As in a Mirror: John Calvin and Karl Barth on Knowing God: A Diptych.
Holder, R. Ward
Cornelis van der Kooi. As in a Mirror: John Calvin and Karl Barth on Knowing God: A Diptych.
Studies in the History of the Christian Tradition 120. Trans.
Donald Mader. Leiden and Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 2005. xiv +
478 pp. index. bibl. $169. ISBN: 90-04-13817-X.
As in a Mirror: John Calvin and Karl Barth on Knowing God: A
Diptych takes on an enormous task. Cornelis van der Kooi seeks to grasp
the knowledge of God in two theologians famous for the difficulties and
nuances in their doctrines. In both Calvin and Barth studies, numerous
tomes have been written about the knowledge of God. Van der Kooi
connects the two with Kant's thought, as a representation of the
changes imposed on theology by the Enlightenment. The courage of the
project is not unrewarded by the depth of the output. However, problems
persist in methodology, which leaves the reader with several questions.
Both sections of the book are well executed, with deep discussions
of the issues and literature on various points. After an introductory
first chapter, the second chapter turns to John Calvin and the ways of
knowing God. The third chapter considers the doctrine of God, while the
fourth considers the Lord's Supper as an instrument of the
knowledge of God in Calvin's thought. The work is quite erudite throughout, with excellent knowledge of the literature. The section on
the dispute between Parker and Dowey on the knowledge of God is a
particularly good example of the strength of the work here. Van der Kooi
avoids some of the traditional traps by seeing the various manners of
revelation that Calvin recognizes, as well as grasping the faculties
within the human subject that accept them.
The author calls his fifth chapter "the hinge of his
diptych." This chapter considers Kant and the turn to the subject.
This is not because of Barth's dependence on, or response to Kant.
Rather, it is because van der Kooi sees in Kant an encapsulation of the
Enlightenment, which he posits as the chasm that stands between the
modern and premodern realms of thought. He links the fundamental
uncertainty of modern theology to this event in Western intellectual
history.
In the sixth chapter, van der Kooi turns to Karl Barth. We see the
same essential care exercised that he has devoted to Calvin's
thought. The sixth chapter discusses Barth's consideration of the
nature of the knowledge of God, and the way that his doctrine turned
traditional questions on their heads. The seventh chapter considers the
knowledge of God and reflects on Barth's anti-agnostic focus,
demonstrated by his argument about God's being, which Calvin had
denied. The eighth chapter covers Barth's views of the sacrament of
baptism. In all cases, the author demonstrates a strong grasp of the
relevant literature, and an excellent facility for drawing pertinent
connections. The ninth chapter is the conclusion, where van der Kooi
sets out the profit from the implicit and explicit comparisons between
Calvin and Barth.
Though the book is well researched and argued, it is not without
problems. At times, this seems to come from the methodology. How can an
author situated on one side of a historical and intellectual chasm
evaluate and compare without seeing greater value in the theologian who
faced the more contemporary challenges? Further, although he makes a
case for it, van der Kooi's choice of using only a particular
section of Barth's work is problematic. It is not parallel with the
treatment of Calvin, and keeps him from tracing out some of the
parallels--for instance, how did Calvin and Barth differ or agree on
their exegesis of key biblical texts?
The book is both an excellent challenge to historians of doctrine
and theologians, and a fine example of closely argued consideration of
doctrinal points. At times, van der Kooi's points may invite
critique and engagement--but that is the cost of being audacious enough
to write a book worth reading. This work absolutely fills that
criterion.
R. WARD HOLDER
Saint Anselm College
