A study of the doctrine of evil and theodicy in the theology of Karl Barth
This study seeks: 1) to demonstrate that there are four dominant motifs in Barth's theology which provide essential insight for a proper understanding of his doctrine of evil, 2) to prove the centrality and trace the development of these motifs, 3) to analyse each motif for its strengths and weaknesses and develop a critique of Barth's doctrine of evil, and 4) to construct from his doctrine of evil a 'Barthian theodicy' with implications for preaching, counselling and Christian ethics. These motifs are: 1) the 'Necessary Antithesis' between evil and God's eternal plan for creation; 2) the 'Right and Left Hand of God' where evil is permitted and granted its power and role according to God's non-willing; 3) Barth's 'Noetic Eschatology' in which the completion of the redemption of humanity at the final <i>parousia</i> is seen in wholly revelatory terms; and 4) Barth's 'Revelatory Positivism' in which Barth seeks to describe and not explain revelation, thus allowing mystery and paradox as the natural result of the limitation of human knowledge. The position is taken that suffering must be studied according to five categories to understand its relationship to evil from a Biblical perspective: 1) as the result of
Rodin, Robert Scott
Philosophy
A study of the doctrine of evil and theodicy in the theology of Karl Barth. This study seeks: 1) to demonstrate that there are four dominant motifs in Barth's theology which provide essential insight for a proper understanding of his doctrine of evil, 2) to prove the centrality and trace the development of these motifs, 3) to analyse each motif for its strengths and weaknesses and develop a critique of Barth's doctrine of evil, and 4) to construct from his doctrine of evil a 'Barthian theodicy' with implications for preaching, counselling and Christian ethics. These motifs are: 1) the 'Necessary Antithesis' between evil and God's eternal plan for creation; 2) the 'Right and Left Hand of God' where evil is permitted and granted its power and role according to God's non-willing; 3) Barth's 'Noetic Eschatology' in which the completion of the redemption of humanity at the final <i>parousia</i> is seen in wholly revelatory terms; and 4) Barth's 'Revelatory Positivism' in which Barth seeks to describe and not explain revelation, thus allowing mystery and paradox as the natural result of the limitation of human knowledge. The position is taken that suffering must be studied according to five categories to understand its relationship to evil from a Biblical perspective: 1) as the result of
study doctrine evil theodicy theology karl_barth study_seek dominant motif barth theology provide essential insight proper doctrine evil prove centrality trace_development motif analyse motif strength_weakness develop critique barth doctrine evil construct doctrine evil barthian theodicy implication preach counsel christian_ethic motif necessary antithesis evil god eternal plan creation right left hand god evil permit granted power role accord god non willing barth eschatology completion redemption humanity final see wholly term barth positivism barth seek describe_explain revelation thus_allow mystery paradox natural limitation human_knowledge position_take suffering must study accord category relationship evil biblical perspective