Emil Brunner

Alister E. McGrath is Professor of Theology, Ministry and Education at King’s College London, UK, and head of its Centre for Theology, Religion, and Culture. One of the world’s leading theologians, McGrath is the author of some of the most widely used textbooks on theology, including Christian Theology: An Introduction (2010) and Historical Theology (2012).

“McGrath has written an excellent account of Brunner's theology that should, if history be kind, spark a renewed interest and consideration of Brunner as a significant theologian for the 21st century.”  (Freedom in Orthodoxy, 1 February 2014)

• Preface ixA Note on Translations and Editions xiii1 Emil Brunner: The Origins of a Theological Mind, 1914–1924 1Theological Studies at Zurich 2Pastoral Ministry and Contacts in England 4The Swiss Crisis of Identity, 1914–1919 6Brunner and Dialectical Theology: The Origins of an Ambivalent Relationship 9Brunner in America, 1919–1920 12Brunner, Barth, and Thurneysen: Continuing Debate 13The Quest for Recognition: Erlebnis, Erkenntnis und Glaube (1921–2) 16Brunner and American Psychology of Religion 18The Limits of Humanity: Reflections on Revelation and Reason (1922) 22The Critique of Schleiermacher: Die Mystik und das Wort (1924) 25Part I The Making of a Dialectical Theologian 292 Brunner’s Theology of Crisis: Critique and Construction, 1924–1929 31The 1925 Inaugural Lecture at Zurich: Revelation and Theology 32Reason and Theology: An Ecclesial Engagement (1927) 34The Mediator: A Manifesto for Dialectical Theology (1927) 39The Trinity: Dogma, not Kerygma 50The American Reception of the “Theology of Crisis” (1928) 543 Reflections on the Tasks of Theology, 1929–1933 61Crisis: The Rise of Ideology in Western Europe, 1920–1935 62Brunner’s Challenge to Ideology: The “Other Task of Theology” (1929) 66Presenting Dialectical Theology in Britain: The Word and the World (1931) 74A Theological Ethics: The Divine Imperative (1932) 78A Problematic Liaison: Brunner and the Oxford Group 85The Work of the Holy Spirit:The Copenhagen Lectures (1934) 874 Natural Theology? The Barth–Brunner Debate of 1934 90Natural Theology: A Contested Notion 94Karl Barth’s Views on Natural Theology, 1918–1933 101A Game-Changer: The Nazi Power Grab of 1933 105Brunner’s Public Criticism of Barth: Nature and Grace (1934) 113Brunner’s Later Views on Natural Theology: Revelation and Reason (1941) 121Barth’s Response: No! (1934) 1275 Brunner’s Theological Anthropology: Man in Revolt (1937) 133The Need for a Theological Anthropology 134The Impossibility of an “Objective” Anthropology 136The Dependence of Humanity on God 140The “Contradiction” within Humanity 142The Image of God and Human Identity 145Humanity and Evolution: The Limits of Darwinism 1486 Objectivity and Subjectivity in Theology: Truth as Encounter (1937) 154Object and Subject in Theology:The Context to Brunner’s Thought 155Objectivity and Subjectivity: Brunner’s Criticism of Existing Paradigms 161Overcoming the Object-Subject Impasse: Brunner’s Strategy 166The Implications of Brunner’s Notion of “Truth as Encounter” 169America: The Call to PrincetonTheological Seminary, 1937–1939 172Part II Consolidation: Brunner’s Vision for Post-War Theological Reconstruction 1797 Brunner’s Vision for the Christian Community: The Church, State, and Culture 181The Ideological Origins of Totalitarianism 182An Antidote to Totalitarianism: The Renewal of Natural Law 185The Need for Theological Reconstruction: Revelation and Reason (1941) 190The Christian State: A Modest Theological Proposal 195Rediscovering the Church as Community: Brunner’s Ecclesiology 1998 Teacher and Preacher: Brunner as a Public Intellectual 205Rector of the University of Zurich, 1942–1943 206 The Catechist: Our Faith (1935) 207The Fraumünster Sermons: Brunner as Preacher 210The Public Lecturer: The Scandal of Christianity 214Theological Education: Brunner’s Dogmatics 218Tokyo: Brunner’s Engagement with Asia 221Final Illness and Death 2239 Legacy: The Contemporary Significance of Emil Brunner’s Theology 225The Reformed Tradition: A Richer Range of Possibilities 228A Theology of Nature: The Basis of Natural Law, Theology, and Science 229Cultural Engagement: The Theological Foundations of Apologetics 231Personalism: The Defence of Relational Identity 232The Trinity: A Plea for Theological Modesty 234Conclusion 237Works by Emil Brunner Cited in This Study 239Index 242