SOUL AND BODY: AN EXAMINATION OF KARL BARTH’S DOCTRINE OF THE HUMAN CONSTITUTION THROUGH THE LENS OF HERMAN BAVINCK

This thesis offers a critical examination of Karl Barth’s doctrine of the human constitution through the theological perspective of Herman Bavinck. The central research question explores the extent to which Barth’s understanding of human constitution aligns with or diverges from Bavinck’s, and what theological strengths and weaknesses emerge from this comparison. Employing a comparative and evaluative methodology, Barth’s anthropological insights are analyzed in relation to Bavinck’s framework, focusing on four key loci: the imago Dei, the soul–body relationship, hamartiology, and eschatology. The study finds that although Barth and Bavinck share significant formal and material parallels, Barth’s Christocentric orientation produces tensions within the Reformed tradition. His relational conception of the imago Dei, his portrayal of sin as “nothingness,” and his universalist tendencies in eschatology risk undermining core Reformed doctrinal boundaries. In contrast, Bavinck’s Trinitarian and organic anthropology maintains theological coherence and safeguards Reformed distinctives. The thesis concludes that Barth’s valuable insights should be critically integrated within Bavinck’s more comprehensive Reformed framework.