Karl Barth's Analogy of Beauty: Its Basis and Implications for Theological Aesthetics

This book examines Karl Barths view of beauty and challenges the interpretation that he recovered a traditional belief in Gods beauty but refused to relate it to more familiar natural and artistic beauties. It argues that Barth gradually developed an analogy of divine, ecclesial, and worldly beauty with theological, christocentric, and actualistic hallmarks, providing valuable new insight into his view of analogy and a foundation for a distinctively Protestant and post-Barthian approach to theological aesthetics.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 234 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of Karl Barth's perspective on beauty, a topic that has been the subject of scholarly inquiry for over fifty years. While scholars have generally acknowledged that Barth restored a belief in God's beauty, they have disregarded any connection between this concept and more familiar natural and artistic beauties. Hans Urs von Balthasar was the first to propose this interpretation, which has since been widely accepted, rendering Barth's view of beauty irrelevant to the field of theological aesthetics. However, this volume seeks to challenge Balthasar's interpretation by arguing that it also represents a significant misunderstanding of Barth's theology.

Andrew Dunstan, in his contribution, demonstrates that Barth's encounter with fatalistic forms of Reformed theology played a crucial role in shaping his understanding of beauty. Through this encounter, Barth gradually developed an analogy of divine, ecclesial, and worldly beauty that bears all the theological, christocentric, and actualistic hallmarks of his previous forms of analogy. This exploration not only provides valuable insights into Barth's view of analogy but also establishes a foundation for a distinctively Protestant and post-Barthian approach to theological aesthetics.

In conclusion, this book offers a fresh and insightful perspective on Karl Barth's view of beauty, challenging previous interpretations and providing a valuable foundation for further exploration in the field of theological aesthetics.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032109503