The Theocentrism of Bishop Robert Barron

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[Evangelical Catholicity was the theme for this year’s annual meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society held in March at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN. A panel discussion in the ecumenism section took seriously the notion of Wesley’s sermon “Catholic Spirit” (34th of Wesley’s Standard Sermons) in their assessment of Bishop Robert Barron as an ecumenical conversation partner for contemporary Wesleyan-Methodists. Bishop Barron’s ministry extends past his parishes with a well-established social media presence through Word on Fire, a ministry dedicated to proclaiming Christ in Culture (wordonfire.org). Drawing from Matthew Levering’s recent publication, The Theology of Robert Barron, participants on the panel engaged particular interests in Levering’s book that have application to ecumenical dialogue and Christian mission. This article is adapted remarks from panelist, Jonathan Morgan, theology professor at Indiana Wesleyan University.]

A.W. Tozer once said that what we believe about God is the most important thing about us. His point was that the shape of human ethics and the flourishing of human societies is determined by fundamental beliefs about the divine. How we understand God shapes how we understand everything in relation to God. In his recent book, The Theology of Robert Barron, Matthew Levering, esteemed Catholic theologian and prolific writer, discusses the centrality of God in Bishop Barron’s theological and pastoral vision. In this brief overview I will provide a sketch of Barron’s doctrine of God according to Matthew Levering, and then highlight theological points of contact between Barron’s Catholic perspective with Wesleyan theology. May we find here more reasons for mutual edification and cultivating a Catholic spirit.

Barron’s Theocentrism

Levering astutely situates Barron’s theology in light of one of the bishop’s most influential teachers, Michel Corbin. Corbin is one of the foremost authorities of medieval theology, particularly Anselm’s thought. Corbin’s own theology follows his reading of Anselm whose doctrine of God is informed first and foremost by the Incarnation and is rather critical of Thomas Aquinas for placing too great an emphasis on divine simplicity that collapses into modalism. The self-giving of Christ demonstrates that God is “immutably open to humankind” (Levering, 60). Indeed, love is the very essence of God in which we participate through Christ by the Spirit (Levering, 62). Corbin underscores that God is best understood not as a Supreme Being atop a hierarchy of lesser beings – a caricature of God he applies to Aquinas – but as the Most High whose glory is demonstrated not in self-aggrandizement, but in kenosis. We understand the Triune God through the cross, the resurrection, and the ensuing gift of the Holy Spirit.

Barron’s theology follows Corbin’s in fundamental ways. He grounds his doctrine of God in Christology, and acknowledges God as “perichoretic superabundance” (Levering, 76). But unlike his mentor, Barron draws on Aquinas whose entire project, he believes, is grounded in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. With Aquinas, Barron holds that God is not to be understood as a supernatural being with or alongside the world, but the One beyond being who gives substance to the world, sustains it, and guides it toward its proper end. As such, God’s relation to the world is both self-giving and non-competitive. God needs nothing, but he does stand detached from the world. He grants life and existence to creation – that which is other than himself – without reluctance or rivalry. Thus, God does not stymie humanity’s independence or freedom even though all creatures are dependent on God. God makes himself known to humans and while God is ontologically unlike humans, humans can become like God by sharing in who he is. This sharing, or participation, is the means for human perfection since God’s intended order is for humans to know and love him.

A chief component of Barron’s theology is that Trinitarian theology contributes to his theocentrism. First, the bishop observes that the Trinity gives priority to relationality. In other words, God’s Triunity helps us see that “ultimate reality is itself characterized by relationship” (Levering, 94). Second, the Trinity reworks the distinction between God and creatures, unity and plurality. While the kind of plurality found in finite, material objects cannot be applied to God, there is nonetheless an ineffable plurality that exists in God. As God moves toward us we experience his involvement in our lives as communion. Though God is one in essence, will, and action, there is relationship and mutuality in God’s Trinitarian life. That means that God does not begin to experience relationship the instant he creates something apart from himself. Rather, God has existed in transcendent communion from eternity. Creation is therefore the outcome of the superabundance of God’s love, not a demonstration that God is lonely and needs someone to love. God therefore makes space for other creatures to exist even as he invites them to participate in his eternal relationship of self-giving love.

Barron’s Theology and Ecumenical Engagement

Barron’s theology represents a deep engagement with Scripture, the patristics, Thomas Aquinas, and modern thinkers such as Corbin and those representing the resourcement movement. God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the eternal communion of love who creates and grants life not out of necessity, but out of his infinite goodness. This view of God informs Barron’s entire theological schema. At this most fundamental point, Wesleyans and Catholics of Barron’s stripe can find mutual encouragement in at least two ways. First, Wesleyans should heartily embrace Barron’s theocentrism. A perennial problem for Wesleyans has been the outsized role given to spiritual experience and pragmatism. Both are in the DNA of the Wesleyan movement. The eighteenth-century revival movement in which John Wesley played a major role emphasized experience as a necessary part of genuine heart transformation. Likewise, Wesley was a master of recognizing obstacles to ministry, figuring out what worked, and implementing solutions to overcome such as field preaching and organizing lay ministers. But as important as spiritual experience and pragmatism can be, neither must function as the ground for all our theological work and pastoral ministry. That place should be reserved for who God is. Barron’s theocentrism serves as a good example. Second, Barron’s doctrine of God has much to commend for the Wesleyan doctrine of salvation. Perhaps the greatest distinctive of Wesleyan soteriology is its emphasis on personal holiness. Entire sanctification is the means by which God makes believers holy. Many Wesleyan thinkers have tried to make the case for entire sanctification by noting in Scripture commandments for holiness, purification language, and when a biblical author uses the aorist tense for the verb “to sanctify.” But we are on much firmer ground when we construct our doctrine of sanctification on the bedrock of God’s own being. Holiness – or to use one of Wesley’s favorite phrases, “perfect love” – is possible because the God who is himself love invites us and ingrafts us through the Son by the Holy Spirit to participate in his life of eternal self-giving love. In this fellowship God shares with us his own holy character. Communion with God, not so much a particular experience with God, is the key to holiness. Perhaps Catholics can continue to remind us of this wonderful theocentric vision even as Wesleyans encourage Catholics that the Triune God can make us holy indeed.

Jonathan Morgan is a professor of theology at Indiana Wesleyan University and an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church.