Philip Arthur Bence PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

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Each moment, fully grasped, truly does contain
infinite possibility. In that, Bultmann was correct. He
failed, however, to fully grasp the necessity of the
concrete events of the past in order to bring the
potential of the present moment within reach.
C. KARL BARTH
Karl Barth proclaimed that God has objectively
revealed himself in Jesus Christ and continues to reveal
himself through the Bible and preaching. All three, the
Word Incarnate, Written, and Proclaimed, communicate
God's Being and will to mankind.
According to Barth, Jesus Christ, in his death on
the cross, destroyed sinful man (who was otherwise
hopelessly mired in sin) and enabled him to find new life
in reconciliation with God. The Scriptures and preaching
herald the good news of what God has done. Independent
of anything man has done or can do, God enables
salvation.
Barth's preaching strength lies just here: his
proclamation of the objective fact of God's universal
victory over evil. Yet this very triumphant objectivity
may have kept Barth from seeing the value of human
subjective experience.
Barth's awe before the objective Written Word of God
unduly restricted sermonic form. Proper exposition of
the text, in Barth's mind, ruled out the use of several
communication devices the majority of the homiletical
world sees as helpful and legitimate.