423 - Rechtfertigung; Die Lehre Karl Barths Und Eine Katholische Besinnung

Rechtfertigung; Die Lehre Karl Barths Und Eine Katholische Besinnung
By Hans Küng. Miteinem Geleitbrief von Karl Barth
304 pp. Einsiedeln, Johannes Verlag, 1957. Sw.Fr. 18,50.

This courageous book can become the beginning of a new phase in Protestant-Roman-Catholic encounter. The author, a young Roman Catholic theologian, is by no means an outsider in his own Church. received his theological training mainly at the Pontifical University Gregoriana in Rome, as a member of the oldest papal college for the training for the ministry, the Germanicum-Hungaricum, under the direction of Jesuit teachers. His book was published with the Imprimatur of the bishop of Basle, and Guy de Broglie, professor at the Roman Pontifical University Gregoriana and at the Paris Catholic Institute states explicitly that no sincere and well informed thinker can doubt the full Roman-Catholic orthodoxy of Ming's presentation of his Church's doctrine of justification. And it is at this point that Ming's book becomes most exciting because Karl Barth, whose teaching an justification Ming compares with the Roman-Catholic doctrine, admits on his part without hesitation and reservation in his introductory letter, tat Kung in the first part of his book has presented Barth's teaching not only in a fair way but entirely correct in comprehensiveness and Pail. Writes Barth to the author: "Your readers may take (until they perhaps will read my own books) what you make me say for what I do say, and that I do mean it the way you make me say it" (p. 11). Ming's thesis is simply this: Barth and the Roman-Catholic Church are in substantial agreement in their doctrine of justification even if some formulations are different. Barth states: If what Kung in the second part of his book presents as the official Roman doctrine is really official Roman doctrine then the Barthian and the Roman doctrine of justification are the same (p. 12).

It is obvious that Küng's thesis is surprising and even shocking for most readers in any Church, not least in his own. And it is, therefore, so wonder that Roman Catholic theologians have already begun to dispute it. Will these win?

A brief review cannot do justice to this very important, most timely -ad stimulating book. It should be read by all who are concerned about he division of Christ's Church in general and about the deep gulf hat separate the Roman Church from the rest of Western Christendom a particular. Kung implies the conclusion that, since his Church teaches

424 - Rechtfertigung; Die Lehre Karl Barths Und Eine Katholische Besinnung

the same in the question of justification as did the great Reformers Barth stands for them-there is no reason for the Churches of the Reformation to remain outside the Church of Rome. Protestant Christians could easily ask provocative counter-questions. If questions on both sides are asked in the spirit of Kung's book the ecumenical calamity will lose much of its bitterness. And this is even more to be desired in'; these years when the Roman Church is preparing for the universal council of its bishops.

H. H. Harms
Geneva, Switzerland