Christological-Pneumatology of Karl Barth

Karl Barth, a great Swiss Reformed Theologian was a 'Christocentric Theologian', this was the most common perception of Bath. Marc Cortez in his Journal Article, What does it mean to call Karl Barth Christocentric mentioned that in the massive work of Bath's Church Dogmatic (CD), the whole and all of its part is Chronologically determined. Christ was the focal point of Barth's Theology. Nevertheless, some had misunderstood Barth by claiming that Barth has a very reductionist theological framework, all is about Christ and thus, reduce Theology to Christology. All the others theological themes are hence overshadowed. This general perception was remain common in the  writing of Robert E. Willis, Gordon W. Willis also in Evangelical circle, we can find J.L Paker and Richard Muller. Through their writings, they were presenting Karl Barth not as a Christocentric Theologian (Christ is the center of Theology) but as Christomonistic Theologian (Theology is all about Christ). The sharpest label of Barth perhaps come from Paul Althaus as he says, "Barth vision of Christ was too narrow, too Monistic". However, this claim was not an accurate interpretation of Barth's Theology and potentially misleading, in a very unfair way. 

           Those Christomonistic claim can be repelled, if  we try to examine Karl Barth more closely, to look at his Pneumatic Theology and its relation to his Christology. Both are in dialogical unity. Although Christ is the one and only true Revelation of God, who could bring man to God, the wholly other, Barth had also emphasized the dialogical aspect of Christology-Pneumatology since Spirit, according to Barth, as a Divine Agent by whom human can apprehend God's revelation in Jesus Christ. Karl Barth himself says in His Church Dogmatic, "It is the work of the Holy Spirit that the Lord does do this in His mercy, that He shines on men to give them this knowledge of Jesus Christ and themselves." (Taken from Karl Barth, Geoffrey William Bromiley and Thomas F. Torrance, Church Dogmatics, Volume IV: The Doctrine of God, Part 1, Translation of Die Kirchliche Dogmatik.; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 2004), 667). Although Barth was evidently emphasized Christ throughout his writings, he did not diminish all the significance of the Holy Spirit at all. Holy Spirit illuminate the Sacred Scripture, reveals the one true God in Christ Jesus to the church, through the proclamation of the Word (Objective reality of Christ-Subjective Reality of Christ). Quantity does not logically lead to exclusivity. It is true that all revelation of God is embodied in Christ as Barth focused most in his writings, but Holy Spirit is the one who applied the revelation, and manifested the truth of God in Jesus Christ to the faith community, the reception of God's Revelation, according to Barth. Therefore Barth could says, "In the Holy Spirit and only in the Holy Spirit can man there for God, be free for God's work on Him, believe, be recipient of His Revelation, the object of Divine reconciliation" (CD I/2, 198). Indeed, the dialogical tension of Christological-Pneumatolgy of Barth is still needed in our life as Christian, so that we are being reminded always, that we as sinners, have never been able to approach the true God, comprehend or even willing to believe Him by our own (Pneumatology) and also, how we are graciously loved by God despite our failing, as He provide a way to Him-Self through Jesus Christ, the only Lord and Savior (Christology).