AbstractThis paper argues that in Jesus Christ ‘real humanity’ is revealed as a gift of thepatientGod, who gives time and space to creatures. While Karl Barth's work inChurch Dogmatics§30.3 focuses on God's patience as a mode of hisredeemingpresence, §44.3 opens up towards, but leaves undeveloped, aprovidentialmode of patience, in which God constitutes his people by choosing them and giving them all they require to hear his Word and respond in obedience. Recognising God's patience in these distinct modes allows biblical instances of divine–human dialogue to be heard in new and compelling ways. For example, it allows Genesis 18:16–33 to be understood as foregrounding Abraham'sjoyful responsibilityto engage with God, making that event, in all its contingency,thedescription of who Abraham is as real man. In this way, a complete theological anthropology has at its heart God's own perfection of patience.