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The Affirmations of Reason

On Karl Barth’s Speculative Theology

  • Book
  • © 2018

Overview

Authors:
  1. Sigurd Baark

    1. University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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  • Offers a complete reinterpretation of Karl Barth's theology

  • Breathes new life into the tradition of "Speculative Theology"

  • Presents theology as a thoroughly rational praxis, and engages current issues in epistemology

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
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  2. Introduction

    • Sigurd Baark
    Pages 1-6

  3. The Speculative Aspect

    • Sigurd Baark
    Pages 7-29

  4. German Idealism

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 31-31
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    2. Kant’s Critical Philosophy

      • Sigurd Baark
      Pages 33-68

    3. Fichte and Hegel on Knowledge and Self-Consciousness

      • Sigurd Baark
      Pages 69-111

  5. From Dialectical to Speculative Theology

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 113-113
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    2. The Early Dialectical Theology of Barth and Thurneysen

      • Sigurd Baark
      Pages 115-170

    3. The Form of Barth’s Speculative Theology

      • Sigurd Baark
      Pages 171-229

    4. Barth’s Speculative Theology and the Kirchliche Dogmatik

      • Sigurd Baark
      Pages 231-278

    5. Conclusion

      • Sigurd Baark
      Pages 279-283

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 285-291
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Keywords

About this book

This book examines the speculative core of Karl Barth’s theology, reconsidering the relationship between theory and practice in Barth’s thinking. A consequence of this reconsideration is the recognition that Barth’s own account of his theological development is largely correct. Sigurd Baark draws heavily on the philosophical tradition of German Idealism, arguing that an important part of what makes Barth a speculative theologian is the way his thinking is informed by the nexus of self-consciousness, reason and, freedom, which was most fully developed by Kant, Fichte, and Hegel. The book provides a new interpretation of Barth’s theology, and shows how a speculative understanding of theology is useful in today’s intellectual climate. 


Reviews

“Baark’s argument regarding speculative theology, and in particular the way that it critically departs from McCormack’s work, positions The Affirmations of Reason to be a helpful, if provocative, foundation for future scholarship to build upon. … There is a fascinating interplay of certainty and indubitability of God’s existence and character that is also radically non-totalizing. This certainly deserves further consideration, alongside the primary arguments Baark offers about Barth’s speculative theology.” (Michael Laminack, readingreligion.org, July, 2018)

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Sigurd Baark

About the author

Sigurd Baark is an assistant pastor at the German Reformed Church of Copenhagen, as well as an associate research fellow at the Faculty of Theology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Affirmations of Reason

  • Book Subtitle: On Karl Barth’s Speculative Theology

  • Authors: Sigurd Baark

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70793-8

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-70792-1Published: 26 January 2018

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-88991-7Published: 04 June 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-70793-8Published: 08 January 2018

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 291

  • Topics: Christian Theology, Philosophy of Religion, Comparative Literature

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