Hanna Reichel: Queering Barth & the Possibility of Theology
Dec 5, 2023
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Dr. Hanna Reichel, an internationally recognized Barth scholar and constructive theologian, discusses their book 'After Method' which challenges the redemptive potential of any theological methodology. They explore the connection between design and theology and the playful and transgressive nature of queer theology. The chapter also includes a casual conversation about the book and beer camp.
The constant pursuit of theological justification can lead to frustration, and theology should shift towards a more humble and realistic approach.
Recognizing the limitations of self-justification, embracing queer grace offers an alternative to justify theological claims.
Bringing together the perspectives of Carl Barth and Marcella Althaus-Reid can lead to a nuanced and grounded approach to navigate the challenges of the modern era in theology.
Deep dives
The Crisis of Theology and the Need for Methodological Reflection
The podcast episode discusses the ongoing crisis theology has faced in the modern era, with theology struggling to justify itself and its claims in the face of various challenges, from modern science to religious pluralism. This crisis has led to a preoccupation with theological method and the need to find ways to justify theological claims. However, the episode suggests that this constant search for justification often leads to frustration and the feeling of never being able to fully justify theology. It proposes that the focus should shift from seeking justification to a more realistic and humble approach that acknowledges the limitations of human understanding and embraces grace. The episode highlights the importance of understanding the theological realism that both Carl Barth and Marcella Althaus-Reid bring to the conversation. Barth emphasizes the otherness of God and the need to let God be God, while Althaus-Reid challenges theological norms and reveals the underlying structures that exclude certain aspects of human experience. In bringing these two perspectives together, the episode suggests that theology should adopt a more relaxed and joyful approach, recognizing that grace is already present and that theology's role is not to fully justify itself, but to engage in a constant process of reflection and critique.
The Problem with Justification and the Discovery of Queer Grace
The podcast episode explores the limitations and challenges of theological justification. It notes that the constant pursuit of justification often reinforces a sense of negativity and failure, leading to a struggle to find solid ground upon which to build theological claims. However, within this struggle, there is also the opportunity for a transformative discovery: the recognition of queer grace. Queer grace is seen as an alternative to the self-justification paradigm, offering a way to embrace the otherness and alterity of both God and the world. The episode highlights the value of levity and playfulness in theological reflection, allowing for a more relaxed and joyful engagement with complex theological concepts. It connects the questioning and deconstructive tendencies of queer theory with the reformation tradition's emphasis on the failure of theological method, leading to a recognition of the need for grace and a turning away from attempts at self-justification.
The Intersection of Carl Barth and Marcella Althaus-Reid
The podcast episode explores the significance of Carl Barth and Marcella Althaus-Reid as conversation partners in the theological landscape. It acknowledges that their perspectives may seem divergent at first, but suggests that they can be brought together in a fruitful dialogue. Barth's emphasis on the otherness of God and his critical grappling with theological method aligns with Althaus-Reid's focus on revealing the underlying structures that exclude certain experiences and voices. Both theologians caution against theological mastery and highlight the importance of humility and self-reflection. The episode highlights the resonance between their approaches, emphasizing the possibility of theological realism that combines their insights. By bringing Barth and Althaus-Reid together, the episode suggests that theology can navigate the challenges of the modern era with a nuanced and grounded approach.
The Role of Failure and Grace in Doing Theology
The podcast episode explores the role of failure and grace in the theological enterprise. It acknowledges the historical tendency to seek self-justification in theology and the inevitability of failure in this pursuit. However, it suggests that failure can be a transformative and liberating experience. The episode draws on the ideas of Luther and queer theory, both of which emphasize the importance of recognizing our limitations and turning to grace. It proposes that failure can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves, God, and the world. By embracing failure and acknowledging the need for grace, theology can adopt a more realistic and humble approach that focuses on reflection and critique rather than justification.
Main Idea 1
The podcast episode explores the use of norms in theology and the insights gained from embracing failure and realizing shortcomings. It discusses the theological, political, and eschatological uses of the law, emphasizing the need for theologians to engage with different dialogue partners and develop a strategy of apologetics. The episode also explores the concept of design in theology, viewing theology as a form of design that interacts with the material environment and considers the experiences and characteristics of different users.
Main Idea 2
In response to questions about God, the podcast episode highlights the difficulty of comprehending God due to human limitations and the obscuring of God's existence and knowledge. It emphasizes the person of Jesus Christ as a concrete manifestation of God's love and commitment to the world, shaping the understanding of God in Christianity. The episode acknowledges the complexity of theological reflection and the challenge of reconciling the existence of evil and suffering with the belief in a good and loving God. It also explores the diversity of religions as a result of different human experiences and interpretations of who God is.
I am thrilled to have Dr. Hanna Reichel on the podcast for the first time! Our conversation centers around their newest book After Method.
Hanna Reichel is Associate Professor of Reformed Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. Reichel is an internationally recognized Barth scholar and constructive theologian.
After Method assumes the impossibility of doing theology right–and moves beyond it. Organized as a conversation in two voices—with systematic-theological commitments represented by Karl Barth and constructive-theological commitments represented by Marcella Althaus-Reid—this book calls the redemptive potential of any methodological program into question. Indeed, the search for a full and complete theological account of reality has only further fragmented theological discourse. Thus, Hanna Reichel argues that method cannot “save” us—but that does not mean that we cannot do better. After Method harnesses the best insights systematic and constructive theologies have to offer in their mutual critique and gestures toward a “better” theology.
Utilizing architectural metaphor, Reichel pulls from systematic and constructive approaches to develop an understanding of theological work as conceptual design, responsibly ordering and structuring given materials for a purpose. This necessitates a more realistic adaptation to reality for theology, expanding its standards to encompass the experiences and perceptions of people and speaking the truth available to it. The honesty, humility, and solidarity generated through the failure of method liberates theology to a more playful and tentative cruising of different approaches and redirects its attention to “misfits” and outsiders. Equally demanding and self-relativizing, the resultant ethos is better able to do justice to the reality of the world and the reality of God than doctrinal orthodoxy or methodological orthopraxy.
