A rediscovery of the significance of 'from below' in Karl Barth's Christology

• Main Author: Son, Young Jin
• Published: University of Edinburgh 1997
• Subjects: 270.092
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.662271

The assumption of many theologians that Barth has a christology <I>only</I> 'from above' is highly questionable in spite of his having such a strong and uncompromising emphasis 'from above' throughout his christology. The primary reason for our doubt is that Barth <I>himself</I> emphasises his christology consists in both movement 'from above' <I>and </I>'from below'. This being the case regarding Barth's christology as a christology only 'from above' is indeed highly questionable, because no interpretation or comprehension can ever postulate its authenticity over against what the author said. Readers can give their opinions or observations, but they cannot force the author to accept their understandings to be the author. Further, this christology 'from above' turns out to be a different matter when we comprehend Barth's christology by means of a <I>Sachkritik</I> ('content criticism'), a critique from an <I>holistic</I> point of view, instead of an analytic point of view. Differently put, when we ask the meaning and intention of this uncompromising emphasis 'from above' it is nothing but envisioning a 'from below'. The 'from above' does indeed stand and exist nowhere but <I>in </I> the 'from below'. Barth's phrasing his christology as <I>The Doctrine of Reconciliation</I> in lieu of <I>The Doctrine of Jesus Christ</I> etc, and portraying the <I>theologia crucifixionis</I> (which is for him the centre of christology) in such a chiastic way that the divine content is operated in the human form are the exact reflections of this christological insight. Certainly Barth in many respects maintains a christology 'from above', especially seen from his method of approach and from the divine domination. However, our <I>Sachkritik</I> also suggests to us the fact that to dispute that Barth is advocating a christology 'from above' in view of the method of approach alone (the divine incarnation 'from above'), or in terms of the divine domination alone are only one-sided observations which surely lack an holistic or a comprehensive understanding of his christology.