Ever against the stream

While there are numerous studies of Karl Barth's theology, this isthe first book to explore the political side of Barth's work throughoutall the phases of his long life. As Frank Jehle shows, Barth's political views are not onlyfound in his formal writings but were also made clear in his activelife. Jehle here portrays Barth as a courageous man who was deeplyconcerned about world conditions and cared about people whowere suffering. It was the question, What will happen to humanity?that led Barth at a young age to support the working class of hiscongregation, to work as a resistance fighter against National Socialism, and to openly oppose Switzerland's tendency to accommodateHilter's policy. He also supported Jews and other refugees aposition that quickly made him political enemies. Jehle looks athow Barth continued to draw ethical consequences out of Christianbelief and shows how, in today's political context, Barth's perspectivesstill provide astounding clarity. Deliberately written for a broad audience, this book is a valuablecontribution to the literature on Barth.