Concursus in a Social-Practical Theology of Norms

This chapter develops a concursive, social-practical theology of norms through an exploration of Karl Barth&s;s theology of Christian practice—faith, obedience, and prayer—as articulated in CD III/3, §49.4. While Barth&s;s earlier work emphasizes the authority of Scripture mediated, for example, through obedience, his mature treatment highlights the distinctly communal and dialogical nature of Christian practice, reflecting mutual recognition between God and humanity. Although Barth identifies the social context of the church as foundational for perceiving providence, he insufficiently theorizes the concrete social processes through which theological norms circulate. In response, the chapter engages Kevin Hector&s;s pneumatologically driven social-practical framework, which provides a robust explanation of how norms enter communal circulation via precedent use and mutual recognition. However, Hector&s;s account risks pneumatological occasionalism, neglecting explicit human agency. To remedy this, the chapter advocates integrating Hector&s;s social pragmatism with Barth&s;s concursive doctrine of providence, emphasizing cooperative divine-human action. This synthesis yields a comprehensive theological vision in which divine grace elevates human creaturely action to shape normative practices, illuminating how the church faithfully actualizes christological norms through embodied, Spirit-empowered engagement.