The Early Karl Barth: Historical Contexts and Intellectual Formation 1905-1935

by Paul Silas Peterson

Overview

Paul Silas Peterson presents Karl Barth (1886-1968) in his sociopolitical, cultural, ecclesial and theological contexts from 1905 to 1935. The time period begins in 1905, as Barth began to prepare for a speech on the "social question" (which he held in 1906). It ends in 1935, the year he returned to Switzerland from Germany. In the foreground of Peterson's inquiry is Barth's relation to the features of his time, especially radical socialist ideology, WWI, an intellectual trend that would later be called the Conservative Revolution, the German Christians, the Young Reformation Movement, and National Socialism. Barth's view of and interaction with the Jews is also analyzed along with other issues, such as radical thinking, anti-liberalism, alterity, anti- or trans-historicism, Expressionism, and New Objectivity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783161553608
Publisher:	Mohr Siebeck
Publication date:	04/01/2018
Series:	Beitrage zur historischen Theologie , #184
Pages:	474
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 10.39(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1

1 The historization of Barth and biographical overview 9

The historization of Barth 9

Biographical overview 16

1886-1909 Family background and study 17

1909-1921 Pastor in Switzerland 19

1921-1935 Professor in Germany 21

2 Society, politics and culture around 1900 22

The old bourgeoisie and the new socialists 22

Radical youth 27

WWI, anti-liberalism and radical socialisms 30

3 Theology and Religious Socialism around 1900 40

German language Protestant theology around 1900 40

Religious Socialism around 1900 51

4 Weimar Protestantism and the Barth-Gogarten Group 57

Protestantism in the Weimar Republic 57

The Barth-Gogarten Group 62

Chapter 1 Socialism, Marburg and WWI (1905-1919) 71

1 Early socialist writings and Marburg theology 73

2 WWI, Religious Socialism, Friedrich Naumann and Martin Rade 93

3 Post-1914 Religious Socialism, the Third International and WWI 107

Post-1914 Religious Socialism 107

The Third International 125

WWI and Barth's intellectual development 130

Chapter 2 Romans, Overbeck, Harnack and Ethics (1919-1931) 141

1 Romans 1919, Franz Overbeck and the Tambach Address 141

Romans 1919 141

Friedrich Naumann, Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations 151

"The Christian in society" (Tambach Address) and "From being right and being wrong" 155

Franz Overbeck and "Unresolved inquiries into today's theology" 162

2 Romans 1922, Paul Althaus, Alfred Daniel and Adolf von Harnack 168

Romans 1922 169

Paul Althaus and "Fundamental questions of Christian social ethics" (spring 1922) 183

"Letter to the Christian communist" (July, 1922) and - "The Word of God as assignment of theology" (October, 1922) 187

Harnack - Barth correspondence (January-May, 1923) 190

3 Piper Case, Wilhelm Stapel, Ethics, "How long?" 196

Piper Case (July 19-31, 1923) and an academic gathering in Göttingen 196

Public correspondence with Wilhelm Stapel (April-June, 1926) 200

Ethics Lectures (Münster and Bonn, 1928-1931) 205

"How long?" ("Quousque tandem?" 1930) 217

Chapter 3 The Dehn Case (1931-1932) 221

1 Statement on the Dehn Case and "Questions to 'Christianity'" 222

Background of the Günther Dehn Case 222

"Questions to 'Christianity'" (December, 1931) 230

2 Article on the Dehn Case and correspondence with Emanuel Hirsch 232

Barth's article in the Hochschulblatt der Frankfurter Zeitung on the Dehn Case (February, 1932) 237

3 "Protestantism of the present" 247

Chapter 4 National Socialism and Theological existence today! (1932-1935) 255

1 The Altona Confession, 1933 and the Young Reformation Movement 255

The Altona Confession (January 11, 1933) 255

First responses to Hitler's rise to power 258

German Christians and the Young Reformation Movement 266

2 Theological existence today! 1-2, Miles Bouton, "Departure" from Between the Times 273

Theological existence today! (Theologische Existenz heute! Nr. 1, June 25, 1933) 273

"For the freedom of the gospel" (Theologische Existenz heute! Nr. 2, July 22, 1933) and fall correspondences 289

"Departure" from Between the Times (October 18, 1933) 297

3 Theological existence today! 3-5, Memorandum, Barmen, Open Letters from Switzerland 299

"Reformation as decision" (Theologische Existenz heute! Nr. 3, October 30-31, 1933) 299

"Counter-theses to the Rengsdorf Theses" and Public correspondence with Heinz Giessel (November, 1933) 302

"The Church of Jesus Christ" (Theologische Existenz heute! Nr. 5, November-December, 1933) 308

Memorandum to Hitler (January, 1934) 312

The Barmen Declaration (1934) 317

Barth's Oath to Hitler (November-December, 1934) 328

Open letter to Hermann Albert Hesse (June 30, 5935) and Gotthilf Weber (July 2, 1935) 343

Chapter 5 Sociopolitical and cultural issues 351

1 Barth, Dialectical Theology and National Socialism 351

2 The Jews 366

3 Expressionism, New Objectivity, anti-historicism, authoritarianism and alterity 380

Expressionism and New Objectivity 380

Ami- or trans-historicism 384

Authoritarianism and alterity 391

Conclusion: Historiographical debates and responses 399

1 Is Barth best understood through the theological lens alone? 399

2 Was Barth in continuity or discontinuity with 19th century modern liberal theology? 401

3 Was Barth apolitical in the Weimar Republic? 410

4 Did Barth contribute to the toxic forces that led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic? 417

Bibliography 431

Barth's Works 431

Other Literature 440

Index of Names 471