Reading Auschwitz with Barth: The Holocaust as Problem and Promise for Barthian Theology

An exploration of the problems posed by the Holocaust in the light of Barth's theology, showing how such a dialogue enriches our understanding of both.

It has been widely accepted that few individuals had as great an influence on the church and its theology during the twentieth century as Karl Barth (1886-1968). His legacy continues to be explored and explained, with theologians around the world and from across the ecumenical spectrum vigorously debating the doctrinal ramifications of Barth's insights. What has been less readily accepted is that the Holocaust of the Jews had an equally profound effect, and that it, too, entails far-reaching consequences for the church's understanding of itself and its God. In this groundbreaking book, Barth and the Holocaust are brought into deliberate dialogue with one another to show why the church should heed both their voices, and how that might be done.

Associate Professor Mark R. Lindsay is Director of Research at MCD University of Divinity. He is the author of two earlier books on Karl Barth, Covenanted Solidarity: The Theological Basis of Karl Barth's Opposition to Nazi Antisemitism and the Holocaust (2001), and Barth, Israel and Jesus (2007), as well as numerous chapters and articles on Barth, Bonhoeffer, and post-Holocaust theology.