As in a Mirror John Calvin and Karl Barth on Knowing God Studies in the History of Christian Traditions Founded by Heiko A
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AS IN A MIRROR JOHN CALVIN AND KARL BARTH ON KNOWING GOD STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS FOUNDED BY HEIKO A. OBERMAN † EDITED BY ROBERT J. BAST, Knoxville, Tennessee IN COOPERATION WITH HENRY CHADWICK, Cambridge SCOTT H. HENDRIX, Princeton, New Jersey BRIAN TIERNEY, Ithaca, New York ARJO VANDERJAGT, Groningen JOHN VAN ENGEN, Notre Dame, Indiana VOLUME CXX CORNELIS VAN DER KOOI AS IN A MIRROR JOHN CALVIN AND KARL BARTH ON KNOWING GOD AS IN A MIRROR JOHN CALVIN AND KARL BARTH ON KNOWING GOD A DIPTYCH BY CORNELIS VAN DER KOOI TRANSLATED BY DONALD MADER BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2005 Cover illustration: detail from the Issenheim Altarpiece showing John the Baptist at the foot of the Cross. © Musée d’Unterlinden – F 68000 Colmar. Photo: O. Zimmerman. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kooi, Cornelis van der. [Als in een spiegel] As in a mirror : John Calvin and Karl Barth on knowing God : a diptych / by Cornelis van der Kooi ; translated by Donald Mader. p. cm. — (Studies in the history of Christian traditions, ISSN 1573-5664 ; v. 120) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 90-04-13817-X (hard ; alk. paper) 1. God—Knowableness—History of doctrines. 2. Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564— Contributions in knowableness of God. 3. Barth, Karl, 1886-1968—Contributions in knowableness of God. I. Title. II. Series. BT98.K66 2005 231’.042’0922—dc22 2004057550 ISSN 1573-5664 ISBN 90 04 13817 X © Copyright 2005 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands CONTENTS Acknowledgements ................................................... xi ListofAbbreviations.................................................. xiii Chapter 1. Introduction .............................................. 1 1.1. KnowingGodandthewayofhistory....................... 1 1.2. CalvinandBarth............................................. 3 1.3. Faithasknowing? ............................................ 6 1.4. Bipolarityandconflict ....................................... 14 1.5. Themirrorasaninvitation.................................. 15 part one john calvin Chapter 2. WaysofKnowing ........................................ 21 2.1. Introduction.................................................. 21 2.1.1. KnowledgeofGodandpiety ....................... 21 2.1.2. Rootageinsociety ................................... 30 2.1.3. Knowledge of God and conscience ................. 35 2.2. Accommodation.............................................. 41 2.2.1. Accommodation as the basic form of all revelation............................................. 41 2.2.2. Accommodation as the key concept in sacred history................................................ 48 2.2.3. Accommodationandlanguage ..................... 52 2.2.4. The metaphor of the mirror: knowledge as imitation ............................................. 57 2.3. Inwardrevelation ............................................ 63 2.3.1. The soul as bridgehead: mental capacities ......... 63 2.3.2. Sensusdivinitatis..................................... 70 2.3.3. Sensusconscientiae.................................. 73 2.4. Manifestationsintheexternalworld........................ 75 2.4.1. Stirringthesenses ................................... 75 vi contents 2.4.2. A splendidtheatre................................... 77 2.4.3. Excursus: the discussion between Dowey and Parker ................................................ 85 2.5. Appreciationofculture ...................................... 87 2.6. Scriptureasaccommodation ................................ 89 2.7. KnowledgeofGodasresultofWordandSpirit............ 95 2.8. Faith .......................................................... 104 2.8.1. A qualifiedconceptoffaith ......................... 104 2.8.2. Uniomystica......................................... 106 2.8.3. Faithandcertainty .................................. 108 2.9. ThelimitsandbenefitofknowledgeofGod................ 115 Chapter 3. God:JudgeandFather................................... 117 3.1. UtilityandthedoctrineofGod ............................. 117 3.2. Theanti-speculativetenor................................... 121 3.3. Partialknowability ........................................... 124 3.4. Unceasingactivity............................................ 127 3.5. Core concepts: loving-kindness, judgement and righteousness ................................................. 130 3.6. Lord of the world: God’s care and goodness in the order oftheworld................................................... 132 3.7. The judgement of the judge and the discipline of the father ......................................................... 136 3.8. Theabsurdityoflife ......................................... 138 3.9. TheanchorofGod’sunchangingwill....................... 143 3.10.Predestinationandresponsibility............................ 148 3.11. FatherandLord:loveandfear.............................. 151 3.12. Knowing in faith, in bits and pieces: predestination........ 158 3.12.1. A centerorthecore?................................ 158 3.12.2. Handling of the doctrine of predestination......... 167 3.12.3. The benefit of the knowledge of predestination.... 170 3.12.4. God’swillasthefarthesthorizon................... 174 3.12.5. Godasabsolutepower?............................. 176 3.12.6. Excursus: potentia absoluta et ordinata. A brief historicaloverview................................... 177 3.12.7. Wherefaithmustlook............................... 184 3.13. Onceagain:Godasfather................................... 185 contents vii Chapter 4. The Supper and Knowledge of God .................... 189 4.1. Introduction.................................................. 189 4.2. Whatisa sacrament? ........................................ 195 4.2.1. Onlya cognitiveadvantage?........................ 195 4.2.2. Signandthing ....................................... 199 4.3. Sacramentasa form ofaccommodation ................... 200 4.4. Themeaningofthemeal.................................... 202 4.4.1. Thefamily ........................................... 202 4.4.2. The body of Christ after Ascension. The discussionwiththeLutherans....................... 204 4.4.3. Fleshandblood...................................... 208 4.5. TheHolySpiritandinstrumentality........................ 213 4.5.1. The Supper as instrument .......................... 213 4.5.2. The incomprehensibility of the work of the Spirit . 216 4.5.3. ThewayofknowledgeofGod...................... 218 4.5.4. Experienceandtasting.............................. 219 the hinge Chapter 5. TheTurntotheSubjectinKant’sPhilosophy......... 225 5.1. A watershed .................................................. 225 5.2. Thetradition-criticalattitude................................ 228 5.3. Forthesakeofhumanity .................................... 230 5.4. Theturntothesubject ...................................... 233 5.5. The conditions of knowing. Metaphysics as methodological investigation into the conditions of knowing....................................................... 236 5.6. Knowledgeashumanconstruction ......................... 238 5.7. The limitation of metaphysics and the place of faith in God........................................................... 241 5.8. AfterKant.................................................... 246 part two karl barth Chapter 6. TheWayofKnowingGod.............................. 251 6.1. Introduction:theologyandsociety.......................... 251 6.2. ‘Not without audacity’: the primacy of revelation .......... 258 6.3. HumanknowingofGodastheologicaldatum ............. 262 viii contents 6.4. KnowledgeofGodasevent ................................. 263 6.5. Knowledge of God as participation in God’s self-knowledge................................................ 265 6.6. Godastheobjectofknowledge............................. 266 6.7. Faithasa form ofknowledge................................ 268 6.8. Theplaceofthehumansubject............................. 268 6.9. Mediationandsacramentality............................... 271 6.10. The way of knowing God. Between mystery and truth .... 274 6.11. A lookback.Fromimpossibilitytoreality .................. 278 6.12. Dogmatics as a grammar for speaking about God? ........ 281 6.13. Human capacities and knowledge of God: the heritage ofMarburg................................................... 289 6.14. The reality of knowledge of God. The analogia fidei ...... 293 6.15.Faithandcertainty........................................... 308 6.16.Naturaltheology ............................................. 311 Chapter 7. TheDoctrineofGod .................................... 317 7.1. Knowledge of God as knowledge of God’s being. The anti-agnostic thrust of a theological decision ............... 317 7.2. God’sreality:beingandact ................................. 322 7.3. Love........................................................... 324 7.4. Freedom ...................................................... 326 7.5.