First Essay Discussing Method in Theology
pdf
keyboard_arrow_up
School
County College of Morris *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
122
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
Pages
6
Uploaded by AgentMoon13637
Contemporary theology is a dynamic field characterized by diverse methodologies
employed by theologians to engage with questions of faith, doctrine, and the divine. Karl Barth’s
Christocentric approach to theology revolves around the word of God, Jesus Chirst. At the heart
of Barth's approach is the conviction that God is known only through God's self-revelation in
Jesus Christ. This emphasis on Christ as the definitive revelation of God shapes every aspect of
Barth's theological inquiry, from his understanding of Scripture to his doctrines of God,
humanity, and salvation. Barth contends that God's revelation is uniquely and decisively
manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. He rejects any notion of a general or natural theology
that could be attained through human reason or observation of the natural world. Instead, Barth
insists that true knowledge of God comes solely through encountering Jesus Christ.
Christocentric theology, in Barth’s eyes, is the “... process of subjecting the church and its
proclamation to questioning and testing by reference to the living Word of God in Jesus Christ.”
(Migliore, 15). This is the criteria for truth. By placing Jesus Christ at the center of Scripture,
Barth interprets the entire biblical narrative as bearing witness to Christ's redemptive work. He
famously stated that "Jesus Christ is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we
have to trust and obey in life and in death.” Barth insists that there is only one norm: Jesus Christ
himself as God incarnate, and he is recognized as, “ … the way, the truth, and the life.” (Jn.
14.6). The determination of the Christian faith is not through location nor through serving
teachings from philosophy or psychology. The direct interpretation of God, Christ, and the Holy
Spirit should be derived from the definition God has revealed to us, not from the depth within
ourselves nor the location or situation from which we stem from.
Paul Tillich, through his correlation theology, exhorts humanity to engage in the profound
task of shaping and comprehending the divine. According to Tillich, there exists a dynamic
current that traverses, weaving together elements of revelation, lived experience, and cultural
expression. The danger with Tillich’s approach, however, is that he allows human experience,
vulture, and context to shape and dictate his theology, and that is completely wrong. Depth is
what the word, “ …
God
means. And if that word has not much meaning for you, translate it, and
speak of the depths of your life, of the source of your being, of your ultimate concern, of what
you take seriously without any reservation.” (CD IV/1, 319-20). Tillich posits that truth is
discovered through introspection, lived experiences, and cultural contexts. However, a critical
viewpoint contends that genuine truth is exclusively revealed through Christ. This perspective
suggests that if religion were solely derived from culture and human circumstances, it would be
subjective perception rather than absolute truth. Barth, in contrast, asserts that truth
fundamentally emanates from God Himself, underscoring that truth is and remains identical with
God himself, so that the truth can come to us from God. Tillich’s method deviates him from the
proper view of the Trinity in the context of the Nicene Creed, where Jesus Christ is, “... God
from God, Light from Light, and true God, from true God.” Migliore’s method states that the
responsibility of a theologian is to inquire about the community’s faith in God. His method of
theology is to follow Barth, but to also incorporate the approaches of both Tillich and Liberation
Theologians.
In a similar vein, David Tracy’s revisionary theology is a modification of Tillich’s
correlation method. Tracy’s hermeneutical method emphasizes the interpretive task of theology
in a pluralistic world. Tracy contends that the present plurality of theology can be understood
through, “... various primary locations in church, academy, or society. In each setting, different
aims and criteria come into play. Each social location of theology imposes its own set of
questions, its own relative criteria of truth and adequacy, and its own special emphases.”
(Migliore, 16). Tracy believes that correlation involves mutual correction and enrichment. This is
a major issue in contemporary theology. If God’s revelation in Christ can involve enrichment and
correction from human culture, the one has to ignore the problem of sin, the need for forgiveness
and the fact is and will alway remain identical with God. The only source of truth is what God
has revealed to us, not our culture nor ourselves.
Rahner’s Transcendental Theology develops a general, “... ontology and anthropology a
priori doctrine of the God Man, and in this way try to construct the conditions which make
possible a genuine capacity to hear the historical message of Jesus Christ.” (Rahner, 36-37). With
his method, Rahner confuses revelation with the consciousness of ourselves. By fitting Jesus into
a priori doctrine, he excludes Christ’s uniqueness. If we place Jesus into a priori doctrine, then
we are determining who he is, which goes against Barth’s approach of Jesus, and God as the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as confessed in the Nicene Creed. Barth expects everything
from Jesus Christ and from Jesus Christ everything. Fitting Jesus into a priori ontology or
anthropology would always mean that philosophy and anthropology would determine the truth of
theology and not God. Additionally, in light of the cross and what is revealed, we are not capable
of hearing Jesus’ message and understanding its truth unless the risen Lord through his Spirit
allows us to. According to Rahner, the supernatural existence belongs to the essence, “... human
nature to be called to grace, to be able to find God in the particular of all history…the history of
salvation and revelation are coextensive with history of the human race…” (Rahner 36-7). Barth
would refute the notion of a supernatural existential, arguing that it blurs the distinction between
nature and grace. Jesus Christ was God’s grace upon us to overcome our enmity with God. If
grace is considered an inherent aspect of our existence, the necessity of seeking Christ for
understanding sin and salvation would seem redundant. Furthermore, Barth would firmly reject
Rahner's concept of 'anonymous Christianity,' contending that genuine Christianity entails belief
in Jesus Christ and adherence to the apostolic teachings concerning him. Thus, according to
Barth, authentic Christianity requires conscious acknowledgment of Christ's identity and a
genuine embrace of His grace and love. Tillich would also be completely incorrect with this
because he believes that it is not about being perceived as a believer, but having depth and
finding the truth in ourselves. Self-acceptance does not equate to accepting Christ. Neither does
loving one’s neighbor equate to following Christianity. Real faith comes into play when one
accepts themselves as children of Christ and, by knowing that they are forgiven, and the power
of understanding that God does not come from us, but comes from God Himself. Moreover,
Stanley Grenz and Roger Olson state that grace becomes intrinsic to our transcendental
experience, which is completely wrong. They, like Rahner, confuse nature and grace as well.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
The "praxis approach" outlined by Migliore encompasses liberation theology, which finds
expression in the works of African-American, feminist, black South African, and various Third
World theologians, notably spearheaded by Gustavo Gutierrez. Gutierrez, “... defends the
importance of a new form of theology as “critical reflection on Christian praxis in the light of the
Word.” In this method of theology, real commitment to and struggle for justice come first. It is
out of the real struggle for human freedom and justice in the world that the pertinent questions of
theology are raised. A new way of reading and interpreting Scripture results when concrete
praxis is taken as the point of departure for critical theological reflection. The first step is “real
charity, action and commitment to the service of others. Theology is reflection, a critical attitude.
Theology follows; it is the second step.” Gutierrez believes that we are agents of our own history,
which implies that there needs to be a new understanding of our relationship with God, since the
human race is forever changing. This thinking is allowing context to shape our understanding,
which is wrong. Making us more human or perceiving ourselves as a creative subject cannot be
accomplished through us. It is done by Christ freeing us to love God, which in turn, makes us
more human. Gutierrez also misses the whole point of Scripture. Using the Bible for your own
means to an end, and not understanding the word of God is clearly not theology. Barth states that
theology is what God asks of us, not the other way around. Struggle for freedom is not the root
for questioning theology. Freedom comes from the fact that Jesus forgave and saved us.
Additionally, by making the first step you take your experience of justice, you are substituting
yourself in the place of Christ. If your oppression is your first source of combating injustice, then
you are not doing good theology. One should look towards Scripture for guidance. Migliore
characterizes this method as a critical examination of Christian praxis in light of the Word.
Central to this approach is the recognition that theological inquiries stem from real-world
struggles for human freedom and justice. However, implicit in this approach is a departure from
the traditional theological paradigm, wherein theological questions traditionally arise from the
Word of God. By prioritizing human struggle as the starting point and, to some extent, the
criterion for theological truth, a significant theological dilemma emerges. This shift elevates
human praxis above divine revelation, potentially compromising the theological integrity of the
discourse. Migliore posits that when praxis becomes the point of departure for theological
reflection, it necessitates a reevaluation of scripture interpretation. Liberation theology advocates
for a methodology where charity, action, and commitment to service precede theological
reflection. This inversion of the conventional theological process places emphasis on grassroots
experiences and perspectives.
Works Cited
InterVarsity Press. “20th Century Theology: God & the World in a Transitional Age (Grenz &
Olsen).”
Reformation Heritage Books
,
heritagebooks.org/products/20th-century-theology-god-the-world-in-a-transitional-age-gr
enz-olsen.html. Accessed 13 Feb. 2024.
Migliore, Daniel L. “Faith Seeking Understanding, Fourth Ed.”
Eerdmans Publishing Co
, 31
May 2023, www.eerdmans.com/9780802882851/faith-seeking-understanding-fourth-ed/.
Accessed 13 Feb. 2024.
“Paul Tillich Resources - Reader’s Guide.”
People.bu.edu
,
people.bu.edu/wwildman/tillich/stguide/stguide0.htm.
Rahner , Karl.
A World of Grace
. Washington, Georgetown University Press, 1995.
Willingale, Alan. “Evangelical Theology: An Introduction. By Karl Barth. (London: Weidenfeld
and Nicholson. 1963. 206 Pp. 25s.).”
Evangelical Quarterly: An International Review of
Bible and Theology
, vol. 36, no. 2, 6 Oct. 1964, p. 109,
https://doi.org/10.1163/27725472-03602007. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help