Karl Barth:
"His argument follows from the idea that God is the object of God’s own self-knowledge, and revelation in the Bible means the self-unveiling to humanity of the God who cannot be discovered by humanity simply through its own efforts. Note here that
the Bible is not the Revelation; rather, it points to revelation.
... His doctrine of the Word of God, for instance, does not proceed by arguing or proclaiming that the Bible must be uniformly historically and scientifically accurate, and then establishing other theological claims on that foundation. Some evangelical and fundamentalist critics have therefore tended to refer to Barth as "neo-orthodox" because, while his theology retains most or all of the tenets of Christianity,
he is seen as rejecting the belief which is a linchpin of their theological system: biblical inerrancy.
"
(....it was for this belief that Barth was criticized most harshly by the conservative evangelical theologian, Francis Schaeffer, who was a student of strident Barthian critic Cornelius Van Til.) Such critics regard proclaiming a rigorous Christian theology without basing that theology on a supporting text that is considered to be historically accurate as a
separation of theological truth from historical truth...
"Barth would have argued that
making claims about biblical inerrancy the foundation of theology is to take a foundation other than Jesus Christ, and that our understanding of Scripture's accuracy and worth can only properly emerge from consideration of what it means for it to be a true witness to the incarnate Word, Jesus.
...
"Barth... emphasizes again and again that human concepts can never be considered as identical to God's revelation. In this aspect,
Scripture is also written human language, expressing human concepts. It cannot be considered as
identical to God's revelation. However, in His freedom and love, God truly reveals Himself through human language and concepts. Thus he claims that
Christ is truly presented in Scripture and the preaching of the church."
Neo-orthodoxy:
"...primarily associated with the Swiss Protestant Karl Barth (1886-1968) and theologian
Emil Brunner (1899-1966).... The neo-orthodox theologians made use of
existentialism and in particular
Christian existentialism. Barth was strongly influenced by the writings of the 19th century Danish philosopher
Søren Kierkegaard... maintained that Christianity is absurd (transcends human understanding) and presents the individual with paradoxical choices. The decision to become a Christian is not a rational decision but a leap of faith. This was the foundation of Barth's theology of crisis.
...
"Neo-orthodoxy is distinct from both liberal Protestantism and fundamentalism. This can be seen in Barth's understanding of the Bible. He
rejected the fundamentalist claim that the Christian scriptures are inerrant."
Christian existentialism: Christian
existentialism relies on three major assumptions drawn from Kierkegaard's unique
understanding of Christianity. The first is that the universe is fundamentally
paradoxical, and that the greatest paradox of all is the transcendent union of
God and man in the person of Christ. The second concerns having a personal
relationship with God that supersedes all prescribed moralities, social
structures and communal norms.
How Can The Bible Be Authoritative?
by N. T. Wright:
"...my reflections here arise not so much from reading lots of books about the authority of the Bible.... but from the multiple
experience I find myself having, of studying and teaching the New Testament at an academic level, of regular liturgical worship in which the Bible plays a central part...
"The Challenge to the World’s World-View.
When we tell the whole story of the Bible, and tell it (of course) not just by repeating it parrot-fashion but by
articulating it in a thousand different ways, improvising our own faithful versions, we are inevitably challenging more than just one aspect of the world’s way of looking at things (i.e. its view of authority and power). We are undermining its entire view of what the world is, and is for, and are
offering, in the best way possible, a new world-view, which turns out (of course) to be
a new God-view.
... This story about the World and its creator will function as an invitation to
participate in the story oneself, to make it one’s own, and to do so by turning away from the idols which prevent the story becoming one’s own, and by worshipping instead the God revealed as the true God."
This critical
review of N.T. Wright's book by Professor John M. Frame
(Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando) is helpful. This is
only a small portion:
The Last Word
(San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2005):
"The idea that Scripture 'points away from itself' reminds us of the theologies of Barth and
Brunner. For their followers, this implies that we should look at the Bible only as a human text, erring as humans do. But inerrantists also believe that Scripture
'points away: 'to the God who saves and who speaks to us the word of Scripture. This is to say that the
metaphor of 'pointing away from itself”' is a truism that theologians of very different views appeal to.
...
"Wright
holds with many scholars today that the Bible, despite its many
literary genres, can as a whole be described as 'story,' or
narrative (25-26). It is neither a 'list of rules' nor a
'compendium of true doctrines,' though the texts do include rules and doctrines.
But how can a
story be authoritative? Rules tell us what to do; doctrines tell us what to believe.
But what does a story do? ...
The authority of Scripture is an aspect of this kingdom power, and therefore, Wright reiterates,
not merely the authority of doctrine or commands.... Rather, Scripture is God’s kingdom instrument for bringing us divine speech, transformation of mind, and
power for mission ....
"Is God, in any sense, the author of inspired books?
Wright doesn’t discuss this question, but Scripture itself does. The Decalogue was the writing of God’s finger (Ex. 31:18). The prophets identified the source of their preaching by the phrase “thus says the Lord.” Jesus attributes David’s words to the Spirit (Matt. 22:43). Paul says that the Old Testament Scriptures were God-breathed...
(2 Tim. 3:16).... Or look at it this way: “Word of God” in
Scripture, is not merely “a strange personal presence, creating,
judging, healing, recreating” (38).” It is all of these things,
but it is also, obviously, divine speech....
"The Last Word does not discuss what is most relevant to the controversy.... But
if Scripture is God’s very word, then we cannot be indifferent to its doctrinal and ethical authority, or silent against attacks on that authority.
"