James Barr on Natural Theology – Part 1

I have been reading through James Barr’s Concept of Biblical Theology. The book has been on my shelf for a few years now, and I am finally getting around to reading it. In the book Barr gives analysis and critique of a wide body of 20th century Old Testament theology. His analysis of the dialectic theologians that dominated the biblical theology in the past century (Eichrodt, Von Rad, and Childs) is penetrating, relentless, and often scathing. One might be tempted to view him as an odd ally of conservative, or even traditionally Reformed theology. However, Barr seems to bemoan anyone who attempts to use biblical theology to make normative claims. For Barr the discipline ought to be purely descriptive. Any attempts to derive a justification for Reformed thought from biblical theology would be inappropriate in his estimation. In this respect Barr is no ally of conservative Reformed theology, however this doesn’t detract from the value and force of some of his analysis.

As I have been digesting Barr, the most compelling analysis he has offered is with respect to the place of Natural Theology within the field of biblical interpretation. He devotes two chapters to this discussion (Chs. 10 & 27). Chapter 10, is titled “Difference in the Way of Thinking: Philosophy and Natural Theology”; chapter 27, “Natural Theology Within Biblical Theology”. The focus of this series of posts will be on these two chapters.

While Barr has no stake in the 2k wars in contemporary conservative Reformed circles, his analysis has compelling applicability to the discussion. He would be broadly critical those on both sides of the discussion. For instance, there is a tendency among those of us who hold to some form of 2k theology (especially of the sort being taught at Westminster,  California) to disparage the importance of philosophy in the ongoing debate. To Barr, this isn’t a problem restricted to any one theological camp, but an issue which is endemic among biblical scholarship in particular. To Barr, philosophy needs to be a robust part of the biblical theology discussion, and those of us who hold to 2k might need to deal better with the philosophical implications of our position. However, Barr’s adamant defense of the presence of Natural Theology as a valid subject for theology in general and biblical theology specifically offers an interesting critique for those in the 2k/NL debates who seek to debunk natural theology’s place in Reformed thought and praxis. Those in the Reformed camp who deny Natural Theology/NL strangely find themselves in the company of the 20th century dialectical theologians such as Barth, Von Rad, and Eichrodt to name a few, who denied the validity of natural theology in order to defend their own dialectical views of revelation. While dialectical theology’s brand of biblicism is at odds with conservative iterations of the same, the fact is that both share a palpable disdain for general revelation, natural theology, and natural law.

Barr’s analysis is ironically applicable outside the domain of biblical theology with those of us who have a committed approach to theology. This series will focus on Barr’s arguments, and discuss their applicability to biblical theology, and contemporary Reformed debates. My first love has always been Old Testament theology and I am very comfortable interacting in this domain, and I am excited to interact with Barr at this level. I’ll give my best effort given my own limitations with philosophy and Reformed apologetics, so I won’t be able to speak to these categories as well as I would like. I am sure readers of these posts will be far more adept at these issues than I. However, my own limitations notwithstanding, I firmly believe Barr has a lot to say to some of the debates I follow and engage in. Hopefully this can shed some fresh light on the discussion, especially why we 2k-ers might be philosophically deficient in some areas, and why NL detractors might want to pay attention to some of their strange bedfellows who also reject natural theology. More to come soon…

Edit: In researching for the next post I came across an interesting discussion by blogger, Matthew Dowling on the subject – http://desposyni.blogspot.com/2010/04/karl-barth-and-problem-of-natural.html

Advertisement

~ by jedpaschall on February 2, 2011.