Karl Barth's Trinitarian Theology: A Study of Karl Barth's Analogical Use of the Trinitarian Relation

(Hardback)

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Karl Barth's Trinitarian Theology is an original and insightful discussion of the theme of the Trinity in the thought of Karl Barth with particular reference to ecclesiology. The book examines Karl Barth's analogical use of the Trinity, with respect to various patterns of divine-human communion in the context of the doctrine of redemption. In the first part of the book, Oh explores Barth's understanding and use of analogy throughout his theological development. To support his argument on the concept of analogy and in order to place Barth's moral theology in context, Oh compares the work of Kierkegaard and Barth. This research gives fresh insight into Karl Barth's Trinitarian, theological hermeneutics. In Part II, Oh examines Barth's analogical use of the doctrine of the Trinity from an ecclesiastical perspective. He demonstrates an indirect relationship and similarity between the perichoretic 'intra divine' communion and the complementary 'divine-human' relation in Barth's theology of redemption.

Reviews

'This book carefully and thoroughly plumbs the depths of Barth's theological writing to draw out a key to its inner logic, a logic by which the whole of Barth's theology can be understood more comprehensively. That key is the trinitarian relationality of perichoresis (the mutual interpenetration and coinherence of divine Persons constituting the Triune God).Dr. Oh's book is the first that I know of that rigorously analyzes Barth's corpus and explicates it faithfully in light of its relational logic. This by itself is a great and much-needed contribution.I expect Dr. Oh's voice to be increasingly authoritative in Barth scholarship.' -- Robert K. Martin, Associate Professor, Saint Paul School of Theology, USA
'Barth's doctrines of the Trinity and the church continue to provoke debate; this thorough study offers new matters for reflection not only to Barth specialists but to any interested in the study of Christian doctrine'. -- John Webster, Professor of Systematic Theology, King's College, University of Aberdeen
'Focusing on the concept of perichoresis in Barth's Trinitarian theology, this book offers a perceptive study of a little noticed feature of Barth's thought and ably demonstrates the considerable importance of the concept to his wider theological concerns. The book thus constitutes an original and challenging contribution both to Barth studies and also to the field of ecclesiology where the notion of perichoresis is especially applicable.' -- Murray Rae, Senior Lecturer in Theology, University of Otago, New Zealand
-Mention. The Chronicle of Higher Education/ May 11, 2007
"In sum, this is a significant, if at times uncritical, exposition of Barth's theology. It makes an important contribution to broader theological discussion in its presentation of Barth's understanding of the relationship between divine and human freedom in the Christian life, and in showing how this is drawn from his Christology and rooted in his doctrine of God. This will be a significant book for all students of Barth, and useful for many working on the doctrine of God." --Don Schweitzer, St. Andrew's College, Toronto Journal of Theology -- Don Schweitzer, St. Andrew's College * Toronto Journal of Theology *

Author Bio

Dr PeterOh graduated from Yale University, USA,and obtainedhis PhD from Kings College, London, UK(under the supervision of Colin Gunton). He is currently a research fellow at the Eberhard-Karls-Universitat in Tubingen, Germany,where he is working on his habilitationsschrift.