Trinity and Election: The Christocentric Reorientation of Karl Barth’s Speculative Theology, 1936-1942

This book challenges Bruce McCormacks paradigm of post-Kantian Barth scholarship and builds on the interpretive model developed by Sigurd Baark in 2018. It argues that Barth adopted an Anselmian mode of theological speculation, finding immediate self-identity in the triune God, and that the speculative identity that enables human knowledge of God is the identity between God-in-and-for-Godself and God-for-us. It also explores the nationalistic dimension of speculative metaphysics in 19th-century Germany, highlighting its significance in the context of Barths development of a Christocentric form of speculative theology.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This book presents a groundbreaking challenge to Bruce McCormacks paradigm of post-Kantian Barth scholarship. Building upon the interpretative model developed by Sigurd Baark in 2018, it delves into the intricate nuances of Barth's innovative theological speculation. This model interprets Barth's adoption of an Anselmian mode of theological inquiry, situated within the intellectual-historical backdrop of the idealist tradition of speculative metaphysics, which culminated in Hegel.

In this book, the author argues that Barth embraced the Anselmian mode of speculation, wherein the immediate self-identity between subject, object, and act is exclusively found in the triune God. At the same time, the speculative identity that enables human knowledge of God is none other than the identity between God-in-and-for-Godself and God-for-us. By exploring the nationalistic dimension of speculative metaphysics in 19th-century Germany, Tseng identifies this as a crucial aspect of the context in which Barth developed his Christocentric form of speculative theology.

This book offers a profound exploration of Barth's theological vision, shedding light on his unique approach to speculative theology and its profound implications for the Christian faith. It is a must-read for scholars and students interested in the intersection of philosophy, theology, and history.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780567709318