The Epistle to the Romans - Classic Text | Alexandria
The Epistle to the Romans (Der Römerbrief) by Karl Barth, first published in 1919 and substantially revised in 1922, stands as one of the most influential theological commentaries of the 20th century. This groundbreaking work, written while Barth served as a pastor in Safenwil, Switzerland, represented a seismic shift in Protestant theology and marked the beginning of neo-orthodoxy, a theological movement that challenged both liberal Protestantism and traditional orthodoxy.
The commentary emerged during a period of profound social and theological crisis in the aftermath of World War I, when many European intellectuals were grappling with the limitations of liberal theology and its optimistic view of human progress. Barth's commentary on Paul's epistle represented a radical departure from the prevailing theological paradigms of his time, particularly the liberal Protestant tradition he inherited from his teachers, including Wilhelm Herrmann and Adolf von Harnack.
What distinguished Barth's interpretation was its emphasis on the absolute otherness of God and the crisis of human knowledge in relation to divine revelation. Through his exegesis of Romans, Barth introduced his concept of "the crisis of religion," arguing that human attempts to reach God through religion, morality, or culture were fundamentally misguided. The commentary's dramatic impact earned it the nickname "the bomb that fell on the playground of the theologians," as it challenged contemporary theological assumptions and sparked a movement that would influence Christian thought throughout the century.
The legacy of Barth's Romans continues to reverberate in contemporary theological discourse. Its emphasis on divine transcendence and critique of natural theology remains relevant to current debates about secularization, religious pluralism, and the relationship between faith and culture. Modern scholars continue to engage with Barth's innovative hermeneutical approach, which combined historical-critical methods with theological interpretation in ways that both challenged and enriched biblical scholarship. The work raises enduring questions about the nature of divine revelation and human understanding, inviting readers to reconsider the fundamental relationship between God and humanity in an increasingly secular age.