Dialectical Theology

Dialectical theology (also called theology of crisis ) is an approach to theology in the Protestantism that was developed after the First World War (1914-1918). It is characterized by a reaction to the doctrines of the liberal theology of the nineteenth ^century and a reaffirmation of the authority of the teachings of the Reformation ^, , which were in decline (particularly in Western Europe ) since the late eighteenth ^century. It is mainly associated with two theologians and pastors Swiss , Karl Barth (1886-1968) and Emile Brunner (1889-1966) . Although described as "neo-orthodox", they did not accept this term, explaining that they rejected the principle of orthodox biblical literalism .

Revelation

Dialectical theology places great emphasis on the revelation of God by God it sees as the source of Christian doctrine. The natural theology , including Thomas Aquinas is one of the supporters, argues that knowledge of God can be obtained from a combination of observation of nature and because human and this issue remains a controversial topic until to this day in Christendom. Karl Barth rejected totally natural theology because he thought that our vision is clouded by distortions of our sins or transgressions. Emile Brunner for his part, argued that natural theology was an important though not decisive. A severe disagreement existed then between the two men, the first in a series of controversies which prevented the movement to acquire a homogeneous and monolithic, which is rather unusual given the tendency of theological systems to generate some compliance precepts established by founder and revered a character (but somewhat similar to the relationship between Sigmund Freud and his followers).

Transcendence of God

Most neo-orthodox thinkers insisted on the transcendence of God. Barth believed that the emphasis on the immanence of God had led people to imagine that God was nothing more than the greatest humanity. He highlighted the "infinite qualitative difference" between the human and the divine, which constituted a reversal in the direction of former Protestant teachings on the nature of God and a rejection of the intellectual heritage of philosophy idealist. It followed as a devaluation of the metaphysical and philosophical approaches to the faith, although some thinkers, including Paul Tillich , tried to adopt a middle path between transcendence and strict analysis ontology of the human condition, a position which provoked a new division within the movement.

Existentialism

Some neo-orthodox theologians were inspired by the thought existentialist . Rudolf Bultmann (associated with Barth and Brunner in the 1920s in particular) was heavily influenced by his former colleague at Marburg , the German existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger. Reinhold Niebuhr and to a lesser extent and mainly in his early work, Karl Barth, were influenced by the writings of Danish philosopher of the nineteenth ^century,Sren Kierkegaard. This was a critic of the effort modernist Christian liberal then in fashion, rationalize Christianity, making it acceptable for those that Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher , a Christian liberal-called "educated people of the Despisers of religion . Instead, under pseudonyms such as Johannes Climacus, he argued that Christianity is irrational (it transcends human understanding) and offers people choice paradox. He said the decision to become a Christian is not fundamentally a rational decision but a " leap of faith. " Opponents of the approach of Kierkegaard and neo-orthodoxy in general, called it an fideism , outright refusal to find support to faith outside its own sphere. The vast majority of their supporters counter that such aid to faith does not exist, the reasons and evidence of faith are supposed fabrications of men fallen , forming a bottom in idolatry , which is a serious sin consistently condemned in the Bible. Some neo-orthodox even went further by claiming a greater affinity to this issue with atheists than with the cultural and theological of the alleged "Christianity" that Kierkegaard venomously denounced in his later works.

Sin and Human Nature

In dialectical theology, the sin is not regarded as a simple mistake or simple ignorance, and can not be defeated by reason, intellectual reflection, or social institutions (eg schools), and may only the be by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Sin is seen as something unholy in human nature itself . This is a restoration of the historic teachings on original sin (drawing especially on Augustine of Hippo ), although the neo-orthodox thinkers generally avoided the legal interpretations about sin and So their logical consequences of the total corruption , unlike past generations who laid down the dogma and - by extension - the hierarchical system of ecclesiastical domination. For neo-orthodox minds, means of transmission of sin are supposed nowhere near as important as its reality everywhere. As such, the association of original sin with sexuality produces only moralism, a righteousness that is overly optimistic and somewhat unrealistic about human ability to resist the power of unbelief and disobedience in all fields of life, not only in terms of sexual behavior. This core belief about the universality and the intransigence of sin includes a share of determinism and thereby greatly offended those who held that human beings are capable of effecting their salvation wholly or in part ( synergism ). In other words, one could argue that the dialectical theology has a greater appreciation for the tragedy in human existence that conservatism and liberalism, a point underscored by an observer of today's movement, Canadian theologian Douglas John Hall.

Relationship with other theologies

Dialectical theology differs from liberal Protestantism and the evangelism , but it can not be considered a middle position between the two, although some observers have tried to give him that role. It relies on various Protestant theological heritage (primarily Lutherans and Calvinists ) in an attempt to rehabilitate the dogmas Christians by subtracting the thought of Enlightenment. However, his supporters did not give a value in itself to rehabilitate the tradition because, unlike reactions fundamentalist or sectarian individualist and subjectivist approaches (past or present) of the Christian faith. This doctrinal legacy of Protestantism is only used to say, the way of tradition, the living word of God in Jesus Christ. Assertions from the biblical text or statements of faith of men, are not sufficient in their eyes so that we can build a theology around them. Moreover, in research policy of social justice and freedom and intellectual honesty, neo-orthodoxy, unlike the Conservatives they were accused by their detractors alike, has often made alliances with the practices Liberals, both groups share a deep hostility to any authoritarianism , both within the Church and State.

The scope of the term "neo-orthodoxy, however, led to its abandonment as a useful classification, especially after the emergence of new directions in Protestant theology in the 1960s. These included the movement of the " death of God , "which attacked the cultural and linguistic foundations of all theology before, and the revival of interest among biblical scholars, the so-called" historical Jesus , "analysis largely excluded by the neo-orthodox theologians who believed unrelated to the Christian faith seriously. However, some positions and world views brought by dialectical theology, influenced subsequent theological currents, such as liberation theology in the years 1970 and 1980, and theology postliberal during the years 1990 and 2000, although the neo- Orthodoxy is distinct from both the theological and ethical (the use of conceptual analysis liberationist Marxist narrativist and its dependence on the ethics of virtue were never part of the Neo-Orthodox).

Influence on American Protestantism

From the beginning, this school of thought has been largely inconsistent with the evangelical Protestant, as dialectical theology generally accepts the biblical criticism and remained silent about conflicts caused by the sciences of evolution. And by adopting these two behaviors, it retains at least some aspects of the liberal theology of the nineteenth ^century . Also, by sticking to its stated goal of not engaging in specific theories of verbal inspiration of the Bible, it considers them as far below (if it is not important at all) transformers events of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

While some evangelicals have sought to establish compatibility with dialectical theology, most notably Donald G. Bloesch and Bernard Ramm , they were convinced that very few people on both sides at the notion that the two positions are compatible enough to establish a working relationship between them. One reason for this is that evangelism, one of whose goals is to convert, is much more concerned about the accessibility of his ideas to a wide audience, it seeks to move away from an academic approach of some intellectual difficulty, carried by the dialectical theology. In practice, neo-Orthodox thinkers such as Reinhold Niebuhr , have accused the evangelical oversimplify biblical interpretation and doctrine complex to convince their audience to accept the faith. By doing so, they are often accused of ignoring entirely certain aspects of the Bible who did not immediately relate to soteriology or personal morality, such as the denunciation by the prophets of Israel's pride, the conceit spiritual the design of Paul of Tarsus the predicament of human beings, their inability to be up to the standards of righteousness and justice of God.

Responsiveness of the movement was strongest in the middle of the ^twentieth century, first from within the traditions of the legacies of the Reformation such as Presbyterianism , currents Lutherans who do not profess sectarianism strict, and to a lesser extent, the names that precede the current United Church of Christ. He was less influential among Protestant groups called mainline that have a theological orientation Arminian , such as the United Methodist Church , the Episcopal Church , the Christian Church Disciples of Christ , the Northern Baptists. Many pastors in these denominations choose to perpetuate the traditions of American religious liberalism (while others turned resolutely towards evangelism). In general, with other more or less liberal Protestantism, dialectical theology was a lot more followers among ministers and among the laity, and in the ranks of the clergy, he was popular primarily among theological educators.

Criticism recent

Some German scholars have recently begun to warn about the Anglo-American academic works cons too serious application of neo-orthodoxy as a paradigm , calling such use of "reading neo-orthodox" or "bad Reading neo-orthodox "theologian of work, including the always respected Karl Barth . Consider the work of Barth, his predecessors and his contemporaries in terms of historical factors and in relation to various theological movements earlier, common, or later (eg, theological paradigms), however, is still a valid academic method .

Important figures of the movement

• Karl Barth
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Emile Brunner
• Rudolf Bultmann
• Jacques Ellul
• Reinhold Niebuhr
• Helmut Richard Niebuhr
• Anders Nygren
• William Stringfellow
• Paul Tillich

References

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