Justification

JUSTIFICATION In this unusual and engaging experiment in exegesis, Markus Barth explores the concept and vocabulary of Justification as revealed so prominently in Paul's formulation of the message of Christ. According to Dr. Barth, when Paul speaks about justification, he is speaking about a single juridical event. The methodology Barth uses to explore this thesis is one that takes full account of the Old Testament background of Paul's thought–a key Barth finds too frequently ignored. Recognizing the inherent limitations in trying to say what is unspeakable and describe what no eye has seen, Barth turns to drama as the best medium for talking about this article of faith, on which the church stands or falls, as Luther said. Setting his argument in a scheme of five days of judgment, he presents the miracle of justification in narrative and dramatic terms that will appeal to all readers, not just to those versed in traditional theological language. The more traditional theological terminology is relegated to the copiously documented footnotes. An impressive attempt to breathe new life into the biblical understanding of justification . . . probes to the heart of the Christian faith, and leaves the reader with a profound sense of its joy and triumph. –Brevard S. Childs, Professor of Old Testament, Yale Divinity School Markus Barth (1915-1994) studied Protestant theology in Bern Basel, Berlin, and Edinburgh, and received his Th.D.from the University of Goettingen in 1947. He served as pastor in Bubendorf, Switzerland, from 1940-1953. Thereafter, he taught New Testament at theological schools in Dubuque, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Basel. His books include Israel and the Church, The People of God, Rediscovering the Lord's Supper, and Jesus the Jew.