Ranked by many among the great theologians of church history, Karl Barth was the leading European theologian in the first half of this century. His 1919 Romans signaled the end of the nineteenth century liberal theology, and his Church Dogmatics reconstructed Christian doctrine in a way that was both classical and modern. A champion of the freedom of the Christian community, Barth's theology links "the Bible and the newspaper," Christian doctrine with the ethical issues of politics and economics, justice and peace. This volume concentrates on the key texts and ideas in Barth's thought. It presents the essential Barth for students and the general reader. Clifford Green's introductory essay and comments on the selected texts set Barth in his historical context, chart the development of his thought and indicate the significance of his theology in the development of Christian theology as a whole. Substantial selections from Barth's work illustrate key themes:

Barth's critique of liberal theology

The Romans commentary and the Anselm study

Revelation and biblical theology versus natural theology

Christology, election, creation, reconciliation, the church

Christian ethics; the church and public life

Socialism; resistance to Nazism; the church as peacemaker