Karl Barth and Nostra Aetate: New Evidence from the Second Vatican Council

Abstract

Abstract This essay exposes and discusses Karl Barth’s previously unknown involvement in the Second Vatican Council debates over the document on the Jews, which would soon be commonly known as Chapter IV of Nostra Aetate, and argues for its importance for our understanding of Barth’s personal and theological attitude towards Jews and Judaism. Drawing on unknown archival material, it demonstrates Barth’s deep familiarity with all of the main drafts of the document and his awareness of the various forces, both internal and external to the Catholic Church, trying to influence its theological message. It also reveals and analyses a three-page interpretation of the textual history of the document on the Jews written by Barth himself, in which he assesses its various drafts and considers a request from the Jewish committee involved with the Council to approach the Pope personally on their behalf. Lastly, it argues that this episode sheds important light on Barth’s understanding of the accusation of Jewish ‘deicide’ and his doctrine of Israel more generally, both complementing and furthering what is presented in Church Dogmatics, Ad Limina Apostolorum, and elsewhere.