Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book suggests that one need to see Karl Barth not only as a creative reader of scripture, but as a theologian who thought deeply about what it means to read well the classical texts of the Christian tradition. It surveys some representative texts from 1917 through 1924. This survey traces the effects of Barth's decision to describe the relationship between the biblical text and its contemporary readers in terms drawn from the Bible. The book provides the Barth's lectures on modern Protestant theology. It suggests that modern general hermeneutics can be understood as one of the ways in which modernity has sought to contain the social consequences of violent conflict over the interpretation of authoritative texts. The book shows that the significance of Barth's alternative account of the grounds and limits of interpretative pluralism, open dialogue, and hermeneutical self-regulation remain unappreciated.