Reading Guides

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Church Dogmatics Reading guides

Additional guides will be posted, paragraph by paragraph (§ by §), as we make progress in our reading. Each paragraph’s reading guide includes two sections:

1. Questions for reading: study questions to aid in reading comprehension and reflection (may perhaps focus discussion, but not intended for group discussion point by point);
2. What others say: Pertinent quotations from other writers to spark reflection and conversation.

In addition, each Reading guide links to a

• Related readings page suggesting a few relevant sources (by Barth and other authors) pertaining to that section of the Church Dogmatics.

Please send us your suggestions for improving these reading guides. We would appreciate feedback to help us improve the reading questions with more felicitous phrasing, and feel free to send us additional relevant sources or particularly apt quotations from other writers.*

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Key: Volume #: Title

• Volume.Part (original tome # = Hendrickson reprint volume = V#)
• §Paragraph range… (Study Edition volume = v#)

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Volume I: The Doctrine of the Word of God (2 Parts)

• I.1 (V1)
  • §1-2 Introduction (v1) – Related readings
    • §1 The Task of Dogmatics, pp. 1-24
    • §2 The Task of Prolegomena to Dogmatics, pp. 25-44
  • §3-7 Chapter 1: The Word of God as the Criterion of Dogmatics (v1) – Related readings
    • §3. Church Proclamation as the Material of Dogmatics, pp. 47-87.
    • §4. The Word of God in its Threefold Form, pp. 88-124.
    • §5. The Nature of the Word of God, pp. 125-186.
    • §6, The Knowability of the Word of God, pp. 187-247.
    • §7, The Word of God, Dogma, and Dogmatics, pp. 248-292
  • §8-18 Chapter 2: The Revelation of God
    §8-12 The Revelation of God, Part I: The Triune God (v2)
    • §8, God in His Revelation, pp. 295-347
    • §9, The Triunity of God, pp. 348-383
    • §10, God the Father, pp. 384-398
    • §11, God the Son, pp. 399-447
    • §12, God the Holy Spirit, pp. 448-
• I.2 (V2)
  • §13-15: The Revelation of God, Part II: The Incarnation of the Word (v3)
    • §13, God’s Freedom for Man, pp. 1-44
    • §14, The Time of Revelation, pp. 45-121
    • §15, The Mystery of Revelation, pp. 122-202
      • [Includes: "The Miracle of Christmas," pp. 172-202*]
  • §16-18 The Revelation of God, Part III: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (v4)
    • §16, The Freedom of Man for God, pp. 203-279
    • §17, The Revelation of God as the Abolition of Religion, pp. 280-361
    • §18, The Life of the Children of God, pp. 362-456
  • §19-21 Chapter 3: Holy Scripture (v5)
    • §19, The Word of God for the Church, pp. 457-537
    • §20, Authority in the Church, pp. 538-660
    • §21, Freedom in the Church, pp. 661-742
  • §22-24 Chapter 4: The Proclamation of the Church (v6)
    • §22, The Mission of the Church, pp. 743-796
    • §23, Dogmatics as a Function of the Hearing Church, pp. 797-843
    • §24, Dogmatics as a Function of the Teaching Church, pp. 844-

Volume II: The Doctrine of God (2 Parts)

• II.1 (V3)
  • §25-27 Chapter 5: The Knowledge of God (v7)
    • §25, The Fulfilment of the Knowledge of God, pp. 3-62
    • §26, The Knowability of God, pp. 63-178
    • §27, The Limits of the Knowledge of God, pp. 179-256
  • §28-30 Chapter 6: The Reality of God (v8)
    • §28, The Being of God as One Who Loves in Freedom, pp. 257-321
    • §29, The Perfection of God, pp. 322-350
    • §30, The Perfections of Divine Loving, pp. 351-439
  • §31, The Perfections of Divine Freedom, pp. 440- (v9)
• II.2 (V4)
  • §32-33 Chapter 7: The Election of God (v10)
    • §32, The Problem of a Correct Doctrine of the Election of Grace, pp. 3-93*
    • §33, The Election of Jesus Christ, pp. 94-194
  • §34-35 The Election of God II (v11)
    • §34, The Election of the Community, pp. 195-305
    • §35, The Election of the Individual, pp. 306-508
  • §36-39 Chapter 8: The Command of God (v12)
    • §36, Ethics as a Task of the Doctrine of God, pp. 509-551
    • §37, The Command as the Claim of God, pp. 552-630
    • §38, The Command as the Decision of God, pp. 631-732
    • §39, The Command as the Judgment of God, pp. 733-

Volume III: The Doctrine of Creation (4 Parts)

• III.1 (V5)
  • §40-42 Chapter 9: The Work of Creation (v13)
    • §40, Faith in God the Creator, pp. 3-41*
    • §41, Creation and Covenant, pp. 42-329
    • §42, The Yes of God the Creator, pp. 330-
      • [Includes "Creation as Benefit," pp. 330-344*]
• III.2 (V6)
  • §43-44 Chapter 10: The Creature (v14)
    • §43, Man as a Problem of Dogmatics, pp. 3-54
    • §44, Man as the Creature of God, pp. 55-202
  • §45-46 The Creature, II (v15)
    • §45, Man in his Determination as the Covenant-Partner of God, pp. 203-324
    • §46, Man as Soul and Body, pp. 325-436
  • §47 The Creature, III (v16)
    • §47, Man in His Time, pp. 437-
• III.3 (V7)
  • §48-49 Chapter 11: The Creator and His Creature (v17)
    • §48, The Doctrine of Providence, Its Basis and Form, pp. 3-57
    • §49, God the Father as Lord of his Creature, pp. 58-288
  • §50-51 The Creator and His Creature, II (v18)
    • §50, God and Nothingness, pp. 289-368
    • §51, The Kingdom of Heaven, The Ambassadors of God, and Their Opponents, pp. 369-
• III.4 (V8)
  • §52-54 Chapter 12: The Command of God the Creator (v19)
    • §52, Ethics as a Task of the Doctrine of Creation, pp. 3-46
    • §53, Freedom Before God, pp. 47-115
    • §54, Freedom in Fellowship, pp. 116-323
  • §55-56 The Command of God the Creator II (v20)
    • §55, Freedom for Life, pp. 324-564
    • §56, Freedom in Limitation, pp. 565-

Volume IV: The Doctrine of Reconciliation (4 Parts)

• IV.1 (V9)
  • §57-59 Chapter 13: The Subject-Matter and Problems of the Doctrine of Reconciliation (v21)
    • §57, The Work of God the Reconciler, pp. 3-78
      • [Includes "God with us," pp. 3-21*;
        "The Covenant as the Presupposition of Reconciliation," pp. 22-54*]
    • §58, The Doctrine of Reconciliation (Survey), pp. 79-156
    • Chapter 14: Jesus Christ, the Lord as Servant
    • §59, The Obedience of the Son of God, pp. 157-357
      • [Includes “The Way of the Son of God into the Far Country” (on Christ in our place as the Prodigal Son), pp. 157-211*;
        “The Judge Judged in our Place,” pp. 211-283*]
    • §60, The Pride and Fall of Man, pp. 358-513 (v22)
    • §61-63 Jesus Christ, the Lord as Servant III (v23)
      • §61, The Justification of Man, pp. 514-642
      • §62, The Holy Spirit and the Gathering of the Christian Community, pp. 643-739
      • §63, The Holy Spirit and Christian Faith, pp. 740-
• IV.2 (V10)
  • §64 Chapter 15: Jesus Christ, the Servant as Lord (v24)
  • §64, The Exaltation of the Son of Man, pp. 3-377
    • [Includes: “The Homecoming of the Son of Man," pp. 36-116*]
  • §65-66 Jesus Christ, the Servant as Lord II (v25)
    • §65, The Sloth and Misery of Man, pp. 378-498*
    • §66, The Sanctification of Man, pp. 499-613
  • §67-68 Jesus Christ, the Servant as Lord III (v26)
    • §67, The Holy Spirit and the Upbuilding of the Christian Community, pp. 614-726
    • §68, The Holy Spirit and Christian Love, pp. 727-
• IV.3.1 (V11)
  • §69 Chapter 16: Jesus Christ, the True Witness (v27)
    • §69, The Glory of the Mediator, pp. 3-367
• IV.3.2 (V12)
  • §70-71 Jesus Christ, the True Witness II (v28)
    • §70, The Falsehood and Condemnation of Man, 368-480
    • §71, The Vocation of Man, pp. 481-680
  • §72-73 Jesus Christ, the True Witness III (v29)
    • §72, The Holy Spirit and the Sending of the Christian Community, pp. 681-901
    • §73, The Holy Spirit and Christian Hope, pp. 902-
• IV.4 (V13)
  • The Christian Life (Fragment), The Doctrine of Baptism (v30)
    • Baptism with the Holy Spirit, pp. 3-40
    • Baptism with Water, pp. 41-

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*Note on the Reading guides: With these reading guides, we’re still feeling our way toward a format that will be useful for a variety of readers, including those who may not possess an extensive theological background. They are not intended as a tool for academic study of the Church Dogmatics, but merely as an initial aid in reading comprehension. The Reading guides consist of study questions and pertinent quotations by other writers that can help us see the significance of what we are reading as we go.

Nor are the Reading guides templates for group discussion. Discussion in our monthly meetings takes a more free-form, go-with-the-flow character, rather than plodding through the reading guides one study question after another. In our monthly group discussions, our aims are to encourage open discussion, to listen to each other, to appreciate our divergent traditions and life contexts, to encourage everyone to participate, to focus on understanding the text rather than debating Barth himself. To structure discussion around the reading guides would undermine these aims. However, the reading guides are hopefully still useful for reference in the discussion times because they may draw attention to issues someone might wish to discuss. So our intention is that people may find them useful as a template for taking notes while reading, and perhaps bring them to the group meetings for reference during discussion.

Some participants in the monthly reading group will find the Reading guides useful; others will not. They may easily be neglected, and are not intended to be burdensome. Their use is entirely optional – indeed, at any given meeting, we welcome anyone to participate who is interested, regardless of whether they have completed the reading, let alone glanced at the Reading guide.

Finally, we are not under the illusion that we will create reading guides by ourselves. Life is too messy, so we make no promises. Some months just may be too hectic for us to do much in preparing them. The reading guides will not likely be of uniform quality or coverage, and will only become of general interest as a result of collaborative effort. So if anyone would wish to collaborate by sending quotations or study questions, we’d certainly welcome contributions and feedback.