Barth

Outstanding Christian Thinkers

by John B. Webster

Karl Barth (1886-1968) has been called the most important Protestant theologian since Schleiermacher. A lifetime of work produced a complex body of writings that emerged both from his theological teaching and from his engagement in church life. The publication of some of his work posthumously has invited fresh and attentive interpretations of his thought. This book draws together these readings to provide an introduction to the main themes in Barth's theology. It shows the continuity and coherence of Barth's work, and stresses the importance of his biblical and ethical writings alongside his systematic theology. The book opens with a study of Barth's ethical thinking in key writings from the period of his break with theological liberalism. It then goes on to highlight the moeal anthropology set out in his lectures on ethics from the end of the 1920s. Webster studies the themes of original sin, hope and freedom in Barth's "Church Dogmatics", illustrating Barth's concern to prove that divine grace shapes and restores human agency. He also explores the theme of missionary activity of the church in relation to Barth's remarkable treatment of the prophetic office of Christ, and draws a contrast between the moral anthroplogy of Bart and Luther. In conclusion, he focuses on Barth's response to modernity, postmodernity and the tasks of theology.

Genres: Theology, Biography

181 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Professor John B. Webster, MA, PhD, DD, FRSE was a notable contemporary British theologian of the Anglican communion writing in the area of systematic, historical and moral theology. He was educated at the independent co-educational Bradford Grammar School and at the University of Cambridge.

See also: John Webster

Image: Drawn by Rachel Nigh

Reviews

[Greg Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Webster is instructive and lucid. Will be the first book I recommend to those trying to wrap their minds around Barth. Would have loved, for my own benefit, a further expansion on Book IV.

[David Goetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid introduction to Barth. If you want an intro that accounts not only for the Church Dogmatics but also for Barth's early lectures (historical, dogmatic, ethical, exegetical) and the other posthumous materials, this is the one you want.

If you're interested in Webster and want to get his interpretation of Barth on [fill in the blank] but don't want to read Barth's Ethics of Reconciliation, Barth's Moral Theology, The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth, and/or Barth's Earlier Theology, this is the best place to start.

"The gospel is not an intra-mural exercise but the truth of the world's reconciliation" (x). Barth was marked by a "mild but dogged intensity" (12) and used, especially in his early period, "jagged, ceaselessly interrogative rhetoric" (28). The word of the gospel sets us in "a dialogue which we cannot escape" (32). Dogmatics is "a work that praises its master" (40). "God is only in the first person" (42). "Ruling grace is commanding grace" (92). Jesus is "the sum of the divine address" (104). Because of sin, every one of us is "irreparably, radically, and totally guilty before God both individually and corporately" (124). "The sinner is crooked even in the knowledge of his crookedness" (124). "Whatever evil is, God is its Lord" (125). Dogmatics is truth which summons; ethics is truth which summons. "Invocation catches exactly the relation between God's grace and the responsive human act of free obedience. Prayer can be considered the paradigmatic human moral action" (158). God is "the living Father of his living children" (159).

"If we once neglect Barth's strict insistence that the traffic always proceeds from the particular to the general and not vice versa, then he will soon share the fate of other major theological figures--becoming a mere emblematic figure whose authority is invoked but whose texts remain unread" (169).

In the words of the humanists, Ad fontes!

[george kantartzis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pages 1-33

[Daniel Hummel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to Barth that hammers home the Swiss theologian's scholarship in totality (arguing the seeds can be traced back to early works in the 1920s) and corrects some of the prevalent criticisms or slogans attributed to him. The conclusion discusses the difficulty of categorizing Barth as pre-modern, modern, or postmodern in outlook. For someone who studies American religious thought, but of groups largely opposed to or distant from Barth (conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists), this was a great introduction that points to the areas most fruitful for further reading.

[Shep · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the second edition. This is an incredibly helpful introduction to Barth's thought. It is also, I think, rather accessible for both seriously interested non-academics as well as academics. Recommended.

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Websters step by step approach to Barth's thought. This book really should be read while working through the Dogmatics or any other of Barth's writings.

[Mark Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best "introduction" to Barth for students who already have some basic familiarity with him.

[Ben C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pretty much love anything John Webster writes. Can't wait to get into Barth's Church Dogmatics!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice introduction of Barth. And you also get John Webster! A nice one-two punch.

[Daniel Mcgregor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this book in the spring of 2015 and stopped one-third of the way through, now I remember why. This book is neither very clear nor very helpful in understanding Barth's theology.

[Theron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to the person, Karl Barth, and his theology.

[Ian Clary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful introduction.