An Explorer's Guide to Karl Barth

Guretzki (Karl Barth on the Filioque), a professor of theology, church, and public life at Briercrest College and Seminary in Caronport, Saskatchewan, introduces readers to the life and works of theologian Karl Barth in a scattered, uneven fashion. He divides his work into a section on Barth's biography and body of work in general, and another on Barth's major multi-volume work, Church Dogmatics. Where Guretzki's first publication on Barth placed Barth within the Western trinitarian tradition, this work steps back from the specific to provide a broader overview. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether Guretzki is writing a personal statement of faith with an emphasis on Barth's effect on his own Christian experience or an academic exploration of the theologian's work. Guretzki's willingness to dispose of thorny biographical or historical problems with a theological gloss will prove unsatisfying for the majority of his potential readers. The last chapters of this work may be of the most use to the general reader as Guretzki crafts various reading programs for newcomers to use when approaching Barth's works for the first time. (Dec.)