Barth, Karl

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BARTH, KARL

Preeminent proponent of neo-orthodox or dialectical theology; b. Basel, Switzerland, May 10, 1886; d. Basel, Dec. 10, 1968. The son of Swiss Reformed minister and New Testament scholar Fritz Barth, Karl was reared in Berne. In 1913 he married Nelly Hoffmann, with whom he had five children. From 1904 to 1909 Barth studied theology at the universities of Berne, Berlin, Tübingen, and Marburg. At first he adhered to the liberal Protestant theology of teachers such as Adolph von Harnack and Wilhelm Herrmann. He began his ministerial career in 1909 as a vicar in Geneva, then in 1911 was appointed pastor of the Swiss Reformed Church in Safenwil, Canton of Aargau. Barth's pastoral experience soon led him to question the adequacy of liberal theology and its confidence in the ultimate perfectibility of man. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 and the use of technology for inhumane purposes led Barth to further question the optimism of liberal theology. The decisive break occurred when he learned that many of his former teachers in Germany supported the war policies of Kaiser Wilhelm II. To assess his heritage and find a theological path, Barth turned to an intensive study of the Bible and in 1919 published The Epistle to the Romans. This powerful commentary, especially the completely rewritten second edition of 1922, launched a fresh theological movement dedicated to the recovery of a theology of the Word of God. Barth emphasized the sinfulness of humanity, God's absolute transcendence, and the human inability to know God apart from revelation.

Called to a professorship in 1921, Barth taught systematic theology at the universities of Göttingen (1921–25), Münster (1925–30), Bonn (1930–35), and Basel (1935–62). His illustrious career included theological leadership of the Confessing Church against Nazi influence in the German Protestant Church, chief authorship of the Barmen Declaration of 1934, expulsion from Germany by the Nazi government in 1935, delivery of the Gifford Lectures in 1937–38, participation in the Amsterdam Assembly of the World Council of Churches in 1948, an American tour in 1962, and a visit to the Vatican in 1966. A legacy of more than 600 writings is crowned by his monumental Church Dogmatics (1932–67), a Christ-centered theological summa that investigates the meaning of God and human redemption in the light of the Gospels.

Doctrine. Throughout the Church Dogmatics there is reflection on the implications of a Christocentric theological system. Barth's theological system, for which the name "coherent Christology" is quite apt, stands on the principle that a theological understanding of any subject is totally dependent on the penetration of that subject's relation to Christ. In general, that system begins with the dialectical Word of God which enters history vertically and contradicts human efforts to know God through religion or philosophy. Here, Barth singles out the analogy of being as a faithless attempt by sinful humanity at self-justification, i.e., through the analogy of being humanity seeks to establish continuity between a human word and a divine word.

In later volumes of the Church Dogmatics Barth's thought moved beyond dialectics and examined the consequences of the reconciliation between God and humanity that is accomplished in Jesus Christ. Barth moved increasingly toward a Christological doctrine of analogy that is grounded in the unity of two natures brought about by the incarnation of Jesus Christ. More fundamental than the human opposition to God in sin is the basic reality that in the incarnation of Jesus Christ creation itself has been assumed by God and justified. The human nature of Jesus Christ, as the humanity of God, becomes the basis for an analogy or continuity between God and creation that goes beyond any contradiction between the two; such is the analogy of faith. In the end, Barth speaks of human words and human lights shining forth from the one Word of God in Jesus Christ that dwells among us.

The unfolding of Barth's Christ-centered theological project can be seen, at least germinally, in the outline of the Church Dogmatics :

The Doctrine of the Word of God. In volume one, Barth works out a theory of the Word as divine activity present and revealed solely in Jesus Christ, to whom the Scriptures and the Church bear witness. It is also the occasion of his emphasizing the absolute gratuity of the Word's descent, to the degree that any attempt on man's part to prepare for or initiate this event (Ereignis ) is impossible.

The Doctrine of God. In volume two, Barth takes up the problem of man's knowledge of God, affirming that God is known only in Jesus Christ. Barth consistently preserves divine initiative in the revelation in Jesus Christ, and thus denies the native power of reason to know even God's existence. Under this heading, Barth also discusses the language used in speaking of God, the mystery of predestination, i.e., Jesus Christ as the sole object of God's free election, and the nature of God's command over men.

The Doctrine of Creation. In volume three, Barth develops an understanding of Jesus Christ as the divine word through whom all of creation is maintained and controlled. As such, creation is transformed by God's work in the incarnation and redemption. God's reconciliation with creation is not to be seen as the completion of creation, but as an entirely new work of God, revelation transforms creation—and humanity—from without, even as God's grace works within creation.

The Doctrine of Reconciliation. In volume four, Barth treats the subject that he believes to be at the core of dogmatics and of the preaching of the Church. In it he discusses the covenant between God and man, grace and sin, and the atonement made by Jesus Christ. Barth also elaborates on the subjective appropriation of our redemption in Jesus Christ (justification) that is effected by the grace of God working in the world. Finally, Barth takes up the law of God, in so far as it punishes sin and restores us, with a view toward our eternal destiny with God.

Barth's reaction against liberalism must be judged as beneficial to Protestantism as a whole. His attempt to reinstate and systematically defend the transcendence of God as a theological principle is altogether praiseworthy; for it puts man in his true position in relation to God, that of utter receptivity.

When, however, Barth's entire system is viewed in light of Catholic tradition, some sharp divergences appear. Most evident—but perhaps only symptomatic of a more radical difficulty—is the compromise of the consistency of creation, especially of rational creatures. To give Jesus Christ the primacy in all things is quite valid. St. Paul does this. Barth, however, seems to so overstate this primacy as to make unnecessary and even impossible a true encounter between God and humanity at the level of nature. Scrutiny of his work evokes constantly the question of the reality of human receptivity to God's word.

Barth's effort to rehabilitate Protestant dogmatics, his partial success together with his evident exaggerations, points to a root difficulty in his thought. The exaltation of God's transcendent majesty by Calvin and of God's perfect freedom in the distribution of grace by Luther are fully comprehended only when complemented by the majesty of God's work in creation itself, as well as in the universality of grace. This balance Barth does not seem to have achieved in his Church Dogmatics.

Bibliography: Works. Church Dogmatics, tr. g. t. thomson (New York 1955–); Dogmatics in Outline, tr. g. t. thomson (New York 1949); Evangelical Theology: An Introduction, tr. g. foley (New York, 1963). Complete list to 1955 in Antwort: Karl Barth zum 70 Geburtstag (Zurich 1956) 945–960. Continued list of complete works from 1956 in Parrhesia: Karl Barth zum 80. Geburtstag (Zürich 1966) 709–723. k. barth, How I Changed My Mind, intro. and epilogue j. d. godsey (Richmond, Va. 1966). g. casalis, Portrait of Karl Barth intro. and tr. r. mca. brown (Garden City, N.Y. 1963). t. h. l. parker, Karl Barth (Grand Rapids, Mich. 1970). Commentary. g. w. bromiley, Introduction to the Theology of Karl Barth (Grand Rapids, Mich. 1979). h. u. von balthasar, The Theology of Karl Barth, tr. e. t. oakes (San Francisco 1992). h. kung, Justification: The Doctrine of Karl Barth and a Catholic Reflection (New York 1964).