Eberhard Jüngel on Moderntiy, Theism, and Atheism – As told by Archie Spencer
Part of what Archie Spencer is up to in his recent book— The Analogy of Faith: The Quest for God’s Speakability —is to argue that Barth, as followed up by Jüngel, provides an account of the analogy of faith that solves a number of knotty theological problems. Along the way to this more constructive contribution he takes some time to explicate pertinent aspects of Jüngel’s thought. One of the bits of this explication that caught my interest, and that I suspected would likewise interest you, gentle readers, is his discussion of the logic of theism and atheism under the conditions of modernity. He also ties this into the medieval period. Here’s the set-up (as usual, italics, bold, etc.): If the Middle Ages was an exercise in the unknowability of God, modernity follows it with an affirmation of his unthinkability, and atheism/agnosticism, or the unknowability of God, becomes the only alternative. (251–42) Got your attention? Good. Hang on… The shocking thing about this state of affair