The Defeat of Satan
Karl Barth's Three-Agent Account of Salvation
Published on 24. February 2022
Book
Hardback
176 pages
978-0-567-69823-0 (ISBN)
Description
This book offers an innovative, critical, and constructive exploration of Barth's theology, one which demonstrates the radicality of his thought and which underscores the continued contribution he might make to theological reflection on a central element of the Christian tradition.
Declan Kelly uncovers the promise of viewing Barth's account of salvation as a "three-agent drama"-a drama involving God, humanity, and anti-God powers. Kelly demonstrates and examines Barth's cosmological portrayal of God's saving event as a defeat of the lordship of Satan in the cosmos-and, bound up with this, as an ending of God's "left handed" activity-and as the bringing into existence of a new creation under the rule of God's right hand. Barth's doctrines of election, the atonement, and the resurrection receive a fresh reading as the book explores his apocalyptic grasp of God's eschatological deed of salvation and as it puts forward the claim-with and against Barth-that the climax of this deed of salvation is best located in the event of God's raising of Christ from the dead.
Declan Kelly uncovers the promise of viewing Barth's account of salvation as a "three-agent drama"-a drama involving God, humanity, and anti-God powers. Kelly demonstrates and examines Barth's cosmological portrayal of God's saving event as a defeat of the lordship of Satan in the cosmos-and, bound up with this, as an ending of God's "left handed" activity-and as the bringing into existence of a new creation under the rule of God's right hand. Barth's doctrines of election, the atonement, and the resurrection receive a fresh reading as the book explores his apocalyptic grasp of God's eschatological deed of salvation and as it puts forward the claim-with and against Barth-that the climax of this deed of salvation is best located in the event of God's raising of Christ from the dead.
Reviews / Votes
Kelly has authored a very fine and surprising study of Barth's mature 'report' on the devil and God's triumph over all his works in the theology of the Church Dogmatics. His close reading of Barth's soteriology and his insightful analysis of the prominence and significance of this theme is as compelling as it is unsettling of received opinions, and rightly reminds us of the biblical depth and complexity of the Swiss theologian's dogmatic programme. -- Philip G. Ziegler, University of Aberdeen, UK In this engaging and lucid volume, Declan Kelly demonstrates that the role of the Third Agent extends further into Karl Barth's soteriology than has previously been understood. His work will be instructive well beyond the confines of Barth scholarship. In particular, students of Pauline theology will find much that is of interest, particularly regarding Barth's articulation of the relationship between cross and resurrection. Highly recommended! -- Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA Declan Kelly subjects Barth's soteriology in Church Dogmatics to a fresh and remarkable interpretation. He points to a cosmological depth dimension of Barth's soteriology and shows that, in the wake of the doctrine of election, Barth conceives the doctrine of salvation as a three-agent drama. As a result, this study succeeds in uncovering, among other important things, new patterns of continuity (especially with CD III/3, ?50 and CD IV/3, ?69) that have been overlooked in the previous exclusively forensic interpretation of CD IV/1, ?59. This book represents an important contribution to Barth research. -- Matthias D. Wuethrich, Universitaet Zuerich, Switzerland Kelly has provided a compelling reading of Barth's theology as a 'cosmological apocalyptic' three-agent soteriology. Throughout the book Kelly has a keen eye for the difficulties, lacunae, and sometimes inconsistencies that might lead readers to think otherwise, to place Barth as a predominantly 'forensic apocalyptic' two-agent theologian. * Studies in Christian Ethics *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 164 mm
Width: 241 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
426 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-567-69823-0 (9780567698230)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2022
1st Edition
T.& T.Clark Ltd
€32.99
Available for download
Person
Declan Kelly holds a PhD in systematic theology from the University of Aberdeen, UK.
Content
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Introduction
Chapter 2
Election and the Defeat of Satan
Chapter 3
The Judgement of Satan's World
Chapter 4
God's Covenant with Death
Chapter 5
God's Eschatological Justification
Chapter 6
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Chapter 1
Introduction
Chapter 2
Election and the Defeat of Satan
Chapter 3
The Judgement of Satan's World
Chapter 4
God's Covenant with Death
Chapter 5
God's Eschatological Justification
Chapter 6
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index