Karl Barth's Anthropology in Light of Modern Thought

This engaging book explores Karl Barth's view of human beings, finding in the thought of this monumental Christian thinker new possibilities for dialogue between religion and modern science. Covering all of Barth's writings, Daniel Price clearly pieces together Barth's anthropology, showing that Barth based his view of persons on his understanding of the Trinity. Rather than stressing bodily and soulish substances or innately endowed faculties, Barth emphasized that people are composed of certain vital relations -- to God, to self, and to others. With Barth's theology firmly in hand, Price argues that Barth's dynamic anthropology bears certain intriguing analogies to modern object relations psychology. Price uses these analogies in turn to demonstrate that Barth's theology is not alien or hostile to modern science, as many people suppose; instead, his thought actually opens up the potential for increased dialogue between theology and the human sciences. This volume will be of value to anyone interested in Barth's thought, Christian anthropology, or the relation of science and faith.