Barth's Earlier Theology: Four Studies

In this new book, Webster continues the work that he initiated in Barth's Moral Theology. He addresses the important topics of biblical exegesis and historical theology in Barth's early writing, and develops his own line of interpretation of Barth's theology in general. Webster suggests that the traditional accounts of Barth's development are inadequate: they tend to emphasize his cultural and philosophical context, to focus on the same limited selection of his writings and to misjudge his theological intentions, regarding him as a purely transcendental thinker or as a postmodernist. In this book Webster provides detailed interpretations of early texts that have received little attention, such as Barth's work on 1 Corinthians, on the Reformed Confessions, and on modern Protestant theology. Webster draws out the significance of Barth's early biblical exegesis and historical theology, and shows how his work in both fields was conceived from the beginning as important preparation for his future dogmatic work.