Karl barth theology pdf

Karl Barth

Swiss Protestant theologian (1886–1968)

For the American Lutheran minister, see Karl L. Barth.

Karl Barth (;[1]German:[bart]; (1886-05-10)10 May 1886 – (1968-12-10)10 December 1968) was a Swiss Reformed theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary The Epistle to the Romans, his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Declaration,[2][3] and especially his unfinished multi-volume theological summa the Church Dogmatics[4] (published between 1932–1967).[5][6] Barth's influence expanded well beyond the academic realm to mainstream culture, leading him to be featured on the cover of Time on 20 April 1962.[7]

Like many Protestant theologians of his generation, Barth was educated in a liberal theology influenced by Adolf von Harnack, Friedrich Schleiermacher and others.[8] His pastoral career began in the rural Swiss town of Safenwil, where he was known as the "Red Pastor from Safenwil".[9] There

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German Resistance Memorial Center Biographie

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Karl Barth

May 10, 1886 - December 10, 1968

Karl Barth 

Having grown up in the family of a Basel theology professor, Karl Barth studied theology in Bern, Berlin, Tübingen, and Marburg until 1909. He became a pastor in Switzerland in 1911. After the First World War he established an important new approach in Protestant theology: dialectic theology. In 1921 Barth became a professor in Göttingen, later transferring to Münster and Bonn. A member of the Swiss Social Democratic Party as early as 1915, he joined the SPD in Germany in 1932. In 1933 his thinking influenced many pastors and believers in their will to resist the "German Christians". Barth was very close to the resolute faction of the Confessional Church and was instrumental in drafting the Barmen Theological Declaration of May 1934. When he refused to swear the oath of allegiance to Hitler in 1934, he was dismissed as a un

Book:Karl Barth: A Life in Conflict by Christiane Tietz

Publisher:Oxford University Press, 2021.

Overview: Tietz’s new biography of Karl Barth is a detailed and compelling portrait of a life in conflict. The book offers vital insight into the biographical setting for Barth’s theology, but its novel contribution is an extended look into Barth’s home life, particularly his relationship with Charlotte von Kirschbaum. As such, it is difficult but necessary reading. Thanks to Tietz, we now have a clearer and more complex portrait of this flawed, passionate, unique, and brilliant man from Basel.


There is much to be thankful for in Christiane Tietz’s new biography of Karl Barth. She does a wonderful job situating his theology in the context of his life, and her chapter-length summary of the “white whale” (Church Dogmatics) was lucid and valuable. Her chapters on Barth’s early years leading up to the epoch-making DerRömerbrief were delightful to read. I was especially thankful for her detailed account of Barth’s political c

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