Week One Study Guide: Introducing Karl Barth and Confessing our Faith

Topic:  Faith

Creed:  “I Believe…”

Reading to Discuss:  Dogmatics in Outline (DO):  Chapters 1-4

Main Ideas: 

• Why Theology?  To believe and proclaim.
• Faith as Trust:  It’s a gift from God which hears God’s grace and holds fast to God.
• Faith as Knowledge:  Faith seeks to understand.  Knowledge of God comes through faith.
• Faith as Confession:  The public dimension of faith.  Faith is found in and through the Church.

For Further Reflection:  How do we know God?

And for the adventurous, here are some relevant sections in Church Dogmatics:

• The Task of Dogmatics: I/1 3-24
• Church Proclamation as the Material of Dogmatics I/1 47-87
• The Knowability of the Word of God I/1 187-247
• The Word of God, Dogma and Dogmatics I/1 248-294
• God in His Revelation I/1 295-347
• God’s Freedom for Man I/2 1-44
• The Mystery of Revelation I/2 122-202
• The Freedom of Man for God I/2 203-279
• The Word of God for the Church I/2 457-537
• Freedom in the Church I/2 661-742
• Dogmatics as a Function of a Hearing Church I/2 797-843
• Dogmatics as a Function of the Teaching Church I/2 844
• The Fulfillment of the Knowledge of God II/1 3-62
• The Knowability of God II/1 63-178
• The Limits of the Knowledge of God II/1 179-256
• The Election of the Community II/2 195-305
• The Election of the Individual II/2 306-508
• The Sanctification of Man IV/2 499-726
• The Vocation of Man IV/3ii 481-680