Bruce McCormack

Election and the Trinity: Theses in response to George Hunsinger

The theses offered here for discussion constitute a response to theses published by my Princeton Theological Seminary colleague, George Hunsinger. The debate carried out between us has to do not only with the question of how Karl Barths theology is to be understood, but also with how his theology is to be taken up today in order address pressing issues of concern. As the debate has unfolded, it has centred upon three areas of questioning: 1) the genetic-historical question of how Karl Barths theology developed, whether his mind changed on important issues and in what way; 2) the question of whether Barths later christology (in volume IV of the Church Dogmatics ) would require modifications to be made in his earlier treatment of the doctrine of the Trinity (in CD I/1), his christology (in CD I/2) and of the being and perfections of God (in CD II/1); and 3) the question of the logical relationship between Gods eternal act of election (as treated by Barth in CD II/2) and Gods triunity. The last question does indeed take me beyond Barth, but it does so in a way that does full justice to the christological commitments found in his doctrine of reconciliation. The position I set forth here is one I have held to with a high degree of consistency since 1994 – which means that it antedates the publication of my book on Barths theological development in 1995. Since that time, I have been engaged in a process of further elaboration and clarification.