The Only Sacrament Left to Us: The Threefold Word of God in the Theology and Ecclesiology of Karl Barth: 215 (Princeton Theological Monograph)

Questions of ecclesiology abound and Karl Barth has been regarded as an unhelpful conversation partner and guide for those who care about ecclesiology and the place of the church in the academic pursuit of theology. The Only Sacrament Left to Us recovers Barths doctrine of the threefold Word of God and shows that it is at the heart of Barths ecclesiological commitments and that Barth offers a distinct and robust doctrine of the church worthy to be carried forward into the twenty-first-century debates about the churchs place in Gods economy. The book explores the central role of the threefold Word of God in Barths theology of the church explains its place in Barths later doctrine of reconciliation and seeks to engage the field of Barth studies with contemporary ecclesiological questions. Theres not much wrong with the illnesses of contemporary preaching that cant be cured with a strong dose of theology. Chris Currie administers just that remedy. Currie gives us a fresh invigorating reading of Karl Barths doctrine of the threefold Word of God. He shows how Barth gives Christian proclamation renewed authorization and justification. Heres a rare gift: theology for preaching by one who is not only an informed theologian but also a lover of the challenge of Christian preaching. --Will Willimon Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry Duke Divinity School Durham NC Barth is well known for his emphasis on the threefold form of the Word of God. Currie here shows how important this theme is for Barths doctrine of the church and even more that it has far-reaching effects through his whole theology. This is a unique and significant book since Currie retrieves the centrality of a crucial dimension of Barths work and opens a strong and vital path for contemporary ecclesiology and Reformed theology. Most commendable! --Donald K. McKim editor of How Karl Barth Changed My Mind Chris Curries exploration of the threefold Word of God in Karl Barth reveals how its early stratified form gives way in his later work to a more flexible relationship between Christ Scripture and preaching. The account of preaching that emerges from this study is both a welcome addition to the literature on Barth and also a valuable resource for contemporary Reformed theology. --David Fergusson Professor of Divinity University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK This book is the first major volume to explore the profound connection between the threefold Word of God and the theology of the church in the work of Karl Barth. In drawing attention to this link and in analyzing its historical development doctrinal content and practical significance Chris Currie makes a profound contribution to contemporary conversations in Barth studies. But even more than this Currie offers a compelling vision for the church in general advocating the ongoing relevance and dynamic centrality of this threefold Word of God especially in its dimension of proclamation in the Christian community today. This is an informed insightful and generative work that merits careful attention from both theologians and pastors. --Professor Paul T. Nimmo Chair in Systematic Theology University of Aberdeen Aberdeen Scotland Chris Currie surveys the fault lines between Barths opening doctrine of revelation and his later doctrine of reconciliation. Does Barths turn to Jesus Christ alone as Gods sovereign Word to the whole world displace his earlier emphasis on the churchs mediating proclamation of the Scriptures in sermon and sacrament as the divine words promised means of grace? While some have argued so Curries new mapping of the terrain of Barths thought shows how the threefold Word of God continues to matter for the mission of the church in service to the world. --James F. Kay Dean Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton NJ In what we can hope will be the first of many contributions from this young scholar Chris Currie confronts