So if reading Calvin is choclate milk, then reading Barth is drinking Scotch. Too much is dangerous and it is so powerful you have to stop and go. very. slowly. through the work to even taste the various flavors.
Last year a group of bloggers began reading the Church Dogmatics by Karl Barth. I would have love to start but I was in between ministry calls, moving and expecting a new baby so that may have been crazy. The most contraversial part of the Dogmatics is Barth's view of Revelation, but I skipped that. I am beginning with the other bloggers on the doctrine of God, at the same time reading Calvin.
Section 25 is on The Fulfillment of the Knowledge of God. The summary probably from Torrence says: The knowledge of God occurs in the fulfilment of the revelation of His Word by the Holy Spirit, and therefore in the reality and with the necessity of faith and its obedience. Its content is the existence of Him whom we must fear above all things because we may love Him above all things; who remains a mystery to us because He Himself has made Himself so clear and certain to us.
This first section was only about the first sentance above. Barth wants to say that God is the object of our study but that in no way limits him or controls him. Knowing God is only by the Revelation of the Word of God (Christ). However as we study God, he is studying us as well. He is not limited by our study, but we must remember that He is outside what we can comprehend. He also starts to the ground work for how faith are the eyes of understanding through relationship.
All in all a good chapter because with all theology we must understand that God will always be outside of our understanding. We can know him truly but not completely. At this point, I am reading Barth through Calvin and Van Til, but that could be that I need to come to terms in some senses with Barth.
