# Hardbound Barth's Dogmatics for under $100!



## DMcFadden (May 8, 2010)

Just in time for Grymir's Christmas shopping, Hendrickson Publishers is coming out with another classic. Remember their set of Calvin's Commentaries for $120 last year? Well, this fall they are planning to produce the magnum opus of the premier "Reformed" theologian of the 20th century, Karl Barth. CBD is preselling it for 90% off at $99.99. I am only buying heterodox material in digital form, attempting to add only solid works to my print library. Besides, when it came out in Libronix computer format, my print set went to a friend for use in his doctoral studies. Still, if you are the type of person who just MUST buy everything, this looks attractive and reasonably priced . . . for 9,000 pages of brilliant dialectical heresy for only one cent per page. 

*Church Dogmatics*, 14 Volumes 
Karl Barth 
Hendrickson Publishers / 2010 / Hardcover
Availability: This product will be released on 11/01/10
CBD Stock No: WW564426
Write A Review $99.99
Retail: $995.00
Save: $895.01 (90%)


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (May 8, 2010)

Pre-Ordered!!!


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## SolaScriptura (May 8, 2010)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> Pre-Ordered!!!


 
Really? Or are you being facetious?


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (May 8, 2010)

SolaScriptura said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > Pre-Ordered!!!
> ...


 
Quite facetious. 

I already have 4 volumes...


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## Marrow Man (May 8, 2010)

That's a lot of money to spend on kindling (and not Kindle).


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## DMcFadden (May 8, 2010)

Marrow Man said:


> That's a lot of money to spend on kindling (and not Kindle).


 
Shhhhh! It was a PB mucky-muck who got my 14 vol. set when I went digital. You don't want to make him angry!


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## Berean (May 8, 2010)

I heard that if you mention "PC(USA)" when ordering you get an extra, very liberal, discount.


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## Marrow Man (May 8, 2010)

Norm, the same discount applies if you mention any denomination that neo-orthodoxy essentially destroyed.


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## Berean (May 8, 2010)

Marrow Man said:


> Norm, the same discount applies if you mention any denomination that neo-orthodoxy essentially destroyed.


 
Good news for countless people then. Or not.


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## DMcFadden (May 8, 2010)

Berean said:


> I heard that if you mention "PC(USA)" when ordering you get an extra, very liberal, discount.



Two reactions: 




My major theology prof in college LOVED Barth. My major theology prof in seminary LOVED Barth. I once had the 14 vol Dogmatics + another 30 or so primary and secondary works (_by_ or _on_ Barth). Barth, Brunner, and Berkouwer (Barth light) do not compare to the folks I should have been reading: Calvin, Turretin, Perkins, Ames, a' Brakel, Witsius, Dabney, Shedd, Hodge, Bavinck, and Berkhof. During seminary, the orthodox were mainly read for antiquarian interest as a preparatory context-setter for reading Barth and Brunner. During Sys Theo, OT, NT, etics, etc., in the 70s we were immersed (drowned, not baptized) in neo-orthodox writers to the near exclusion of evangelical authors (in our "evangelical" seminary).

If you want to be educated, you must read Barth. If you want to be a man of God, you would do better with the classic orthodox writers.

Ironically, now that Barth is all but passe in the liberal academy, only evangelicals seem to bother to read him any more. Hendriksen has done us a good service with many of their re-prints (i.e., Calvin's commentaries). Making Barth affordable and accessible, however, will not help strengthen broad evangelicalism.


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## jwright82 (May 8, 2010)

If I could afford to I would by that set. Like it or not if we are going to set a strong theological apologetics against people like Barth than we have to understand him just as well as anyone who is a fan of his. We can't settle for quibby little paraphrases of his thinking because it opens us up for getting him wrong. In this vien I set out a while ago to deeply study Nietzche's writings so that I could really understand him better to be able to mount a credible defense against his thought. I have always enjoyed reading Barth for some reason although I have always been cautious as to what he meant by the words he used. So if I get a good a job or come into some money that I might preoder a set.


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## Marrow Man (May 8, 2010)

My experience with neo-Barthains has been much like that of the Federal Vision -- unless you are part of the movement, then the claim is that you don't really understand it.


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## Prufrock (May 8, 2010)

Mr. Phillips -- the sad thing is that, at least in my case, their claim is mostly true! No matter how hard I try, I can never *really* quite get into Barth's mind.


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## Marrow Man (May 8, 2010)

Paul, I for one would not want you in Barth's mind. You are far more useful to us here on the PB!


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## jwright82 (May 8, 2010)

The problem with Barth, and any neoorthodx person, is best epitomized in what my old pastor said about him, he may use the words that orthodox people use but what does he mean by them? If he is really new (neo) orthodox than some if not all words take on new meanings that make them outside the realm of orthodox.

---------- Post added at 03:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:47 PM ----------




Marrow Man said:


> My experience with neo-Barthains has been much like that of the Federal Vision -- unless you are part of the movement, then the claim is that you don't really understand it.


 
In that situation or similer situation like that I press them on strictly defining words clearly so that they cannot claim that in the future. But sadly Barth is one of those thinkers who his admirers and critics can't agree on what he meant.


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## Willem van Oranje (May 8, 2010)

DMcFadden said:


> Just in time for Grymir's Christmas shopping, Hendrickson Publishers is coming out with another classic. Remember their set of Calvin's Commentaries for $120 last year? Well, this fall they are planning to produce the magnum opus of the premier "Reformed" theologian of the 20th century, Karl Barth. CBD is preselling it for 90% off at $99.99. I am only buying heterodox material in digital form, attempting to add only solid works to my print library. Besides, when it came out in Libronix computer format, my print set went to a friend for use in his doctoral studies. Still, if you are the type of person who just MUST buy everything, this looks attractive and reasonably priced . . . for 9,000 pages of brilliant dialectical heresy for only one cent per page.
> 
> *Church Dogmatics*, 14 Volumes
> Karl Barth
> ...


 
Thanks! This is a great price for work that would be an essential addition to my "heresies" shelf. Right now I am debating whether the low price would justify me purchasing it in English translation, since I prefer to read original works in German where possible.


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## DMcFadden (May 8, 2010)

Riley, if you have the facility for German, that would be the better option. However, I doubt that you can find it anywhere near this cheap in the original. Americans buy a lot of theological books and there is a pretty strong market.



> No matter how hard I try, I can never *really* quite get into Barth's mind.



Reading dialetical theology can be daunting. Immersing yourself in "Alice in Wonderland" would be a good warm-up for Barth.


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## py3ak (May 8, 2010)

Except that Lewis Carroll can be read slowly and savoured. Barth you have to plow through at high speed or the attenuated thread of thought holding the bloated verbiage together sags and it all falls apart.


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## Philip (May 8, 2010)

jwright82 said:


> If I could afford to I would by that set. Like it or not if we are going to set a strong theological apologetics against people like Barth than we have to understand him just as well as anyone who is a fan of his. We can't settle for quibby little paraphrases of his thinking because it opens us up for getting him wrong. In this vien I set out a while ago to deeply study Nietzche's writings so that I could really understand him better to be able to mount a credible defense against his thought. I have always enjoyed reading Barth for some reason although I have always been cautious as to what he meant by the words he used. So if I get a good a job or come into some money that I might preoder a set.


 
I have actually enjoyed the little Barth I've come in contact with (_Anselm: Fides Quaerens Intellectum_, which I read for a research paper) and several godly men who I highly respect have recommended reading him, albeit carefully and critically. Compared to the other neo-orthodox theologians who he inspired, he is actually closer to real orthodoxy than any of them. He certainly affirmed the creeds and the historical resurrection.

In the end, my take is this: in church history there are two kinds of heretics---Arians and Nestorians. The Arians are those who divide the Church, refusing to accept its authority and defying it. The Nestorians are those who are sincerely wrong, but accept the authority of the Church and though they disagree, do so in a humble manner that respectfully disagrees but is willing to be wrong. I still can't decide which category Barth falls into (I need to read more, though _Anselm_ is considered to be the outline of his method), but I'm inclined toward charity.


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## jwright82 (May 9, 2010)

P. F. Pugh said:


> jwright82 said:
> 
> 
> > If I could afford to I would by that set. Like it or not if we are going to set a strong theological apologetics against people like Barth than we have to understand him just as well as anyone who is a fan of his. We can't settle for quibby little paraphrases of his thinking because it opens us up for getting him wrong. In this vien I set out a while ago to deeply study Nietzche's writings so that I could really understand him better to be able to mount a credible defense against his thought. I have always enjoyed reading Barth for some reason although I have always been cautious as to what he meant by the words he used. So if I get a good a job or come into some money that I might preoder a set.
> ...


 
From what I understand that work is where his mature theology began to take place. He in my opinion is a christian and probally in heaven but he definantly had some weird ideas. But all in all I have enjoyed studying him. I think we agree on him pretty well.


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## Puritan Scot (May 9, 2010)

We are exhorted in Ephesians 5v16 to "Redeem the time, because the days are evil".

The late Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones who ministry in Westminster Chapel, London (1938-1968) was greatly blessed by the Lord remarked "Don't waste your time reading Barth and Brunner. You will get nothing from them to aid you with your preaching".

I would tend to agree, and even for those of us not called to the preaching ministry, there is an abundance of excellent Reformed and Puritan works out there to edify our souls.


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## jwright82 (May 9, 2010)

Puritan Scot said:


> We are exhorted in Ephesians 5v16 to "Redeem the time, because the days are evil".
> 
> The late Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones who ministry in Westminster Chapel, London (1938-1968) was greatly blessed by the Lord remarked "Don't waste your time reading Barth and Brunner. You will get nothing from them to aid you with your preaching".
> 
> I would tend to agree, and even for those of us not called to the preaching ministry, there is an abundance of excellent Reformed and Puritan works out there to edify our souls.


 
I agree that for the average christian you are correct but for the apologest or teacher in the church they need to have a working knowledge of the heresy or heretic in question to be aware of their influence in the church. It is like what R.C. Sproul said about "bewaring philosophy", he said "you must first be aware of something to beware of it". If the leaders and scholars of the church are ignorant of what people are teaching than they set themselves up for disaster.


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## Puritan Scot (May 9, 2010)

James, 
You are absolutely correct in that the apologist and teacher certainly needs a "working knowledge" of the heresy or heretic. 

What I should have mentioned is that in these instances caution needs to be exercised least the person gets subtly drawn towards and ends up sympathetic to their viewpoint or spending too much time in this minefield.


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## DMcFadden (May 9, 2010)

I will concede that there is value in knowing the basic shape of Barth's theological program. However, at 9,000 pgs. of VERY small print, and the constant need to dodge all of those dialectical ideas in full ricochet, I agree with Lloyd-Jones.

When you finish Calvin, Turretin, Perkins, Ames, a' Brakel, Witsius, Dabney, Shedd, Hodge, Bavinck, Berkhof, and the Puritans . . . read some Barth if you have the time 

One of my life regrets (which I am trying to remedy in my 50s before it is too late) is that I paid TOO much attention to what was popular, best-selling, and being talked about by "everyone" rather than what was classic and of enduring value.

(BTW, if you read Barth's IV/1, you will know more than enough to converse intelligently with others. Besides it is his richest fare.)


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## Marrow Man (May 9, 2010)

My eyes are getting too weary: I just looked at this thread name again and mistakenly thought it said "Hellbound" instead of "Hardbound."


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## Grymir (May 10, 2010)

To quote DMcFadden "for 9,000 pages of brilliant dialectical heresy for only one cent per page."

This is your brain....This is your brain on Barth....

Read him? Read him? What is this world comming to? Why can't he just fade away? He's like a zombie in the "Army of Darkness" that keeps comming back.

(And I qualify for the PCUSA discount!) That's the only reason I had to read him. To confront those who should know better. And to help those who are in darkness to the light!

Of course, as an honorary member of The Karl Barth Society of North America, maybe I should preorder too!


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## Grymir (May 14, 2010)

What? No one else want's to join in on the brilliant dialectical heresy?


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## jwright82 (May 14, 2010)

Puritan Scot said:


> James,
> You are absolutely correct in that the apologist and teacher certainly needs a "working knowledge" of the heresy or heretic.
> 
> What I should have mentioned is that in these instances caution needs to be exercised least the person gets subtly drawn towards and ends up sympathetic to their viewpoint or spending too much time in this minefield.


 
Yeah you are correct about people needing to be weary of him, that is why I never recomend studying him to any average christian for fear of leading them astray.

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Grymir said:


> To quote DMcFadden "for 9,000 pages of brilliant dialectical heresy for only one cent per page."
> 
> This is your brain....This is your brain on Barth....
> 
> ...


 
If heresy just faded away the church would have an easier time with things. It would be nice if the church could just get along fine reading the great reformed orthodox theologians but such is life. As I said if I could afford it I would preorder, if I can do think I can get your PC (USA) and Honorary member of his club discount ?


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