Karl Barth

Biography

Karl Barth (pronounced “bart”) was born on 10 May 1886
in Basel, Switzerland, to Johann Friedrich (Fritz) Barth and Anna Katharina
(Sartorius) Barth.

Frtiz was a theology professor who would greatly influence
his son’s life. In particular, Fritz was fascinated by philosophy, especially
the implications of Friedrich Nietzsche’s theories on free will.

According to Barth’s autobiography, Karl
Barth: His Life from Letters and Autobiographical Texts, the theologian recalled his early love for attention. His later fiery oratory was as much about passion for faith as about the love of attention. Taken to a play at the age of ten, an impatient Barth quite literally “acted up” in the theatre.

It took quite a long time to begin, and then in the solemn silence I
shouted, shrieked and barked so loudly that everyone started looking
at me. I enjoyed that very much!
— Karl Barth

Acting up went beyond mere shouting. Barth was something
of a hooligan — complete with joining a roving street gang. One can theorize
about the setting of Barth’s childhood, a militaristic Europe, but whatever
the reason he developed a hero worship of military figures and legendary
warriors. Barth and his brother would, quite literally, beat each other
for fun. In time, Barth established himself as the leader of his street
gang, leading his band of followers in feuds with rival gangs. Win or lose,
Barth found fighting exhilarating.

Today I did a good deal of bashing up and got bashed up by plenty of
people myself. There really is some splendid poetry in this active and
passive.
— 1899 diary entry, Karl Barth

No self-respecting gang leader would be an honors student,
and Barth behaved accordingly. Though never in serious trouble at school,
he maintained a rebellious image and mediocre academic performance. Yet,
Barth’s act of mediocrity was known by classmates for what it was. His
peers considered him scholarly, particularly when it came to history.

According to Barth and his biographers, he eventually
revealed his passions for words and leadership in a more constructive form.
Barth formed an unofficial poetry society. Barth found reading and writing
poetry was preferable to fisticuffs by his early teen years. By the age
of 15, Barth was starting on a path towards theological scholarship.

Confirmation and Dedication to Christianity

Members of the Swiss Reformed (Protestant) church undergo
a formal “Confirmation” into the faith. Confirmation includes formal training,
including dogmatics and traditional theological perspectives of the faith.
Karl Barth was captivated by the training.

Barth’s diaries and autobiography recount the influence
of his Confirmation teacher, Robert Aeschbacher, who argued against the
dominant philosophy at the turn of the century: materialism. Specifically,
Aeschbacher taught Barth that “scientific materialism” (such as that found
in the works of Marx) was not going to answer the most important questions
about life or even the universe. Faith in science, Aeschbacher taught,
was misplaced. Science could not explain the riddles of the universe.

Though his father was a theologian, it was Aeschbacher
who persuaded the young Barth to consider the irrational, and therefore
inspiring, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Of the eve of
his Confirmation, Barth made a personal choice to embrace Christianity.

I made the bold resolve to become a theologian: not with preaching and
pastoral care and so on in my mind, but in the hope that through such
a course of study I might reach a proper understanding of the creed in
place of the rather hazy ideas that I had at that time.
— diary entry, Karl Barth

Once he dedicated himself to theology, the influence
of his father increased. Following in the steps of Fritz, Karl Barth came
to see his father as his most important mentor.

The man who without question laid the foundation for my later involvement
in theology was my father Fritz Barth. By virtue of the quiet seriousness
with which he studied Christianity, whether as scholar or teacher, he
became and remained my model.
— diary entry, Karl Barth

In 1904 Barth entered the University of Bern, where his
father was his primary theology professor. Fritz Barth was known as a “moderate”
or even “liberal” theologian who did not insist on a strict, literal reading
of scripture. The younger Barth did not embrace this liberalism, instead
drifting towards a more conservative theology. Karl studied traditional
philosophers, with a particular interest in Immanuel Kant. Convinced philosophy,
not science, was the better discipline for finding meaning in life, Barth
found Kant’s works appealing.

As a university student Barth dedicated a great deal
of time to the student newspaper, Christian World. Unfortunately, the rebellious Barth was still present in the young man, who took up drinking at local pubs and smoking heavily.

In 1908 Barth was ordained into the Swiss Reformed Church
clergy by his father. Barth completed his academic studies in 1909, a year
after his ordination. During his last year of study, Barth accepted a post
as an assistant pastor. Three years after his ordination, Barth was appointed
as pastor in Safenwil, Switzerland. Barth would serve as a pastor in Safenwil
until 1921.

Karl Barth married violinist Nelly Hoffmann on 27 March
1913. They would eventually have five children: Franziska Nelly, Karl Markus,
Christoph Friedrich, Robert Matthias, and Hans Jakob.

While a pastor in Safenwil, Barth increasingly embraced
a conservative theology, but with a political liberalism. Unfortunately,
his scholarly bent was unappreciated by his parishioners, who were mainly
factory workers. Carefully researched and typed, Barth’s sermons were like
school lessons — and apparently just as interesting. His congregation slowly
decreased in size.

Politics and Ethics

Barth’s political liberalism led him to involvement in
unions and the socialist movement. Watching the struggles of his working-class
congregation, Barth became convinced that a new economic order was needed.
During World War I, Barth came to be known as the “Red Pastor of Safenwil.”

After World War I, Barth started to reconsider the role
of political engagement in his life. He wondered if his theology was being
undermined by his political and social forays. He wrote in his diary:

The need to preach proved a very healthy corrective and stimulus in
the development of my ideas…. Above all, it has become increasingly clear
to me that what we need is something beyond all morality and politics
and ethics. These are constantly forced into compromises with “reality”
and therefore have no saving power in themselves.

Disillusioned with politics, and likely affected by the
horrors of the First World War, Barth was even unsure of his role as a
pastor. He found some peace in Biblical scholarship. Midway into World
War I, Barth dedicated himself to an in depth study of scriptures attributed
to St. Paul.

During the work it was often as though I caught a breath from afar,
from Asia Minor or Corinth, something primeval, from the ancient East,
indefinably sunny, wild, original, that somehow is hidden behind these
sentences.
— diary entry, Karl Barth

Rise to Prominence

Following WWI, in 1919, Barth’s commentary on St. Paul
was published, The Epistle
to the Romans. The work was unusual for its conservative theology and its open attacks on humanism. The work was either famous or infamous, depending on the positions of particular critics.

The success of The
Epistle to the Romans allowed Barth to pursue scholarship full-time. He left the congregation in Sanfenwil to relocate to Germany, home to numerous universities. From 1921 to 1935, Barth taught at universities in Goettingen, Muenster, and Bonn. Barth’s scholarship began to produce the multi-volume Church
Dogmatics, a study of the Protestant tradition through the lens of Barth’s increasingly conservative theology.

The Rise of Nazi Germany

As Barth was dedicating himself to the massive Church
Dogmatics, Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists were gaining influence and political power in Germany. Barth was forced by events to reconsider his withdrawal from political involvement. Could he be a “good Christian” and remain silent? For Barth, the answer was a clear “No.”

Karl Barth became an outspoken critic of the National
Socialists, opposing Hitler’s political machinations. It was clear to Barth
that Hitler was using the weak German democracy to establish a tyranny.
When Hitler announced the state of Germany was favored by God, Barth was
deeply offended as a theologian and worried as a resident of Central Europe.

University instructors, like all teachers in Nazi Germany,
were ordered to begin each day with “Heil Hitler” and various nationalistic
anthems. Barth refused to comply. Not content to merely resist the order,
in 1934 Barth composed the Barmen Confession, a formal declaration that
God was separate from and His authority higher than the state. As anticipated,
Barth was removed from his teaching post and “escorted” out of Germany.

From his new home in Basel, Switzerland, Barth continued
to speak out and write about the threat to Europe posed by Hilter. Working
as a professor of theology at the University of Basel, Barth used his post
to write directly to various Christian church officials, political leaders,
and anyone else he thought might be persuaded to resist Hitler. Barth wrote
of Nazi aggression and the suppression of Christian values in Hitler’s
Germany.

Barth was troubled by the ease with which German religious
leaders accepted Hitler, even promoting the notion that the state and “science”
were equal to the churches. Barth saw “reason” taken to a cold, indifferent,
and dangerous extreme. Even if the Nazi logic was flawed, it seemed reasonable
to enough people.

The Post-War Years

Following World War II, Barth dedicated himself to the
rebuilding and restoration of Germany. Though he had condemned Hitler and
the National Socialists, Barth always considered the German people victims
of historical circumstance. He did not dismiss the Holocaust, but he recognized
the rise of Hitler occurred within a larger social upheaval.

Barth returned to lecture at the University of Bonn during
the 1946—1947 academic year. His political involvement declined and he
returned to religious scholarship. Church
Dogmatics was once again Barth’s focus.

(Non) Response to Soviet Communism

Barth, like many European academics did not condemn the
rise of Joseph Stalin or the communism of the Soviet Union. He did not
defend the tactics of Stalin, but he found rabid anti-communism even more
disturbing. Barth developed a cynicism towards all forms of government,
finding none ideal.

Retirement

Barth retired in 1962, but never stopped writing and
lecturing. He was invited to lecture at various universities in the United
States, so he made the journey at the age of 75. As part of his tour of
the United States, Barth insisted on visiting Civil War battlefields. His
fascination with war had never faded.

Barth died in 1968, in Basel, Switzerland.

Chronology

1886 May 10	Born in Basel, Switzerland, to Johann Friedrich (Fritz) Barth and Anna Katharina Sartorius.
1904–1906	Attended University of Bern.
1906–1907	Attended University of Berlin.
1907	Returns to the University of Bern.
1907–1908	University of Tuebingen.
1907	Serves as an assistant pastor in Meiringen, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.
1908–1909	Completes studies at the University of Marburg.
1908	Ordained by the Swiss Reformed Church.
1909–1911	Assistant clergy, a curate, in Geneva.
1911–1921	Pastor in Safenwil, Aargau, Switzerland.
1913 March 27	Marries Nelly Hoffman.
1919	First major work published, The Epistle to the Romans.
1921	Appointed professor of Reformed theology at the University of Göttingen
1922	Publishes first of six revisions to The Epistle to the Romans.
1925–1930	Granted chair at Münster (Muenster), professor of “dogmatics.”
1930–1934	Granted chair at University of Bonn, professor of systematic theology.
1931	Publishes a study of St. Anselm, Fides quaerens intellectum.
1934	Publishes Nein! Antwort an Emil Brunner, a response to Emil Brunner’s defense of anti-Semitism.
1934	Helps draft the Barmen Declaration, declaring the German church “paganized” and anti-Christian.
1935	Removed from teaching at Bonn after refusing to pledge loyalty to National Socialism and Hitler.
1935–1962	Professor of theology at University of Basel, Switzerland.
1937–1938	Visiting Gifford Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh.
1946–1947	Guest professor at University of Bonn.
1948	Speaks at the opening meeting of the Conference of the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam.
1962	Visiting lecturer at Princeton University.
1968 December 9	Died in Basel (note: some biographies list December 10 or 11).

Works

• Der Römerbrief (The
  Epistle to the Romans), Text: 1919
• Das Wort Gottes und die Theologie (The Word of God
  and the Word of Man), Sermons and Essays: 1924
• Die Lehre vom Worte Gottes; Prolegomena zur christlichen Dogmatik (The
  Doctrine of the Word of God: Prolegomena to Church Dogmatics), Text: 1927
• Die protestantische Theologie im 19.Jahrhundert (Protestant
  Theology in the Nineteenth Century), Text: 1947
• Dogmatik im Grundriss (Dogmatics in Outline), Lecture: 1947
• Den Gefangenen Befreiung; Predigten aus den Jahren 1954–59 (Deliverance
  to the Captives), Sermons: 1959

Commentaries

From our current moment in history, it can be difficult
to comprehend the influence of theologians during the early twentieth century.
Social and political activism was considered a part of Christianity, a
social gospel dedicated to the industrial workers. Clergy supported unions,
women’s suffrage, and racial integration. Karl Barth, though a conservative
theologian, was a social activist.

Barth’s desire to reform Christianity was a call to return
to the teaching of Jesus. Barth has been compared to Martin Luther and
even John Calvin. While he advocated reforms within the faith, these proposed
reforms were about reconnecting believers to the teachings and idealism
associated with Christ’s life, teaching, and especially the miracle of
resurrection.

The writings of Barth are based on faith; they are not
an attempt to persuade others to accept Christianity. Barth was trying
to reaffirm traditional Christianity to those within the faith. As a result,
the texts do not try to explain good and evil, or try to convince readers
that miracles can be proved.

Barth believed that Christianity promised a better future,
one in which social justice was a duty. This is a social gospel, not a
gospel against sinners who will be condemned to Hell. As a scholar and
pastor Barth wanted Christians to challenge inequities and injustices.
For those seeking “fire and brimstone” in theology, Barth offers little.

The Epistle to the Romans; Der Römerbrief (1919)

Barth’s study of Biblical scripture attributed to St.
Paul was published in 1919. In The
Epistle to the Romans, Barth offers a conservative theological interpretation of the New Testament Book of Romans, which is also known as “The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans.” The historical origins of the ancient text have been debated, but Barth’s commentary is not a historical text; Barth assumes the letter to be Paul’s work.

For Barth, it was impossible for any human to comprehend
God. Instead of trying to discover the rational explanation for God’s various
requests (or demands), the key for Barth was acceptance of God. Accepting
Jesus, in particular, was the path to redemption and eternal peace. This
is similar to Søren Kierkegaard’s “leap of faith” — reason and faith are incompatible, so you either accept the miracles of Christ or you do not. It is a personal choice.

Barth was writing during a time of extreme scientific
advancement. To suggest science could not answer every question was a radical
notion. Some were starting to view the Bible as literature, a collection
of parables within parables. The notion of “humanism” was gaining popularity
in Europe. Faith in humanity was increasing while religious faith was beginning
a decline that is still evident in Western culture.

Having watched the affects of science, technology, and
the resulting Industrial Revolution, Barth doubted humanity would or could
perfect itself. While there were great improvements in some areas, mankind
was definitely not transcendent. Only God, The Creator, in His various
forms is transcendent, completely beyond the grasp of mortal minds.

God, through the Son and Savior, Jesus Christ, decided
to approach humanity. It was always up to God, through revelation or Christ,
when and how to express Himself to humans. According to Barth’s traditional
theology, not even the various churches or their clergy can help connect
individuals to God. It is a personal connection, offered by God and either
accepted or rejected by the individual who hears the Word of God. This
is a conservative Protestant theology: the Bible is God’s divine offering
of truth and salvation. The church has no divine power, no special connection
to God, other than to offer the Word to congregations.

Woe be to us, if from the summits of religion there pours forth nothing
but religion! Religion casts us into the deepest of all prisons: it cannot
liberate us. Flesh is flesh; and all that takes place within its sphere,
every step we undertake towards God, is as such weak. Because of the
qualitative distinction between God and man the history of religion,
Church History, is weak, utterly weak.
— The Epistle to the
Romans; Karl Barth

For religious humanists, who believed that science could
discover “how God thought,” Barth’s theology was an insult against human
ability. Secular humanists could dismiss Barth as a religious zealot, but
liberal theologians were forced to explain why Barth’s theology was outdated.
The “modern” theologians were eager to embrace advancements, wanting to
reconcile science and theology. Barth was claiming such attempts at rational
faith were misguided.

In St. Paul, Barth found a man willing to accept miracles
and miracles and divine inspiration as a gift that did not need explanation.
Paul’s faith was the pure faith Barth believed should be the aim of all
Christians. The modern Christian churches were no longer inspired, no longer
passionately accepting Christ.

Paul what a man he must have been and what men also those for whom he
could so sketch and hint at these pithy things in a few muddled fragments!
[…] And then behind Paul: what realities those must have been that could
excite the man in such a way! What a lot of far-fetched stuff we compile
about his remarks, when perhaps ninety-nine per cent of their real content
escapes us!
— diary entry, Karl Barth

Church Dogmatics (1932–1961)

The multi-volume work Church
Dogmatics represents the theology of Barth in great detail. Four massive volumes were published during Barth’s lifetime, which an incomplete fifth volume available in posthumous fragments. Church
Dogmatics has been compared to the works of Thomas Aquinas, Summa
Theologie and Summa Contra Gentiles, by some critics.

Volume one of Church
Dogmatics is The
Doctrine of the Word of God. Barth read the Bible as a literal document and adhered to a conservative theology. This first volume of the Dogmatics was an explanation of the primacy of scripture and a defense of Christian doctrines. Among the doctrines Barth considered essential to the nature of Christianity was the belief in the Holy Trinity: God as Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Spirit. It is a fundamental notion of traditional Christianity that God can be everywhere, yet can also take specific forms — especially that of His Son, Jesus of Nazareth.

Volume two of Dogmatics, The
Doctrine of God, is even more specific on the nature of God according to Christian theology. Barth held that God was beyond human understanding, a position which Barth spent thousands of pages explaining throughout his lifetime. Barth suggested God was revealed through scripture (The Word) and Jesus Christ. Some Christian theologians complicate this by suggesting Jesus is The Word in physical form, but Barth does not make this argument.

Volume three of Dogmatics, The
Doctrine of Creation, explores the creation of the universe, earth, and humanity in particular. Barth opened the text with a study of Genesis and the creation stories. (There are two creation stories in Genesis, which has long puzzled Biblical historians and some theologians.) The bulk of The Doctrine of Creation explores God’s covenant with humanity. Barth concluded the work with an explanation of the ethical responsibilities humanity has under God. Guidance is offered by scripture, but to behave ethically is always a personal choice.

Volume four of Dogmatics, The
Doctrine of Reconciliation, explores the nature and role of Jesus of Nazareth. Barth, as a conservative Christian theologian, insisted that accepting Jesus Christ was key to redemption. Christ was both man and God, beyond humanity’s comprehension, yet human. Barth believed that the physical nature of Jesus was an important connection to humanity; God literally suffered as a result of human sinfulness.

After the publication of volume four of Dogmatics, Barth explained that he had come to view humanity as a part of God, an essential expression of God’s creative power. This does not mean humanity is God, in a literal sense, but that just as a painting expresses the thoughts of the artist, humanity was an expression of God.

Critics and Church Dogmatics

Church
Dogmatics is a massive work, compiled over three decades. These volumes are the result of a lifetime of scholarship. It is likely a reader would need a lifetime to analyze Dogmatics.

The Church Dogmatics is so large as to be almost grotesque…. The reader is sometimes disconcerted and discouraged by the sheer weight of words…. But it is well worth the effort! He who accepts the discipline of reading these nearly seven thousand pages finds an exciting world unfolding; amazed, fascinated and overwhelmed, he simply cannot tear himself away from these huge volumes with their disciplined structure.
— Portrait of Karl Barth; Georges Casalis

Quotes

{coming…}

Bibliography

Unfortunately, most of these books are out of print or
nearly impossible to find. I located one Barth biography online for $104
in May, 2008. I couldn’t justify the expense. As a result, the bibliography
is based on books I found covered in dust at the libraries of CSU, Fresno,
and the University of Minnesota. This bibliography needs some editing;
I apologize for the incomplete links to Amazon and any missing publication
information.

Andrews, Isolde; Deconstructing Barth:
A Study of the Complementary Methods in Karl Barth and Jacques Derrida (New York: P. Lang, 1996)

Barth, Karl; <trans.> Edwyn C. Hoskyns; The
Epistle to the Romans (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1933)

Barth, Karl; <ed.> John D. Godsey; How I
Changed My Mind (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1966)

Bromiley, Geoffrey W.; Introduction to the Theology
of Karl Barth (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1979)

Busch, Eberhard; <trans.> John Bowden; Karl
Barth: His Life from Letters and Autobiographical Texts (Fortress Press, 1976)

Karl Barth is the primary source for quotes within this Web page. It is probably the best source for Barth’s reflections on his own life.

Casalis, Georges; Portrait of Karl Barth (New York: Doubleday, 1963)

Cunningham, Mary Kathleen; What Is Theological Exegesis?
Interpretation and Use of Scripture in Barth’s Doctrine of Election (Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1995)

Davaney, Sheila Greeve; Divine Power: A Study of
Karl Barth and Charles Hartshorne (Fortress Press, 1986)

Hartwell, Herbert; The Theology of Karl Barth: An
Introduction (Westminster Press, 1964)

Jenson, Robert W.; Alpha and Omega: A Study in the
Theology of Karl Barth (Nelson, 1963)
Note: Due to the poor quality of the archived text, I might have the publisher wrong!

Johnson, William Stacy; The Mystery of God: Karl
Barth and the Post-Modern Foundations of Theology (John Knox Press, 1997)

Jungel, Eberhard; <trans.> Paul, Garrett E.; Karl
Barth: A Theological Legacy (Westminster Press, 1986)

McCormack, Bruce L.; Karl Barth’s Critically Dialectical
Theology: Its Genesis and Development, 1909–1936 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995)

McKim, Donald K.; How Karl Barth
Changed My Mind (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986)

Molnar, Paul D.; Karl Barth and the
Theology of the Lord’s Supper: A Systematic Investigation (P. Lang, 1996)

Mueller, David; Karl Barth (Word Books, 1972)

Mueller, David L.; Foundation of Karl Barth’s Doctrine
of Reconciliation: Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen (Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen Press, 1990)

O’Grady, Colm; The Church in the Theology of Karl
Barth (Corpus Books, 1968)

Parker, T. H. L.; Karl Barth (Eerdmans, 1970)

Rodin, R. Scott; Evil and Theodicy
in the Theology of Karl Barth (P. Lang, 1997)

Sharp, Douglas R.; The Hermeneutics of Election:
The Significance of the Doctrine in Barth’s Church Dogmatics (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1990)

Stroble, Paul E., Jr.; The Social
Oncology of Karl Barth (San Francisco: Christian University Press, 1994)

Thinkers of the Twentieth Century, Second edition; Turner, Roland <ed.> (St. James Press, 1987)

Thompson, John <ed.>; Theology Beyond Christendom:
Essays on the Centenary of the Birth of Karl Barth (Allison Park, PA: Pickwick Publications, 1986)

Thorne, Phillip R.; Evangelicalism
and Karl Barth: His Reception and Influence in North
American Evangelical Theology (Allison Park, PA: Pickwick Publications, 1995)

von Balthasar, Hans Urs; <trans.> Drury, John; The
Theology of Karl Barth (Holt, 1971)

Whitehouse, W. A.; Creation, Science, and Theology:
Essays in Response to Karl Barth (Eerdmans, 1981)

Willems, B. A.; <trans.> van Velzen, Matthew J.; Karl
Barth: An Ecumenical Approach to His Theology (Paulist Press, 1965)