Whoever begins to concern himself with theology also begins to concern himself from first to last with wonders.
Whoever calls on his name will be saved. That is to say, whether or not the thunderstorm bursts, such a person may live and work with a promise. He is promised that perfect love is the heaven spread out over him, whether or not this love is momentarily clear or hidden from him. Protected and encouraged by the promise of this love, he may pray, study, and serve; and trusting in it, he may think, speak, and finally also die.
Karl Barth, Evangelical Theology
Amen and amen.
A theologian cannot conduct himself like one who pretends to know all or outshine all those in the community who are less thoroughly learned and informed about the Gospel.
If theology is not ashamed of the Gospel, it does not need to excuse itself to anyone for its own existence. It does not need to justify its action before the community of the world, either by constructing philosophical foundations or by other apologetics or didactic devices. Precisely because of its character as service, theological work should be done with uplifted head or not at all!
In order to read and understand the Bible, biblical theology must conscientiously employ all known and available means, all the rules and criteria that are applicable to grammar, linguistics, and style, as well as all the knowledge gathered in the comparative study of the history of the world, of culture and of literature.
Karl Barth, Evangelical Theology
Yes. This.
If God’s goodness is new every morning, it is also every morning a fully undeserved goodness which must give rise to new gratitude and renewed desire for it.
True and proper language concerning God will always be a response to God, which overtly or covertly, explicitly or implicitly, thinks and speaks of God exclusively in the second person. And this means that theological work must really and truly take place in the form of a liturgical act, as invocation of God, and as prayer.
The task of theological work consists in listening to HIm, this One who speaks through His work, and in rendering account of His Word to oneself, the Church, and the world. Primarily and decisively, however, theological work must recognize and demonstrate that the Word of this One is no neutral announcement, but rather the critical moment of history and the communion between God and man.
A man prays, not in order to sacrifice his work or even to neglect it, but in order that it may not remain or become unfruitful work, so that he may do it under the illumination and, consequently, under the rule and blessing of God.
The purpose of the Sabbath is not to eliminate the working days or to divest them of their proper tasks, but rather to obtain for them precisely the light from above which they lack.
