The Spirituality & Politics of Karl Barth: Travis McMaken & Ash Cocksworth
Jun 29, 2023
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Travis McMaken and Ash Cocksworth discuss Karl Barth's spirituality and politics. They explore challenging Christian symbols, Barth's views on prayer, and his resistance to Christian nationalism. They also delve into the historical necessity and idols of American empire, the spirituality of depth, and the contemplative nature of pipe smoking in Barth's life.
Barth integrates spirituality into his dogmatic work, emphasizing their interconnectedness and rejecting their separation into distinct categories.
Barth's spirituality values prayer and preaching as significant practices, while not prioritizing specific religious or liturgical rituals.
Barth's expansive view of prayer encompasses all aspects of human life, considering every action taken in faithfulness as a form of prayer.
Bart challenges the fusion of Christianity with nationalism, promoting a spirituality that emphasizes engagement with the Christian story and ethical living.
Deep dives
Bart's Concept of Spirituality
Bart's concept of spirituality is not easily defined within his framework, as he does not explicitly use the term or discuss his own spiritual practices. However, he emphasizes the interconnectedness of theology and spirituality, rejecting the idea of separating them into distinct categories. He sees spirituality as an intensification of particularity and receptivity to the other, and he values the integrity of theology and spirituality. Bart believes that the Christian life is event, history, and action, rooted in faith in Jesus Christ and knowledge of God's reconciliation in him. He highlights the importance of prayer and preaching as significant spiritual practices, and he does not prioritize specific religious or liturgical rituals. Bart's spirituality is grounded in his understanding of the Trinity, divine self-revelation, and the transformative power of encountering the Christian story in community life.
Bart's Critique of Religion
Bart offers a critique of religion, challenging the notion that spirituality can be detached from theology or lived apart from the life of the church. He argues against compartmentalizing spirituality and dogmatics, asserting that bad things happen when they are disconnected. Bart emphasizes the need for theology and spirituality to mutually inform and intensify one another. He highlights the dangers of idealizing spirituality and the practice of picking and choosing spiritual elements without recognizing their theological context. Bart's spirituality values engagement with the Christian story, practical application, and active collaboration with God. He urges believers to move beyond individual piety and rituals, encouraging them to live out their faith in community and interact with others in ways that promote mutual freedom and relationality.
Bart's Understanding of Prayer and Participation
For Bart, prayer and participation in the life of God are closely intertwined. He uses the language of correspondence and emphasizes that prayer is an all-encompassing activity, extending to all aspects of human life. Bart does not distinguish between different activities in terms of their level of correspondence, suggesting that every action taken in faithfulness can be considered prayer. This expansive view of prayer aligns with Bart's belief that the Holy Spirit shapes and motivates human actions. Bart's concept of participation is broad, encompassing all of human existence and emphasizing that every action, personal or political, can be a spiritual act. However, Bart does not delve into the experiential aspect of participation or provide detailed descriptions of what this participation feels like.
Bart's Unique Contribution to Spirituality
Bart's unique contribution to spirituality lies in his rejection of the separation between theology and spirituality. He emphasizes that spirituality is not a distinct category within his framework, but rather an intensification of particularity and an openness to the other. Bart challenges the notion that spirituality can be detached from theological concepts and religious practices. He encourages believers to engage in prayer, preaching, and community life, with an understanding of the interconnectedness of theology, spirituality, and ethical living. Bart's spirituality highlights the importance of encountering the Christian story in its fullness, rejecting the tendency to compartmentalize and pick and choose elements of spirituality. His emphasis on participation underscores the transformative power of engaging with God in all aspects of life and engaging with others in a spirit of freedom and collaboration.
The influence of Bart's political context on his theology
Bart's theology was heavily influenced by the political context in which he lived, particularly during World War I and the rise of German nationalism. He vehemently opposed the fusion of Christianity with nationalism and the justification of colonialism and territorial expansion. Bart saw these ideologies as false gods and advocated for a theology that challenged and critiqued them. He also critiqued capitalism and the way it shaped society, emphasizing the need to live out the values of the gospel in everyday life. Bart's engagement with politics and his rejection of cultural and ideological idols demonstrate his commitment to a spirituality that has real-world implications.
The importance of Mozart in Bart's spirituality
Bart had a deep appreciation for the music of Mozart, which he listened to every morning. Mozart's music brought Bart a sense of joy and a recognition of the beauty and goodness of being human. Bart saw Mozart's music as a source of hope and a reminder that despite the disorder and evil in the world, there is an ultimate harmony and order to be found. Mozart's music inspired Bart and shaped his spirituality, emphasizing the importance of finding joy and freedom in one's relationship with God.
The potential impact of Bart's spirituality on Christian nationalism
Bart's spirituality challenges the dangerous fusion of Christianity with nationalism, as seen in the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States. He rejects the idea of a particular cultural identity being superior or divinely mandated. Bart's focus on the outward movement of the gospel and the ethical living out of Christian principles is a powerful response to the tendency of Christian nationalism to dominate and exclude. By living out the values of love, justice, and liberation, Christians can challenge the false gods of nationalism and work towards a more inclusive and just society.
Exploring the genre of prayer in theology
One interesting aspect of Bart's spirituality is his inclusion of prayers in his writings. Prayers offer a different modality of theological expression compared to dogmatic writing, providing a more affective and personal dimension. Bart's prayers capture his deep wrestling with theological ideas and his contemplation on the mysteries of faith. They offer a window into his spiritual life and demonstrate the relationship between theology and prayer. Praying and engaging with prayers can evoke a sense of devotion, reflection, and connection with the divine, enhancing one's theological understanding and personal spirituality.
I am thrilled to have my friend and Barthian Travis McMaken back on the podcast. This time we are joined by his co-editor for the Karl Barth volume in the Classics of Western Spirituality volume, Ash Cocksworth. I really enjoyed this volume of one of my favorite series, and I hope this conversation communicates what a stellar job they did putting it together. The selections were excellent, their introductory comments are clarifying, and this conversation is fun and lively for all your theology nerds. PLUS we let you know that Travis will return to Theology Beer Camp this year!
About the book…
For Karl Barth, all dogmatic work is spiritual. Thus, like Aquinas and other renowned theologians, Barth did not write an independent spiritual theology, but integrated spirituality into his dogmatic work. Nevertheless, specific texts within Barth’s corpus are dedicated to spiritual matters and they form the basis of the material in this volume. The selections draw widely from Barth’s commentary on Romans, Church Dogmatics, sermons, lectures, speeches, seminars, and his own prayer life. They illumine for researchers, students, and the general reader the distinctiveness of Barth’s theology of Christian spirituality and the important contribution he makes to the wider traditions of Christian spirituality. To augment the primary sources, this volume also contains an introductory essay that comments on the selection of texts, sets Barth in his historical context, charts the development of his thought, and indicates the significance of spirituality to his theology (including drawing out the distinctively christological shape of his spiritual theology).
Ashley Cocksworth is Senior Lecturer in Theology and Practice at the University of Roehampton. He studied theology at the University of Edinburgh and then undertook doctoral work at the University of Cambridge. Previously he was Assistant Professor in Theology and Ministry in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University (2017-18) and Tutor in Systematic Theology at the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham (2012-17).
W. Travis McMaken, PhD, is the Butler Bible Endowed Professor of Religion and Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. He is a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
McMaken’s writing engages primarily with 20th century theology (esp. Protestant theology, with specialization in Karl Barth, Helmut Gollwitzer, and T. F. Torrance) while working constructively on the subjects of sacramentology, ecclesiology, and political theology.
