Reading Karl Barth: Theology That Cuts Both Ways

Reading Karl Barth provides a cluster of major themes and signposts by which to orient one's reading of Barth's theology. It assists readers in (a) recognizing and understanding what Barth is doing theologically and why and how he is doing it; and (b) assessing the extent to which Barth's theology is or is not a fruitful resource for their own context, as individuals and communities of faith. The distinctive value of the book's approach lies in its demonstration of the ways in which Barth's theology--in both his own time and in ours--"cuts both ways," to the theological left and right. This involves identifying various theological logics that constitute the diverse and conflictual landscape of shared Christian identity and faith--both in Barth's time and in our own--enabling readers to recognize not only where and why Barth is located in that landscape, but also where and why they themselves are located, together with their respective faith communities. This makes the book of particular interest to individuals and communities of faith who feel themselves homeless in today's polemical polarization between theological conservatives and theological progressives, especially those who are hungry for the possibility of a progressive socio-political vision of the gospel rooted in relatively traditional confessions of Christian faith.