ChrisSwann, <i>The Dialectics of Discipleship: Karl Barth, Sanctification and Theological Ethics</i>. London: T&amp;T Clark, 2023, 227pp. $115.00

Speaking meaningfully about Barth's theology of discipleship proves difficult for two primary reasons: (1) It is Barth's theology of discipleship and (2) it is Barth's theology of discipleship. To the first point, Swann acknowledges the elephant in the room – that Barth's personal track record of discipleship ought to be questioned in light of his problematic relationship with Charlotte von Kirschbaum. To the second point, it is apparent that many Barth scholars are critical of Barth's ‘actualistic’ ethical paradigm, particularly as it concerns sanctification, moral growth, and discipleship. Swann's book expertly navigates Barth's theology of discipleship on both fronts while going beyond his theology in order to provide a constructive account of discipleship with particular application in post-Christian contexts. Swann begins his book by speaking about two bedrooms. In the first, Barth drafted the Barmen Declaration, a document that has held ‘far-reaching political and ethical implications’ with its Christocentric vision of discipleship in the church. The second bedroom, however, is the ‘single room at Princeton Theological Seminary shared by Karl Barth and his secretary Charlotte von Kirschbaum in 1962’ (p. x). For Swann, it is essential that both rooms remain in view as we investigate Barth's theology. While he notes that some theologians ‘speak more truly than they are able to live’ (p. xi), he holds Barth to the measure of his own theology in order to criticize his ‘dehumanizing’ behavior that both Charlotte and his wife Nelly had to endure (p. 214). Swann also provides an in-depth look at Barth's theological writing on discipleship. While he defends Barth against particularly critical evaluations from other scholars, he still leaves room for criticism while ultimately pressing beyond Barth's theology in his constructive proposal. Swann highlights the voices of Stanley Hauerwas and Oliver O'Donovan, for example, who criticize Barth for his tendency to minimize human agency and moral deliberation. Swann acknowledges some truth in these claims, as at times, ‘Barth himself may even appear to give support to the view that he has no coherent way to give place to moral growth or progress’ (p. 69). However, those who are familiar with the entirety of Barth's work will recognize that he is inconsistent on a number of topics, and sanctification (or moral growth) is one such area. While there are ‘kernels’ of Barth's true sense of discipleship in his early work, there are many times when they are not fully expounded until the later sections of the CD and The Christian Life. Moreover, Swann notes that Barth is continually ‘straining’ to make room for human agency and action (p. 80). Ultimately, Swann observes that Barth ‘expresses cautious optimism with regard to the reality of moral transformation’ (p. 80), but that sanctification is primarily enacted relative to Christ. This, for him, gets to the heart of Barth's theology. As he puts it, ‘the centrality of discipleship in Barth's account of sanctification manifests the fact that it is a Christology rather than a theology of sanctification’ (p. 155). At this point, Swann expounds upon Barth's characteristically Christological focus, and his ‘discipleship-shaped’ vision of sanctification for the church. With a helpful comparison to Barth's interlocutors such as Calvin, Luther, and Bonhoeffer, Swann discusses how Barth forges his own theology of discipleship. He also helpfully expands upon the role of Scripture in Barth's view. Barth insists that the examples in the New Testament, in particular, may never be exactly repeated but instead may be a ‘formed reference’ for us as we correspond to Christ in our own particular contexts. Swann shows the helpfulness of Barth's account for our own post-modern contexts, as he suggests that ‘by respecting the freedom of Christ – as attested to in the New Testament discipleship texts – … it also takes seriously the particular realities of the church and the Christian life today’ (p. 97). In other words, God is not bound by the way he has revealed himself in the past, and thus he is free to act for us in the way that is needed here and now. On this note, Swann points out that our discipleship cannot be ‘overdetermined’ so that we are also free to act for others as is required in every specific context. This, however, is where Swann might have pressed a bit further on Barth's account. While Swann offers a constructive account of discipleship in his final chapter – attempting to bridge the divide between systematic and practical theology – he does not offer the reader a sufficient picture of what discipleship truly is. He states that sanctification, for Barth, is discipleship-shaped, but what is the shape of discipleship, either for Barth or for himself? There are times when he creeps upon this question – offering some experiential taste of what this might look like, but he backs away as soon as he gets there. Swann notes Barth's necessarily ‘public’ or ‘outward’ movement of discipleship (over and against a private and pietistic stance); he suggests that it is a ‘matter of worship’ (p. 56); it is ‘world-positive’; he argues – potentially against Barth – that walking in discipleship ‘will not always feel like freedom’ but instead ‘will often feel burdensome and costly’ (p. 91); and he suggests that we are to undertake our discipleship alongside our communities. I would argue, however, that we should not be afraid of ‘overdetermining’ what discipleship might look like, for some examples may be helpful especially if we hope to bridge the gap between systematic and practical theology. For instance, with Barth's insistence on discipleship, which is formed through personal encounters with God, how might we connect this to the rest of the community? How might we envision a true community living into their discipleship over and against a group of individuals? As the Scriptures attest to the fact that ‘iron sharpens iron’ (Prov. 27:17), and that we gather together so as to ‘spur one another on’ (Hebrews 10:24), are there truly no concrete ways that we might speak about building discipleship, sanctification, or moral growth in the context of friendships or marriages? As a whole, Swann's book will be a great benefit to students of Barth, particularly in the arena of Barth's ethics. His account of Barth's theology of discipleship fills a lacuna in the literature and fairly evaluates Barth's personal and public life in light of Barth's own theology. Moreover, his final chapter in particular offers a fantastic vision of how churches may remain faithful in post-Christian contexts by focusing first and foremost on Jesus rather than idolizing or demonizing the surrounding culture. That said, pressing beyond Barth's theology might mean that we must not be afraid to ‘overdetermine’ the shape of discipleship. It may be helpful to provide some examples, case studies, affective moral experiences, or patterns of behavior that Christians might reflect upon in order to press forward in their discipleship in a variety of contexts.