How to Read Karl Barth: The Shape of His Theology

by George Hunsinger

This critical study decodes the most cryptic and elusive patterns of Karl Barth's dialectic. Hunsinger not only offers a new and authoritative interpretation of Barth's mature theology, but also places Barth's work in relation to contemporary discussions of truth, justified belief, double agency, and religious pluralism. Through a fresh and compelling reading of Church Dogmatics , Hunsinger offers a new account of the coherence of that work as a whole.

Genres: Theology, History, Christianity

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 1990

About the author

George Hunsinger (PhD, Yale University) is Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. He is best known for his critically acclaimed work in Barth’s theology and has been president of the Karl Barth Society of North American since 2003.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work is an expansion of Hunsinger's dissertation under Hans Frei. It is a VERY helpful volume in which Hunsinger summarizes six vital "motifs" for understanding how to read Karl Barth (actualism, particularism, objectivism, personalism, realism, and rationalism). He suggests that Barth ought to be read and understood in light of these motifs. Helpful also is the initial chapter reviewing ways in which Barth has been read previously.

Perhaps most helpful is Hunsinger's exploration of what Barth says about the relationship between divine and human agency. In Hunsinger’s analysis it is dealt with in terms of what Hunsinger calls the “Chalcedonian pattern” and the Trinitarian pattern of “dialectical inclusion.” Here's a look at the contents:

Table of Contents:

Prologue: Readings Old and New – a Critique

Part 1 – The Motifs in Survey: The Shaping of Doctrine in the Church Dogmatics

Chapter 1 – Four Motifs: A Preliminary Survey
Chapter 2 – Two More Motifs: A Detailed Survey

Part 2 – The Motifs Applied: The Conception of Truth in the Church Dogmatics

Chapter 3 – Truth as Event and as Unique in Kind
Chapter 4 – Truth as Mediated: Revelation
Chapter 5 – Truth as Mediated: Reconciliation
Chapter 6 – Truth as Encounter
Chapter 7 – Double Agency as a Test Case

Conclusion: Christ the Center
Epilogue: Secular Parables of the Truth

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the six "motifs" by which Barth crafts his theology. In reading Church Dogmatics one is immediately struck by the precision of Barth's language, but one is also quickly overwhelmed by the terminology, the definitions of which Barth often assumes or leaves for the reader to discern. Hunsinger details what Barth intends in these motifs (actualism, particularism, objectivism, personalism, realism, and rationalism) and walks the reader through several examples of their application in CD, while also demonstrating the dialectical and analogical shape of Barth's work. This is a "must read" book for anyone planning to read through CD.

[Kyle Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a technical book aimed at elucidating a set of motifs that are nearly always operative in any topic Barth is discussing in his oceanic Church Dogmatics (CD). Hunsinger is a discerning and masterful reader of Barth. Very helpful if you plan to seriously read and think about what Barth has to say. Not your book if you are looking for an intro or overview of Barth's life and work. For that I really enjoyed John Webster's short and accessible book entitled Karl Barth (2nd edition). The goal of this book is "pattern recognition" (p. 7) as the crucial skill needed to navigate Barth's strange and complex theological world.

Hunsinger identifies 6 motifs which he claims function as "a flexible but unmistakable repertoire of thought forms" (p. 6). Together these motifs work like a lens through which Barth's teaching in CD should be viewed and which, rather than any one unifying conception (rival claims are considered and rejected), shape his theology as a whole. The motifs are all technical terms (actualism, particularism, objectivism, personalism, realism, and rationalism) that to me seemed cold, abstract, and impenetrable, but once they were explained, analyzed, and thoroughly illustrated they really did help me understand and appreciate what Barth is trying to do in CD. These motifs are some of the basic conceptual engines that drive Barth's theology through its mysterious and exhilarating terrain.

Hunsinger claims these motifs are needed in navigating Barth because he is:
"so deeply traditional and so strikingly innovative, so rigorous in argument and so daring in conception, so simple in essence and so complex in development, so narrowly focused and so wide-ranging in scope, so passionate in commitment and so relentless in criticism, so exasperating in disagreement and so inspiring in devotion. (p. 3)

Sections I most enjoyed:

1. The illustrations of Barth's Chalcedonian, Trinitarian, and Hegelian patterns
2. Barth's concept of human being's incorporation in Christ
3. Vocation as a matter of fellowship
4. The discussion on double agency, ie the relationship between God's grace and our faith
5. Related to pt 4, Barth's unwillingness to resolve biblical mysteries for the sake of systematic clarity
6. How all these motifs which seem so technical and abstract are all just ways of conceptually clarifying the proper place of Jesus Christ in theology, that is, the center

The conclusion chapter ("Christ the Center") was an incredible finale that tied everything together.

This book is not for the theological faint of heart or the armchair theologian, but it will be rewarding for those who labor through it!

[Evan]

This was one of the hardest books I've ever read. I honestly can't believe I got through most of this. I think the title is deceptive; I thought this book was gonna be easy. But I learned a lot.

[Fr. Thomas Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid. Takes Excerpts from the Writing of Barth's works and fleshes them out a bit more. Sites his works well, and help the reader if they want to know where to Read more on the section per Barth himself.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short: for those who struggle with understanding Barth, this book provides a very helpful key that unlocks Barth in all his multifaceted complexity. Highly recommended.

[Alan]

Krunk!