God’s Time For Us: Barth on the Reconciliation of Eternity and Time in Jesus Christ
In Christ, God Has Time for Us
What is the relationship between eternity and time? God inhabits eternity, but he has entered time to be with his creatures. How does he bring these two together?
According to James J. Cassidy, Karl Barth provides a thoroughly non-speculative approach to this question of how eternity and time relate. Contrary to abstract and philosophical approaches to the question, at the heart of Barth’s answer stands the person of Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has time for us.
In God’s Time for Us, Cassidy explores Barth's system as a whole, addressing it through the concepts of eternity and time. In so doing, he provides a study that will not only advance discussion of Barth's view of eternity and time but also bring clarity to Barth’s entire theological system, both those aspects that are attractive and those that may be problematic. This book will be of interest to pastors, theologians, and Barth scholars who want to explore what Barth has to contribute on this important subject.
Praise for God’s Time for Us
James Cassidy’s study on time fills an important gap in contemporary Barth scholarship. Cassidy’s work brings together important and varied motifs from Karl Barth’s discussion of God’s time for us in Jesus Christ. It also sheds light on some of the most significant debates in contemporary Barth studies. This book will certainly deepen our understanding of the issues it discusses.
—Shao Kai Tseng, DPhil, assistant professor of systematic theology, China Evangelical Seminary, Taipei, Taiwan
Time and eternity are central concepts in Christian theology, yet they are routinely misunderstood. This is not surprising, since time and eternity are profoundly difficult aspects of reality to grasp. Karl Barth did more than most theologians to explore and explicate time and eternity, and in Jim Cassidy’s work we have a useful and reliable guide to his thought. This work will prove stimulating and constructive for theologians working both with and beyond Barth.
—Myk Habets, PhD, Head of Carey Graduate School, director of the R.J. Thompson Centre for Theological Studies
Top Highlights
“the two states as one event whereby humiliation and exaltation happen simultaneously” (Page 123)
“Relative to time, the triune God ‘precedes its beginning, He accompanies its duration, and He exists after its end’” (Page 12)
“God is the ‘prototype’ of time because he has time in his eternity” (Page 33)
“God is temporal in his eternality even without external time” (Page 12)
“Jesus Christ is himself God, creation, reconciliation, and revelation. He is no abstract God but is both the electing, eternal God and the elected, temporal man in one divine act of rapprochement. Further, he is no abstract creature but is both the eternal Creator and the temporal creature in one divine act of rapprochement. Similarly, Jesus Christ is no abstract redeemer but is both the eternal redeemer and the time-bound man of sinful flesh in one divine act of rapprochement.7 Finally, for Barth there is no abstract notion of revelation but Jesus Christ is both the eternal revealer and the temporal receiver of revelation in one divine act of rapprochement.” (Page 3)
Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology
Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology is a peer-reviewed series of contemporary monographs exploring key figures, themes, and issues in historical and systematic theology from an evangelical perspective.
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Contents
- Eternity and Time in the Theology of Karl Barth
- The Doctrine of God in Barth’s Conception of Eternity and Time
- The Doctrine of Creation in Barth’s Conception of Eternity and Time
- The Doctrine of Reconciliation in Barth’s Conception of Eternity and Time
- The Doctrine of Revelation in Barth’s Conception of Eternity and Time
Product Details
- Title: God’s Time for Us: Barth on the Reconciliation of Eternity and Time in Jesus Christ
- Author: James J. Cassidy
- Series: Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Publication Date: 2016
- Pages: 186
- Format: Logos Digital, Paperback
- Trim Size: 6x9
- ISBN: 9781577997481