Beyond Kierkegaard II

The other general brand of existentialists are the theists. Some of the names here include Karl Barth, Rudolph Bultman, Paul Tillich, and the Niebuhr brothers, Reinhold and Richard. A label stuck for these guys: neo-orthodoxy. They didn't necessarily like the label, but it stuck, and it is useful. This is, of course, related to 'orthodoxy' not 'Eastern Orthodoxy'. It is the basic, creedal, historic Christianity that unites all true believers throughout time, regardless of denomination. And 'neo-' refers to that same basic Christianity, with a twist. I've already spoken about Barth previously, so I'm going to use him as an example. That doesn't mean he represents all neo-orthodoxy. And I'm not trying to judge the faith of any of these men. That is between them and God. Barth appears to me to be a sincere believer. (What an existential, even post modern thing to say, huh.) Some of those other guys I'm less sure about. That being said, I think they leave the Christian faith without a firm foundation.

Barth's history is a lot like Kierkegaard's. He grew up in the liberal church of the time, and in time he rejected it. There was nothing left to believe in. If it was shown that miracles don't happen, dead men don't rise from the dead, and no prophecy in the Bible can be taken seriously, then all that is left is a lot of out-dated traditions and doctrines. Barth wanted to believe in the those doctrines. He couldn't ever really divorce himself from some of the premises of the liberal church, however. As a matter of historical fact Jesus didn't rise from the dead. But as a matter of doctrine, and of faith, he did. And that is all that matters.

If you study Barth, and I'm not saying I have thoroughly, he seems to believe in all the right doctrines. But the Bible is clear (I Cor 15) that the resurrection, etc, as an historical fact, happened. And if it didn't, "we are to be most pitied..." Barth's position, somewhat unwittingly, leaves future generations to decide for themselves whether or not to take that 'leap of faith,' without any clear reason why they should.

As an aside, Barth does have more interesting things in his history. He was German, rejected the Nazis, and fled to Switzerland. He was involved with a group of theologians in opposition to the Nazis that also included Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I have a lot of respect for Bonhoeffer. His book The Cost of Discipleship is definitely worth reading. Bonhoeffer was executed after the failed plot to kill Hitler.