KARL BARTH’S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES
b y Prof. John E. Dahlin, President, Religion Ancdysis Service, Editor, “ The D iscerner ”
R ecently Switzerland’s leading the ologian, Karl Barth, came to the United States for a lecture series at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary. This visit came upon his retirement from a long professorship at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Strange as this may appear to some, actually this was his first visit to our country. A t ' the age of 75, he commands much strength and influence as a theolo gian. About 2,000 people crowded into Chicago’s Rockefeller Memorial Cha pel at each lecture, and 2,200 filled the Princeton University Chapel. A wide interest in theological circles was stirred up by the lecture series of Karl Barth. For many Americans it was their first encounter with a man who has done much to shape the theological climate of present-day Europe. Many perhaps were surprised at his incessant pipe-smoking habit as invariably he was seen pulling on a meerschaum pipe. His lectures in troduced his personality to the United States, and this in turn may lead to a new way of Barthianism. In fact, ministers from all over the country flocked to Chicago and to Princeton to hear the famous Swiss-German the ologian who has become internation ally known for his voluminous writ ings in the theological sphere. As an individualist there was no room found for him in Nazi Germany. His economic and social views were out of harmony with the nationalistic regime which gained control over Germany during the rise of Adolph Hitler. As one checks on Barth’s non- theological concepts, it is evident that earlier in his life he was a socialist in his economic views for he often ex pressed himself vigorously against capitalism. Often Barth has been cri tical towards the United States. Dur ing his reecnt visit, Barth attacked the United States for its handling of prisons. Unfortunately Barth singled out one .prison known for its over crowded conditions, and, by using the isolated example, he condemned the United States for its inhumanitarian- ism. When visitors offer criticisms they should balance such with the good which can be found in the coun
since John Calvin. Harvard’s German- born Paul Tillich calls Barth, “ the most monumental writer of our time.” In contrast, Reinhold Niebuhr des cribes Barth as “ a man of infinite imagination and irresponsibility and a writer of irrelevant theology.” Fur ther, he says “ in a way Barth is a great man, but he is an irresponsible genius.” Concerning Barth’s theology Niebuhr says, “ It is designed for the church of the catacombs.” And final ly, Niebuhr declares, “I do not read Barth any more.” Hans Frei of Yale calls Barth “ a Christ - intoxicated man.” The verdict concerning Bar th, which comes closest to expressing my own personal view, is given by Dr. Cornelius Van Til of Westminister Theological Seminary who charges that “ Barthianism is even more hos tile to the theology of Luther and Calvin than Romanism.” The most famous expression coined by Barth is “ The Encounter between God and man.” Barth has continually emphasized the togetherness of God and man — a union of two totally different kinds of beings. Unques tionably the centrality of Christ in Barth’s theology is a commendable thing were it not cancelled out by his other defective views in theology. Barth’s theology or God-thinking has been commonly called “neo-or thodoxy and the theology of crisis.” His most repeated expression is that the “ Bible is a witness to Christ.” Again and again the famous thelo- gian speaks of the authority of the Bible and the majesty of the person of Christ, yet at the same time he states that the Bible is full of errors and inconsistencies, and that the Vir gin Birth doctrine is not one of pri mary importance. He accuses Pro testants of making the Bible into “ a paper-Pope.” He believes, neverthe less, that the Bible testifies to God’s Word which is revealed to man through human speech. The main ac ceptable point in Barth’s theology is his declaration that the decisive center of the Bible is its witness of Jesus Christ. Barth believes the Word came to man in the person of Christ. This rather acceptable generalization
try where they are guests. The fam ous theologian also was critical of our race relations and the stubborn prac tice of segregation which still exists within the United States. Somehow, Barth fails to appreciate the fact that no other minority group elsewhere in world history has made such a rapid advancement as the American Negro. From slavery, which existed here less than a hundred years ago, the Negro has made phenomenal progress in that he has entered our arts, sports, government positions as well as in business responsibilities and profes sions too numerous to mention. Civil Rights are being expanded rapidly, and more and more Negroes are vot ing each year, and an ever larger number find their way into our edu cational institutions and are being equipped for the various professions. Certainly the American people desire to see much greater progress in this regard, but the fact remains that Barth chooses to see only what he wants to see. Karl Barth has never come out openly against Communism. When Hungary was ruthlessly butchered a few years ago, he remained the only important theological leader who re fused to condemn the ruthless rape of a nation which was struggling to shake off the shackles of Communist tyranny imposed on it by the Soviet Union. When he was pressed for a statement regarding Hungary, he was always evasive on that subject. Moreover, the famous Swiss the ologian also has advocated that the West give up the nuclear weapons in order that the Soviet Union might have confidence in the Free World. All loyal Americans consider such a proposal not only naive, but also the sure road to the enslavement of the freedom-loving nations, by the com munists. In addition, Barth categor izes anti-communism in the same class as communism. This is a serious de fect in Barth’s political philosophy. By many testimonialists Barth has been variously condemned as a here tic, a narrow-minded Biblicist, and an atheist in disguise — and on the other hand, he has been praised by others as the most creative theologian
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