Dr Paul T Nimmo is King's Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Aberdeen, UK.

This book investigates the way in which the 'actualistic ontology' - i.e., the fact that God and human agents are beings-in-act in a covenant relationship - that underlies the Church Dogmatics of Karl Barth affects his conception of ethical agency. It analyses this effect along three paths of inquiry: knowing what is right (the noetic dimension), doing what is right (the ontic dimension), and achieving what is right (the telic dimension). The first section of the book explores the discipline of theological ethics as Barth construes it, both in its theoretical status and in its actual practice. In the second section, the ontological import of ethical agency for Barth is considered in relation to the divine action and the divine command. The final section of the book examines the teleological purpose envisaged in this theological ethics in terms of participation, witness, and glorification.
 
At each stage of the book, the strong interconnectedness of theological ethics and actualistic ontology in the Church Dogmatics is drawn out. The resultant appreciation of the actualistic dimension which underlies the theological ethics of Karl Barth feeds into a fruitful engagement with a variety of critiques of Barth's conception of ethical agency. It is demonstrated that resources can be found within this actualistic ontology to answer some of the diverse criticisms, and that attempts to revise Barth's theological ethics at the margins would have catastrophic and irreversible consequences for his whole theological project.

1. Introduction
Section One - Knowing What is Right: Noetic Aspects of Ethical Agency
2. The Command of God
A - the command of God in outline
B - the command of God and Scripture
3.  The Discipline of Theological Ethics
A - inappropriate theological ethics
B - appropriate theological ethics
C - theological ethics and casuistry
4. The Practice of Theological Ethics
A - the practice of theological ethics
B - the use of Scripture in theological ethics
C - the role of the Church in theological ethics
D - the problems of theological ethics
Section Two - Doing What is Right: Ontic Aspects of Ethical Agency
5. The Ethical Agent
A - the ethical agent in relation to Jesus Christ
B - the ethical agent in distinction from Jesus Christ
C - critical analysis of the ethical agent
6. Human Action and Divine Action
A - the freedom of the ethical agent
B - the relationship between human action and divine action
C - a case study of divine action and human action
D - critical analysis of ethical action
7. The Way of Ethical Action
A - the content of conformity
B - the aspects of conformity
C - the actualism of conformity
Section Three - Achieving What is Right: Telic Aspects of Ethical Agency
8. The Telos of Ethical Action
A - conformity as participation
B - conformity as witness
C - conformity as glorification
9.  Conclusion