The Analogy of Faith: The Quest for God's Speakability

by Archie J Spencer

If God is transcendent, how can human beings speak meaningfully about him? For centuries philosophers and theologians have asked whether and how it is possible to talk about God. The shared answer to this question goes by the name of "analogy," which recognizes both similarity and difference between the divine being and human language. In the twentieth century, Karl Barth, Erich Przywara, Hans Urs von Balthasar and Eberhard Jungel explored this question in new and controversial ways that continue to shape contemporary debates in theology. InThe Analogy of Faith: The Quest for God's Speakability, Archie Spencer examines the problem of analogy in its ancient, medieval and modern forms. He argues for a Christological version of Barth's analogy of faith, informed by Jungel's analogy of advent, as the way forward for Protestant theology in answering the problem of God's speakability.

Genres: Theology

445 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2015

Reviews

[Daniel Rempel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly well researched book documenting the history of analogy from Plato through Augustine to Aquinas. After Aquinas, Spencer argues that the analogia entis is reified by Cajetan, and its this reification that Barth is combatting. Jüngel then extends Barth and forms the constructive groundwork for Spencer’s project. Compelling stuff.

Where this book struggles, however, is in its form. It’s heavily reliant on secondary sources, and not long enough to be exhaustive. However, in the breadth of research, Spencer seems to *want to be exhaustive* which results in him taking a few too many unnecessary rabbit trails. In the end, we’re left with a book too long to be a singular constructive project, but too short to be a comprehensive engagement of analogy, which the thesis really ultimately needs.

Well worth the read, however, and the Jüngel chapter sticks out as particularly exemplary.