# Who is Karl Barth?



## Ex-Baptist (Feb 5, 2004)

An elder in my chruch quotes him quite a bit. Anyone with an opinion on him?


----------



## Puritan Sailor (Feb 5, 2004)

He's one of the &quot;founders&quot; of the Neo-orthodox position. He was rather skeptical of the radical liberals in his day, but didn't go all the way back to the conservative or orthodox position. He had some interestin gthings to say, especially his criticisms of liberalism. But we would probably not consider him orthodox, but I still am learning more about him.


----------



## Craig (Feb 5, 2004)

I've read differing opions...some say he was existentialist (in a wacky way) and changed his position...others say he was always a wack job...

My opinion: enigmatic. He didn't claim to be a universalist, but his understanding of atonement leads to a universalist conclusion. Also, I don't think he ever did deny being a universalist.


----------



## pastorway (Feb 5, 2004)

If you devour the doctrine of Barth you most surely will want to barf! 



Just like Norman Vincent Peale. Remember? Peale is appaling but Paul is appealing.........


----------



## wsw201 (Feb 6, 2004)

I have read a couple of his works. He is a universalist regarding salvation and does not accept the Bible as the infallible and inerrant word of God. He is an existentialist but not in the same vane as Bultmann. He'll quote Calvin and Luther all day long but totally redefines what they meant. His book &quot;The Epistle to the Romans&quot; was a break through work that blasted liberalism. He also wrote a 14 volume work on Church Dogmatics. The bottom line is that he sounds reformed but isn't.

Wayne


----------



## C. Matthew McMahon (Feb 6, 2004)

Wayne,

That was perfect. 

Listen to Wayne. Barth is a wolf in sheep's clothing on many issues.


----------



## MICWARFIELD (Feb 6, 2004)

I recommend picking up a copy of &quot;Christianity and Barthianism&quot; by Cornelius Van Til for a good analysis and critique of Barth. 

Mike


----------



## Ex-Baptist (Feb 6, 2004)

Thanks guys, that's what I feared.


----------



## Craig (Feb 6, 2004)

Mike,
Is that book still in print? I've been scratching my head about Barth since I had an introduction to him (very brief one) in a theology course I took way back when.


----------



## MICWARFIELD (Feb 7, 2004)

Craig,

Actually, it may be out of print. I picked up my copy at a used bookstore a few years back. It was published by P&amp;R. I just checked their website and couldnt find it. Hopefully someone will re-publish it.

Mike


----------



## Puritanhead (Feb 4, 2005)

Barth is a theological liberal... doesn't believe all Scripture is inspired... Familiar with Neo-Orthodoxy? --sigh--


----------

