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Edition 5 (1968) Winner
Karl Barth
カール・バルト
Kāru Baruto
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1886-05-10 （Basel, Switzerland）
- Died
- 1968-12-10 （Basel, Switzerland） age 82
- Nationality
- Swiss
- Languages
- German
- Religion
- Reformed Protestant (closely associated with Calvinist tradition)
- Residence History
- Basel (birthplace, later residence, University of Basel) → Safenwil (served as pastor) → Göttingen (professorship) → Münster (professorship) → Bonn (professorship)
Career
- Occupations
- Theologian, Pastor, Professor
- Active Years
- 1911-1968
- Affiliations
- University of Basel (Professor), University of Göttingen (Professor), University of Münster (Professor), University of Bonn (Professor), Swiss Reformed Church (ordination)
- Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Honorary Member)
- Influenced By
- Adolf von Harnack, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Wilhelm Herrmann, Christoph Blumhardt
- Influenced
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jürgen Moltmann, Hans Küng, Reinhold Niebuhr, Flannery O'Connor (novelist), John Updike (novelist)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Bern | — | — | — | — | Switzerland |
| University of Berlin | — | — | — | — | Germany |
| University of Tübingen | — | — | — | — | Germany |
| University of Marburg (studied under Wilhelm Herrmann) | — | — | — | — | Germany |
University of Bern
Country:
Switzerland
University of Berlin
Country:
Germany
Studied under Adolf von Harnack (approximate/unspecified period)
University of Tübingen
Country:
Germany
University of Marburg (studied under Wilhelm Herrmann)
Country:
Germany
Primarily studied theology
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Sciences | 選出（名誉会員） |
Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1950
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Result:
選出（名誉会員）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Epistle to the Romans (Der Römerbrief)
1919 Theological commentary (New Testament commentary)A commentary on Romans first published after World War I; it marked Barth's break with liberal theology and emphasized divine revelation, human sin, and a Christocentric understanding of salvation.
RevelationSalvationChristocentrism
Translations
- English translation (E. C. Hoskyns et al.)
Church Dogmatics (Kirchliche Dogmatik)
1932 Systematic theology (magnum opus) 9000 pagesBarth's magnum opus, a multi-volume systematic theology dealing with the Word of God, the doctrine of God, creation, reconciliation, and redemption. Runs to roughly 9,000 pages and remained unfinished in parts.
Systematic theologyTrinitarian focusAtonement and reconciliation
Translations
- English translations (numerous partial translations and selected volumes)
Barmen Declaration
1934 Church declaration / theological-political documentA declaration written in response to the Nazification of the German churches asserting the church's allegiance to Christ alone. Barth was a principal author.
Church independencePriority of the GospelAnti-Nazism stance
Translations
- Translated into several languages
Bibliography
- The Epistle to the Romans (1919/1922)
- The Word of God and The Word of Man (1928)
- Church and State
- Church Dogmatics (multiple volumes, 1932–1967)
- The Humanity of God
Translations of Works
- The Epistle to the Romans — English translation (E. C. Hoskyns)
- Church Dogmatics — English translations (ed. T. F. Torrance, G. W. Bromiley, et al.)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Scholarly, densely argued proseDialectical method (repeated negation and affirmation)Precise German academic style
- Recurring Motifs
- Otherness of GodChristocentrismTension between revelation and human reception
Legacy
Considered one of the foremost Protestant theologians of the 20th century, Barth reoriented systematic theology and influenced church conscience, peace movements, and both academic and popular culture.
Museums
- Center for Barth Studies (Princeton Theological Seminary) Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, USA Opened in 1997
- Karl Barth Archive (University of Basel) University of Basel library/archives, Switzerland
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Honorary Member)
Archives
- Princeton Theological Seminary – Center for Barth Studies (research collection)
- University of Basel – Karl Barth Archive
In Popular Culture
- Cover of Time magazine (20 April 1962)
Quotes
-
I do not believe in universalism, but I do believe in Jesus Christ, reconciler of all.
Source: Citation/letter (source uncertain) -
God's righteousness is revealed like a trumpet blast from another world that interrupts one's allegiance to nation and culture.
Source: Lecture/writing (source uncertain)
Trivia
- Gained international fame with his Romans commentary after World War I.
- Principal author of the Barmen Declaration and involved in church resistance to Nazism.
- Featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1962.
- Had a long and complicated personal and professional relationship with Charlotte von Kirschbaum.