Theology's Epistemological Dilemma: How Karl Barth and Alvin Plantinga Provide a Unified Response

265 Pages·2014·1.93 MB·English

by  Kevin Diller

www.IVPress.com/academic
InterVarsity Press
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
[email protected]
©2014 by Kevin Diller
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity Press.
InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a
movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of
nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of
Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept.,
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895, or
visit the IVCF website at www.intervarsity.org.
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright
© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover design: Cindy Kiple
Images: photo of Alvin Plantinga: Photo by Matt Cashore / University of Notre Dame
Karl Barth: © STR/Keystone/Corbis
ISBN 978-0-8308-9699-8 (digital)
ISBN 978-0-8308-3906-3 (print)
To Gwenael
whose creative spark is the consistent instrument of divine renewal in our life
together
Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
Addressing the Epistemic Problems for Christian Faith
The Primary Aim: Elucidating a Combined Barth/Plantinga Response
A Secondary Aim: Analytic Theology and the Incompatibility of Barth and
Plantinga
Part One: Prospects for a Combined Barth/Plantinga Approach to Christian
Theological Epistemology
1 What Is the Epistemic Problem?
The Value of Skepticism
What Is Knowledge? And What Does It Require?
True Belief
Particular Epistemic Issues for Christian Theology
2 Barth’s Theology of Revelation: For Us and for Our Salvation
Knowing in Reflection on Revelation
God as Object and Subject of His Personal, Cognitive Revelation
The Hiddenness of God in Revelation
Revelation as Whole-Person Transformation
Conclusion
3 Barth’s Engagement with Philosophy: A Theo-foundational Epistemology
Why Theology Is Not Philosophy
Contesting the Ontological Presupposition of the Enlightenment
The Boundary of Philosophy
Conclusion
4 Plantinga’s Christian Philosophizing and Warrant
The Concern of the Christian Philosopher
Plantinga’s Epistemology and Warrant
Conclusion
5 Plantinga’s Epistemology of Christian Belief: The Warrant of Revelation
Preliminary Cautions
Plantinga’s A/C Model of Theistic Belief
Plantinga’s Extended A/C Model of Christian Belief
Conclusion
6 Summarizing Interlude: The Unified Barth/Plantinga Approach to Christian
Theological Epistemology
Primary Components of the Emerging Unified Proposal
Part Two: A Unified Barth/Plantinga Response to Theology’s Contemporary
Epistemological Issues
7 Theology and Reason: Natural Theology and the Reformed Objection
Part 1: Barth’s Driving Concerns and the Natural Theology He Rejects
Part 2: Plantinga on Natural Theology
Part 3: The Relationship Between Barth and Plantinga on Natural Theology
Conclusion
8 Faith and Revelation: What Constitutes a Genuine Human Knowledge of God?
Barth and Three Aspects of the Knowledge of Faith
The Critiques of Evans, Helm and Wolterstorff
The Propositional Form and Content of the Knowledge of Faith
Hiddenness, Analogy and History
Plantinga and Barth on Faith and Knowing
Conclusion
9 Scripture and Theology: Warrant and the Normativity of Scripture?
Toward an Ontology of Scripture
Warrant and the Authority of Scripture
Conclusion

Concluding Postscript
Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index
Notes
Praise for Theology’s Epistemological Dilemma
About the Author
Strategic Intitiatives in Evangelical Theology
More Titles from InterVarsity Press
Foreword It’s a real pleasure to add my
bit to Kevin Diller’s excellent book, and
I’m delighted to be bracketed with Karl
Barth, the premier twentieth-century
theologian. Diller’s claim here is
something of a surprise; the worlds of
theology and philosophy are, if not
mutually exclusive, at any rate a bit
standoffish. But Diller makes a very good
case. Barth rejects the fundamental
claims of the Enlightenment; I agree.
Barth rejects any attempt to come to
knowledge of God “from below”; I agree.
Barth argues that serious Christian
believers should not be apologetic (they
have nothing for which to apologize);
again, I agree.
I learned a great deal about Barth from Diller’s book. I also learned a good
deal about my own work, and I very much appreciated his thoughtful replies to
my critics. Let me say again how pleased I am to learn from Diller’s book how
close Barth and I really are.

Alvin Plantinga
Acknowledgments
A number of people deserve recognition for providing the support, illumination
and encouragement that have made this project possible. It began as a PhD thesis
at the University of St Andrews under the phenomenal care and brilliant
direction of Professor Alan Torrance, in whose debt I will ever remain for his
trenchant theological insight, tenacious encouragement and unflagging
demonstration of the most profound courage, charity and generosity in the face
of tremendous adversity.
St Andrews provided an idyllic setting for thinking theologically about and
engaging philosophically with the gift of Christian faith. And the St Mary’s
postgraduate community sustained our family with an extraordinarily supportive
and intellectually vibrant Christian environment. Special thanks to all those in
the Roundel and at the pubs who sparked my thinking, cheered my heart and
encouraged my faith, most significantly Drs. Aaron Kuecker, Luke Tallon, Kelly
Liebengood, Josh Moon, Daniel Driver, Marc Cortez, Jeremy Gabrielson, Jason
Goroncy, R. J. Matava and Matt Farlow.
This project was enabled by funding, support and research leave that came
from several generous sources. These include the Ogilvys and the Rawlinsons
for the St Mary’s postgraduate research building (the Roundel) and the use of
Wester Coates house in the East Neuk of Fife; Rev. Rory McLeod and the Parish
Church of the Holy Trinity in St Andrews; Michael Rea and the Center for
Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame; the Center for Barth
Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary and the Karl Barth Research
Collection at Luce Library; and the Taylor University Bedi Center for Teaching
and Learning Excellence.
Colleagues, mentors and friends who have sustained us through this work are
too numerous to list. Of those who have had a particular impact on this book,
some require special acknowledgment. In addition to Professor Alan Torrance,
these include Alvin Plantinga, Bruce McCormack, Gary Deddo and Oliver
Crisp. I deeply appreciate those who read and gave comments on earlier drafts:
Andrew Torrance, Matthew Graham and especially David Congdon, along with
a number of blind reviewers and editors who gave invaluable feedback. The
significance of the inspiration and friendship of Mike Hammond, along with the
rest of the so-called Round Table, cannot be understated. Finally, my students
and colleagues at Taylor University have been immensely encouraging of this
project and determined that it be given careful attention. I have particularly
benefited from the encouragement of Jim Spiegel, Brad Seeman, Greg MaGee,
Faye Checkowich, Matt DeLong, Drew Moser, Steve Morley, Steve Austin,
Ryan James, Tim Herrmann, Jeff Cramer and Scott Moeschberger.
The most personal and most important acknowledgment must go to my
blessed family, through whom I am constantly nourished and renewed. My
parents and Gwen’s parents have been extremely supportive. Sophia, Naomi,
Andrew and Isaac have contributed in ways they do not yet fully understand.
And I am convinced that any depth of insight the book may achieve is in large
measure parallel to depths of growth that Gwen and I have experienced together
during this period of our lives. I am extremely thankful for her insights and the
steadfastness of her love and encouragement.