BARTH, KARL

born May 10, 1886, Basel, Switz. died Dec. 9/10, 1968, Basel Swiss theologian, among the most influential of the 20th century. Closely supported by his lifelong friend and colleague, the theologian Eduard Thurneysen, he initiated a radical change in Protestant thought, stressing the wholly otherness of God over the anthropocentrism of 19th-century liberal theology. Barth recovered the centrality of the doctrine of the Trinity within the dynamic and rational structure of Christian dogmatics; of particular importance was his reappropriation of the Christology of the ancient church. His vigorous opposition to German National Socialism led to his suspension as chairman of theology at the University of Bonn. Subsequently, at Basel, he continued work on his monumental Church Dogmatics (completing four volumes) and delivered more than 500 sermons. Additional reading Eberhard Busch, Karl Barth: His Life from Letters and Autobiographical Texts (1976), is not a critical biography but rather a picture of Barth in his own words, by the man who served as his last personal assistant. Georges Casalis, Portrait of Karl Barth (1963, reprinted 1981), provides a portrait of the man and his work. T.H.L. Parker, Karl Barth (1970), recounts Barth's spiritual pilgrimage and the development of his theological method. Studies of his theology include Thomas F. Torrance, Karl Barth: An Introduction to His Early Theology, 19101931 (1962); Geoffrey W. Bromiley, An Introduction to the Theology of Karl Barth (1979), which provides an introduction to the Church Dogmatics; and Charles T. Waldrop, Karl Barth's Christology (1984).