The Possibilities of Supralapsarian Christology As Exemplified by Karl Barth and Hans Urs von Balthasar

Abstract

Supralapsarian Christology suggests superior motives in the incarnation than God’s response to humanity’s fall. Several advocates thus speculate that the incarnation would occur even without a fall. Since this position has recently been actualized in dogmatic theology by Edvin van Driel, this thesis explores such supralapsarian Christology further in three steps. First, it situates supralapsarian Christology in historical and contemporary theology to show how several areas of theology have generally been complicated by questions raised by supralapsarian Christology. Following various discussions on supralapsarian Christology, this thesis focuses on bringing out especially three tensions regarding revelation, creation, and grace. Second, it relates these discussions to two of the most Christocentric theologians of the 20th century: Karl Barth and Hans Urs von Balthasar. While Barth’s theology of election professes a kind of supralapsarian position, Balthasar’s theological metaphysics remains agnostic. However, both theologians admit considerable ambiguity, complicating their conclusions. Ultimately, I contend that their alternative approaches fail to transcend the tensions that I outline. Finally, considering this “failure,” I ask what the future possibilities for supralapsarian Christology are. The upshot is, that the future possibilities in reflecting on supralapsarian Christology lie in helping to articulate a more expansive theological grammar.