Dialectic in Karl Barth’s Doctrine of God

Early in his theological development, the Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, used a philosophical method called dialectic to organize his theological framework. In recent years, rather intense discussion has arisen over the source of Barth’s dialectic and whether it remained in effect during the later period of the writing of Church Dogmatics or it diminished in importance under the new rubric of analogy. Terry L. Cross examines the sources of Barth’s dialectic and investigates how it continues to operate alongside analogy within Barth’s doctrine of God in Church Dogmatics. The conclusion is that Barth’s doctrine of God will not work without his special dialectic and analogy - a dialectica fidei as well as an analogia fidei.