation as the Material of Dogmatics

11 First Steps in Finding Our Way with the Appropriate Tools 52

§ 4 The Word of God in Its Threefold Form

12 Preparing for the Trail by Surveying the Trail 56

§ 5 The Nature of the Word of God

13 Stepping Onto the Trail 59

§ 6 The Knowability of the Word of God

14 Checking to Make Sure We Are on the Right Trail 63

§ 7 The Word of God, Dogma and Dogmatics

Church Dogmatics, Chapter 2, "The Revelation of God"

15 Beholding the Mountain to Capture Our Attention 69

§ 8 God in His Revelation

16 Attending to the Grandeur of the Mountain 75

§ 9 The Triunity of God

17 Comprehending the Whence of the Mountain 82

§ 10 God the Father

18 The Visible Structure of the Mountain as It Came to Be 89

§ 11 God the Son

19 Experiencing the Mountain 96

§ 12 God the Holy Spirit

Part 3 Church Dogmatics 1.2

Revelation and Freedom in the God-Human Relationship

20 Finding the Actual Mountain Full of Possibilities 105

§ 13 God's Freedom for Man

21 Times of Preparation, Participation, and Reminiscing 116

§ 14 The Time of Revelation

22 Discovering the Being and Becoming of the Mountain 126

§ 15 The Mystery of Revelation

23 Freedom to Explore the Wonder Breathed into Us 135

§ 16 The Freedom of Man for God

24 Defending the Mountain against Human Attempts to Exploit It… 145

§ 17 The Revelation of God as the Abolition of Religion

25 The Freedom to Be Alive in the Face of the Mountain 157

§ 18 The Life of the Children of God

Church Dogmatics, Chapter 3, "Holy Scripture"

26 The Guide's Guidebook to Attentive Exploration of the Mountain 173

§ 19 The Word of God for the Church

27 Following Trustworthy, Trained Guides in a Community of Explorers 188

§ 20 Authority in the Church

28 Freedom Found on the Trail with Competent Others 199

§ 21 Freedom in the Church

Church Dogmatics, Chapter 4, "Proclamation of the Church"

29 Listening in the Moment, Telling the Story, Enticing Others 215

§ 22 The Mission of the Church

30 Listening to the Guide for Safe and Sensational Excursions 227

§ 23 Dogmatics as a Function of the Hearing Church

31 The Invitation to Shared Reality 235

§ 24 Dogmatics as a Function of the Teaching Church

Part 4 Voices Valuing CD Volume 1: The Doctrine of the Word of God

The Value of CD 1 for Biblical Studies Douglas Campbell 247

The Value of CD 1 for Systematic Theology Myk Habets 249

The Value of CD 1 for Pastors Richard Keith 251

The Value of CD 1 for Ordinary People Julie Canlis 255

The Value of CD 1 for Mental Health James Chaousis 260

The Value of CD 1 for Spiritual Formation John Vissers 263

The Value of CD 1 for the Sciences Andrew Torrance 266

The Value of CD 1 for the Arts Steve Guthrie 269

Acknowledgments 277

Further Reading 279