Faith of the Church: A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed According to Calvin's Catechism

by Karl Barth

The Apostles' Creed is the foundation of Christian faith. The interpretive version of the Apostles' Creed formulated by the Swiss reformer John Calvin in his Catechism has been the basis of Protestant theological education for centuries. In The Faith of the Church, Karl Barth, one of the powerful and enduring theologians of modern Protestantism, reinterprets the Apostles' Creed according to the Catechism of Calvin. The theology of Karl Barth has been one of the mobilizing influences of modern religious thought. Repudiating as he does every theological accent which permits man either self-sufficiency or independence from the action and grace of God, Barth takes seriously (as few contemporary Protestant theologians have taken seriously) the meaning of the Catechism-which is to direct man to the knowledge of God. His interpretations of the Catechism, organized according to the Questions of the Catechism, are unimpaired by technical language or jargon. They are direct, moving, and exceedingly penetrating. This is not a work to employ the attentions of those indifferent to the heart of Christian faith. It is a work calculated, however, to disturb and deepen the faith of those who imagine themselves already Christian.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Philosophy

Paperback

First published July 1, 2006

About the author

Protestant theologian Karl Barth, a Swiss, advocated a return to the principles of the Reformation and the teachings of the Bible; his published works include Church Dogmatics from 1932.

Critics hold Karl Barth among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important since Saint Thomas Aquinas. Beginning with his experience as a pastor, he rejected his typical predominant liberal, especially German training of 19th century.

Instead, he embarked on a new path, initially called dialectical, due to its stress on the paradoxical nature of divine truth—for instance, God is both grace and judgment), but more accurately called a of the Word. Critics referred to this father of new orthodoxy, a pejorative term that he emphatically rejected. His thought emphasized the sovereignty of God, particularly through his innovative doctrine of election. His enormously influenced throughout Europe and America.

Reviews

[Steven Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. It is basically Barth's running commentary on Calvin's running commentary on the Apostles' Creed, which is itself a sort of commentary on the New Testament. It's not often that I read a book with this many rich layers of conversation embedded in it.

Calvin's commentary on the Creed is already gold, even without Barth's comments. It is a succinct and
compelling distillation of Reformed theology. Even more importantly, it gives the reader a feel for the underlying motivations and drives of Reformed theology. You get a sense for what fires Calvin up, not just for how the system fits together. More and more I am convinced that Reformed theology at its core is more about heart motivations than head formulations, more a passionate engagement with the sovereignty and freedom of God than a set of abstract doctrines.

But *then*, you get Barth's comments on Calvin. And here is a fascinating window into some of the central conflicts within the Reformed tradition. At several key points, Barth departs from Calvin, and in almost every instance, Barth's modifications of Calvin's theology seem to me to be welcome improvements. For example, Barth criticizes Calvin for not affirming the goodness of created matter and the body strongly enough, and he is also bothered that Calvin reads hell and eternal judgement back into the creed, when it is not strictly there. (Thank you, Barth.) Equally interesting are passages where Barth agrees with Calvin but subtly (or not so subtly) transposes Calvin's thinking into a distinctly twentieth century key. The way that Barth translates Reformed doctrine to address modern questions compels me to ask how it could be retranslated to address 21st century questions.

AND, if you've never read Barth, this book is a great introduction to his theology. A ton of his major themes find their way into the book. If you are not interested in chewing through the Church Dogmatics, but you are curious about his theology, this is a great summary.

I'll admit, there are a few points where Barth does his Barth thing and takes flight with soaring, beautiful, outrageous claims that have no grounding in scripture. But he understood that theology always has an aesthetic component, that truth has not only solidity but also intentional, dancing motion. (His passage on Christ as a bird in flight is one of the best paragraphs of theology I have read anywhere.)

I used this book as a conversation partner during a sermon series on the Apostles' Creed, and it was wonderful. Even as a book charting the genealogical progression of one trajectory of Reformed theology, it is very informative. Highly recommended.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strange book unlike many I have read before. The book is Barth's commentary on Calvin's Catechism based on the Apostles' Creed. It felt like trying to eavesdrop on a conversation at a different table while at a loud restaurant with your family. Some degree of familiarity with these different portions is helpful if not required in trying to piece together this book. I am only vaguely familiar with Barth, but knowing the Creed and Calvin helped me follow the conversation.

This felt like a good introduction to Barth. I felt like I got a better sense of his thinking and theology. I still do not fully know what to make of Barth, his infidelity and different context are two large hurdles for me. But I continually appreciated his thoughts. Portions of his brilliance shine through in unexpected places. I walked away from this encouraged with how much we agree on the foundations of the faith.

[Matt Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is Barth's commentary on Calvin's catechism based upon the Apostles' Creed. These reflections upon the Creed through the lens of Calvin's catechism is helpful in creating a ground from which a concise, accessible expression of Barth's overall theology can be seen. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Barth's theology, Barth's interaction with Calvin, or who has not read any Barth before. This is a great starting point.