BARTH, Karl

Greatly influential Protestant theologian, seared by his experience as a pastor during World War 1. The affirmative association of many of his Christian mentors with the Kaiser’s military cause led him to question the ease with which their faith had been ‘captured’ by the liberality of modern culture rather than the radical call of revelation and the ‘otherness’ of God. His multi-volume, 9000+ pages, Church Dogmatics drawing on centuries of previous writings is a magisterial restatement of what he set out as a proper Christian orthodoxy. His footnotes in themselves are major studies of other thinkers including ones outside the Christian faith, eg Ludwig Feuerbach. He was a leader in the German church struggle against Nazism, drafting 1934 Barmen Declaration. He expounds ethics as response to divine command, but sensitive to local circumstance. He was passionate about Mozart and was very knowledgeable about military history.

 Life

 Writings

 A summary of Barth's major works

The Karl Barth Reading Room guide to resources

Video

Karl Barth on Revelation (German with English subtitles) (2 mins)