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Idolatry in the Theology of Karl Barth

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IDOLATRY IN THE THEOLOGY OF KARL BARTH William J. Brennan III A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2016 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/9029 This item is protected by original copyright This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence Idolatry in the Theology of Karl Barth William J. Brennan III This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 14 March 2016 1. Candidate’s declarations: I, William J Brennan III, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 80,000 words in length, has been written by me, and that it is the record of work carried out by me, or principally by myself in collaboration with others as acknowledged, and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student to the University of Aberdeen in September 2012, and to the University of St Andrews in September 2013, and as a candidate for the degree of PhD in September, 2013; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of Aberdeen between 2012 and 2013 and in the University of St Andrews between 2013 and 2016. Date …… signature of candidate ……… 2. Supervisor’s declaration: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of PhD in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date …… signature of supervisor ……… 3. Permission for publication: (to be signed by both candidate and supervisor) In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the publication of this thesis: PRINTED COPY a) No embargo on print copy ELECTRONIC COPY a) No embargo on electronic copy Date: ……. Signature of candidate:………….. Date:…….. Signature of supervisor:…………. Abstract This dissertation analyses and critically evaluates an aspect of Karl Barth’s thought, the understanding of which is important to a broader understanding of Barth, his relationship to other (especially iconoclastic) thinkers, and his relevance for contemporary theology: his understanding and critique of idolatry and the idol. Chapter 2 argues that it was revelation which both drove Barth’s idolatry-critique and determined his concepts of idolatry and the idol. It analyses Bath’s idolatry-critique as it was levelled against natural theology, and offers an evaluation of the picture of Barth’s thought which emerges. Chapter 3 analyses Barth’s idolatry-critique in relation to the doctrine of God. Directives which, for Barth, had to be adhered to within the development of the doctrine of God for the avoidance of idolatry, are discussed. Finally, an evaluation and critique of Barth’s critique of idolatry within the doctrine of God, and of his own adherence to these directives, is offered. Chapter 4 analyses the relationship of Barth’s idolatry-critique to his discussion of religion. It is shown that Barth, in his mature thought, criticised both the essence of religion and certain theological uses of the concept of religion as idolatry. Barth’s critique of religion as idolatry is itself subjected to critique, and the question of what bearing his critique of religion as idolatry ought to have for Christian, theological engagement with adherents of other world religions is taken up. Chapter 5 summarises and discusses further some of the findings and implications of this study. It is suggested that Barth’s thoroughly christological critique of idolatry (which is not without its own problems), in that it stands in contrast to the less particularistic forms of idolatry-critique set forth by several other modern scholars, raises the question of whether an idolatry-critique like his own might be called for within contemporary theology. For Isabel, Liam, and Scotland Acknowledgements There are many people to whom (and for whom) I must give thanks: to my fellow PhD students at the universities of Aberdeen and St Andrews, who in both formal and informal settings have helped me to think through the topics about which I’ve written; to Professor Tom Greggs, who helped to supervise my doctoral studies during their pivotal first year, and who first taught me to use a French press; to my viva committee, made up of Professors Mark Elliott and David Clough, for whose kindness and eagerness to help me grow as a scholar I am grateful, and whose questions, comments, and critiques were very valuable; to my Doktorvater, Professor John Webster, who guided me throughout the process of writing this dissertation. My viva and the lead-up to it was overshadowed by his untimely death, and I will forever be grateful for the time I had with him. The greatness of his intellectual powers was matched only by that of his Christian character: his humility, his patience, his kindness, and so on. He is deeply missed. To the people who made up my church family in Aberdeen, Scotland during the early stages of writing my dissertation, and who will always be my friends; to the people of First Congregational Church in Crawford, NE, where I was pastor during the final stages of writing this dissertation. Their love, patience and prayers for me during this time has meant a tremendous amount to me. To Scott Ludlow, who in the latter stages of my writing of this dissertation prayed for me and encouraged me as someone who had ‘been there before’; to Alvin and Barbara Brown, whose love and support never wavered; to Derick Jenkins whose friendship over the years, including during the writing of this dissertation, has meant more to me than I can express; to my mother and father, Bill and Delanie Brennan, who from the earliest years of my life, taught me Scripture, loved me and encouraged me in whatever I pursued; to my four sisters, Millicent, Molly, Amelia and Maya, and my brother Tucker, for whose love and prayers I am deeply grateful; To my son Liam, and my daughter Scotland, who patiently endured even times when I was working and writing from morning till night, and who have been two of the greatest sources of joy in my life during the time of writing this dissertation; and above all to my wife, Isabel, who several years ago uprooted and moved with me to a strange, new world within Scotland, and whose love and support has caused me to press on and has been a comfort to me and a great cause for giving thanks to God always. I have been working toward this goal throughout the entirety of our marriage and now having, by God’s grace, obtained it, there’s no one I’d rather celebrate it with. Contents Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Idolatry in the Theology of Karl Barth .............................................................. 1 1.1 The Value of Considering ‘Idolatry in the Theology of Karl Barth’..................... 1 1.2 The Aim and Plan of the Present Work ................................................................. 4 1.3 The State of the Question ...................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2: Idolatry and the Knowledge of God ................................................................ 15 2.1 Revelation and Idolatry ....................................................................................... 15 2.1.1 Revelation and idolatry in Barth in and after Romans II .......................... 16 2.1.2 Changes in Barth’s doctrine of revelation and his critique of idolatry ..... 37 2.2 Idolatry and Natural Theology ............................................................................ 48 2.2.1 What Barth meant by ‘natural theology’ .................................................. 48 2.2.2 The formal relationship between revelation, natural theology and idolatry .................................................................................................... 52 2.2.3 Four early turns in Barth’s idolatry-critique as related to natural theology .................................................................................................... 54 2.2.4 Further aspects of Barth’s mature idolatry-critique in relation to natural theology .................................................................................................... 72 2.2.5 The consistency of Barth’s rejection of natural theology as idolatry ....... 76 2.3 Critique ...............................................................................................................
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