Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics

Abstract

Abstract The most significant Reformed theologian of the twentieth century, Karl Barth, exercised a remarkably critical role relative to the classical traditions of Reformed Theology. His theological project drew on modern biblical criticism, post-Kantian philosophy, and early twentieth-century approaches to Christocentrism. Nevertheless, he prepared to offer a systematic theology by going to school with the classic texts of the Reformed tradition and by engaging in prolonged biblical exegesis. Eventually, Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics presented an orderly account of the Christian faith centred on and beginning with the self-presentation of God in Jesus Christ. It enfolds prolegomena, ethics, and homiletical guidance within its span, believing these ancillary discussions to demand properly theological and thus Christological regulation. This chapter explores the Christological focus and rhetorical style before turning to introduce each of the constituent parts (Word of God, God, Creation, and Reconciliation) of that magnum opus.