The Theology of the Reformed Confessions

by Karl Barth

This volume is Karl Barth's theological commentary on Reformed confessions delivered as a series of lectures in 1923. In it, Barth discusses his understandings of the main teachings of the Reformed confessions and indicates the ways in which his developing theology is related to them.

Genres: Theology

330 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1923

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

[Bobby · Rating 5 out of 5]

First two chapters are excellent. Barth describes his understanding of the "Reformed" principle of sola scriptura juxtaposed with the Lutheran approach. Herein, we can also have a greater understanding of Barth's latent bibliological understanding contravened as it is with "Fundy" understandings of "inerrancy"; i.e. Barth reshifts this discussion --- as he does with the classical approach to election --- to a more intense and important discussion surrounding "revelation" and "witness" as it is oriented around the "person" of God in Christ by the Holy Spirit.