Law and Gospel in Emil Brunner's Earlier Dialectical Theology

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Description

The Swiss Reformed Theologian Emil Brunner was one of the key figures in the early 20th century theological movement of Dialectical Theology. In this monograph David Gilland offers an account of Bruner's earlier theology in relation to one of the central themes of the Protestant Reformation: Law and Gospel.He examines Brunner's early relationship with fellow Swiss Reformed theologian, Karl Barth and provides a detailed reading of a variety of Brunner's essays from the early to mid-1920s, centering on Brunner's efforts to use the law-gospel relationship to establish a basis for Christian theology. After analyzing the influence this has on Brunner's theological method, Gilland examines Brunner's earliest text on Christology, The Mediator (1927). In light of the preceding analysis, the fourth chapter provides a careful reading of Brunner's controversial polemic against Karl Barth, Nature and Grace (1934).The monograph concludes with reflections on Brunner's earlier theological work and his turbulent relationship with Karl Barth.

Reviews

Contemporary theology has often focused upon the work of Barth to the exclusion of Brunner. This volume offers a well-researched healthy counterbalance to that trend. -- Timothy Shaun Price, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, US * Theological Book Review *
[A] notable entry into this growing literature ... [R]igorous and densely packed [and] quite successful. * Journal of Theological Studies *

Author Bio

David Andrew Gilland teaches at Leuphana University, Lneberg, Germany. He received a MTS from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and a PhD in Systematic Theology from the University of Aberdeen, UK.