Barth on Vocation

Barth's doctrine of vocation represents some of the least well-trodden terrain in the whole of Church Dogmatics and has received little thematic attention in the literature. This chapter seeks to explore in some depth the material content and theological import of the doctrine of vocation in Church Dogmatics. It begins with a consideration of the place or context of Christian vocation as given in Barth's doctrine of creation. It then considers the location, structure, and content of the event of Christian vocation as presented in Barth's doctrine of reconciliation. The chapter proceeds to identify and analyze some of the most significant features of this understanding of vocation within the context of Barth's theology as a whole. Barth's doctrine of vocation-across both its installments-sets forth a comprehensive and insightful account of the way in which God calls human beings to serve the witness of Jesus Christ.