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8 - Religion and Truth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2024

Keith Ward
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

Truth and justification are logically dissimilar, for sins can be forgiven, but errors can only be corrected.

There can be many finite forms of the Eternal Word, and Jesus may be only one.

Faith is not only for the weak and godless, as Barth suggests, but for those who seek spiritual truth.

Humans are not ‘enemies of grace’ or ‘monsters’; they are often good and faithful.

Christianity is not only the home of the godless who are forgiven, but also of the godly (though they too need grace).

Barth sees medieval Christianity as a ‘worldly configuration’. But it was also a power for creativity, charity and wisdom.

Barth protests against the autonomy of ‘modern man’. But he exaggerates the negative, and autonomy can be seen as an important human value.

Other Enlightenment values such as human rights, human fulfilment, and freedom of conscience can be seen as properly Christian implications of ‘love of neighbour’.

‘wrestling with God’ is not a story of enemies of God being forgiven, as Barth claims, but a story of persistence in prayer bringing divine blessing.

Keywords

Type
Chapter
Information
Karl Barth on Religion
A Critique
, pp. 135 - 158
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Religion and Truth
  • Keith Ward, University of Oxford
  • Book: Karl Barth on Religion
  • Online publication: 14 November 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009555456.008
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  • Religion and Truth
  • Keith Ward, University of Oxford
  • Book: Karl Barth on Religion
  • Online publication: 14 November 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009555456.008
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Religion and Truth
  • Keith Ward, University of Oxford
  • Book: Karl Barth on Religion
  • Online publication: 14 November 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009555456.008
Available formats
×