The Identity and Vocation of Christians in the Theology of Karl Barth

Abstract

Christ and the church are central for Barth’s conceptual and contextual theological understanding of the Christian identity and vocation in his time. Built on these two key themes, this paper has a threefold aim. First, it discusses Barth’s understanding of the distinction between the Christian identity and others. Second, it examines Barth’s threefold concept of faith, prayer, and obedience as the theological frameworks for Christian identity and vocation. Third, it looks at Barth’s concept of Christian identity and vocation from a critical perspective and explores how and why the Christian vocation and other human vocation should be related in the broader creational providence of God.