Edition project: Lectures and minor works of Karl Barth 1937-1939

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael Hüttenhoff
• Subject Area: Protestant Theology
• Term: since 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 313775368

The Swiss Karl Barth (1886-1968) was the most important Protestant theologian of the 20th century. The Karl Barth-Gesamtausgabe is a critical edition of published and unpublished works of Barth. Introductions inform about the historical background of the texts, the genesis, the history of publication and first reactions. Footnotes provide explanations and document textual variants, allusions and citations. Until now, 54 volumes are published. Aim of the project is to prepare the edition of the lectures and minor works of Karl Barth which he wrote from July 1937 to December 1939. The main topics of the lectures and minor works 1937-1939 are the Church Struggle in Germany, the National Socialism, and political ethics. Further issues are the doctrine of the Word of God, the relation of the Church and Israel, the Christian hope, education (Bildung) and progress in the Church. Three works are interpretations of Reformed Confessions.In the summer of 1935 Barth, since 1930 Professor of Systematic Theology in Bonn, was dismissed and expulsed from Germany. He returned to Switzerland and was appointed Professor for Systematic Theology at the University of Basel. As he could no longer take an active part in the Church Struggle, he tried to impact it by his writings. Further, he tried to influence the attitude towards the Church Struggle and National Socialism in Switzerland and other countries by lectures, journeys, and letters. In 1938 Barth presented a new theological approach to political ethics. Based on this ethics he criticised the National Socialism by theological arguments, for it takes away the church’s freedom to preach, destroyed justice, freedom as well as order, and it advocated a ›principal anti-Semitism‹. In Germany, but also in Switzerland and in other European countries Barth was attacked due to his severe criticism of National Socialism and of Western appeasement. He was accused of mixing theology with politics and of warmongering.The preparation of the edition will be accompanied by studies on Barth’s European ›networking‹, on Protestant interpretations of the National Socialism and the Church Struggle and on Barth’s political ethics.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Peter Zocher