Karl Barth famously argued that the Christian hope is for eternal life and not for afterlife because afterlife is a "pagan dream of good times after death" like the vikings who longed to drink ale and feast in the halls of Valhalla with Odin and the norse gods forever. If the […]
The Church Dogmatics, Vol III: Doctrine of Creation
After World War II ended, Karl Barth's participation in the Confessing Church diminished. His academic work at the University of Basel allowed Barth to continue his magnum opus the Church Dogmatics that he had begun in 1932. In this Part 6, I will discuss […]
In the early 1920's, Karl Barth preached a sermon on Pentecost to his tiny church in Safenwil, Switzerland. In this sermon, "Come, Creator Spirit!", Barth says that Christians today have much more in common with the strangers and immigrants who came together at Pentecost, than to the Apostles; these immigrants […]
Karl Barth's Eschatology: An Introduction
Karl Barth wrote about Eschatology throughout the 75 paragraphs (i.e. sections §'s) of the Church Dogmatics, but there are four paragraphs in particular that elucidates Barth's doctrine of last things. In this post, I will provide a sketch of Barth's eschatology writings in the Church Dogmatics […]
Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics was a theological summa published between 1932 and 1967 that spanned 9257 pages. The English translations lagged many years behind the German original publications, so as an English reader of Barth, I have struggled to find the original publication dates of each volume of the Church Dogmatics. So, I've created […]
It's Christmas season, and it is a great time to give the gift of Karl Barth! Here are my recommendations for which Barth books to buy for yourself or loved ones this holiday season. I've recommended below two editions of The Church Dogmatics and my top ten books by Karl Barth […]
What is Man? Karl Barth solves this enigmatic anthropological question with one word: Jesus! Barth fleshes out his anthropology throughout The Church Dogmatics, Vol. 3.2, Sections 45-46: The Doctrine of Creation (CD III/2), beginning with Jesus, Man for Other Men in "§45 Man in His Determination as the Covenant-Partner of God" where Barth declares the victory of the Crucified One […]
The Ethics of Hope is a reoccurring theme at the PostBarthian, and this includes hope for all, not only all people, but all non-human Creation as well, such that nothing is lost in the end when Christ Jesus is all in all (1 Cor 15:28). What is it that separates Man […]
The results from my "What's your favorite volume of Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics?" are in!
The winner is a tie between The Church Dogmatics: The Doctrine of God, Vol. II/2 (CD II/2) and The Church Dogmatics: The Doctrine of Reconciliation, Vol. IV/1 (CD IV/1). I'm not surprised that these two volumes would be neck and […]
What is your favorite volume of Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics?
Church Dogmatics I/1: The Doctrine of the Word of God, Part 1
Church Dogmatics I/2: The Doctrine of the Word of God, Part 2
Church Dogmatics II/1: The Doctrine of God, Part 1
Church Dogmatics II/2: The Doctrine of God, […]