The Defeat of Satan: Karl Barth's Three-Agent Account of Salvation

(Hardback)

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This book offers an innovative, critical, and constructive exploration of Barths theology, one which demonstrates the radicality of his thought and which underscores the continued contribution he might make to theological reflection on a central element of the Christian tradition. Declan Kelly uncovers the promise of viewing Barths account of salvation as a three-agent dramaa drama involving God, humanity, and anti-God powers. Kelly demonstrates and examines Barths cosmological portrayal of Gods saving event as a defeat of the lordship of Satan in the cosmosand, bound up with this, as an ending of Gods left handed activityand as the bringing into existence of a new creation under the rule of Gods right hand. Barths doctrines of election, the atonement, and the resurrection receive a fresh reading as the book explores his apocalyptic grasp of Gods eschatological deed of salvation and as it puts forward the claimwith and against Barththat the climax of this deed of salvation is best located in the event of Gods raising of Christ from the dead.

Reviews

Kelly has authored a very fine and surprising study of Barths mature report on the devil and Gods triumph over all his works in the theology of the Church Dogmatics. His close reading of Barths soteriology and his insightful analysis of the prominence and significance of this theme is as compelling as it is unsettling of received opinions, and rightly reminds us of the biblical depth and complexity of the Swiss theologians dogmatic programme. -- Philip G. Ziegler, University of Aberdeen, UK
In this engaging and lucid volume, Declan Kelly demonstrates that the role of the Third Agent extends further into Karl Barths soteriology than has previously been understood. His work will be instructive well beyond the confines of Barth scholarship. In particular, students of Pauline theology will find much that is of interest, particularly regarding Barths articulation of the relationship between cross and resurrection. Highly recommended! -- Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA
Declan Kelly subjects Barth's soteriology in Church Dogmatics to a fresh and remarkable interpretation. He points to a cosmological depth dimension of Barth's soteriology and shows that, in the wake of the doctrine of election, Barth conceives the doctrine of salvation as a three-agent drama. As a result, this study succeeds in uncovering, among other important things, new patterns of continuity (especially with CD III/3, 50 and CD IV/3, 69) that have been overlooked in the previous exclusively forensic interpretation of CD IV/1, 59. This book represents an important contribution to Barth research. -- Matthias D. Wthrich, Universitt Zrich, Switzerland

Author Bio

Declan Kelly holds a PhD in systematic theology from the University of Aberdeen, UK.