Though Karl Barth wrote his lectures ton John Calvin more
than seventy years ago, the wrestling of one theological giant
with another can hardly fail to be exciting and instructive.
Delivered at the University of Göttingen in 1922, Barth's lectures
offer a brilliant theological analysis of the Reformation - of
Calvin in particular-while at the same time providing vital
insights into the development of the theologian Barth himself.
Barth's lectures open with an illuminating sketch of medieval
theology, an appreciation of Luther's breakthrough, and a
comparative study of the roles of Zwingli and Calvin. The
main portion of the lectures consists of an increasingly sym-
pathetic, and at times amusing, account of Calvin's life up to
his recall to Geneva. In the process, Barth examines and eval-
uates the early theological writings of Calvin, especially the
1536 edition of the Institutes.
"These lectures are a significant marker on the road of Barth's
theological progress. Barth's resolute joining of the knowledge
of God and the knowledge of history, widely valued by many,
is already present in these lectures from 1922. Biography, his-
tory, theology, reflection, and actualization for our time flow
smoothly one into the other..., Barth brings to these lectures
a rare congeniality and sensibility for what was at the heart of
the Protestant Reformation then and now. A captivating
and reliable introduction to Calvin and to his theology.
H. MARTIN RUMSCHEIDT
Arlantic School of Theology
"An important contribution to modern Calvin studies. It deals
as much with Calvin's life as with his teachings, and as we
would expect, Barth had mastered all the details of Genevan
affairs and of Calvin's writings, letters, and disputations to
make himself an authority on his subject. This book will prove
useful also for its searching introduction to the Middle Ages
and Luther."
RONALD S. WALLACE
Columbia Theological Seminary
KARL BARTH (1886-1968) was professor of dogmatic the
ology at the University of Basel in Switzerland. In addition
to the monumental multivolume Church Degmatio his
numerous other works include The Gottingen Degmatis
Evangelical Theology and Wolfgang Amadeus Mocarsil