Karl Barth's commentary on Paul's epistle to the Romans, in its two editions (1919 and 1922), is one of the most significant works published in Christian theology in the 20th century. This book, which landed "like a bombshell on the theologians' playground," still deserves close scrutiny one hundred years after its publication. In this volume, New Testament scholars, philosophers of religion and systematic theologians ponder the intricacies of Barth's "expressionistic" commentary, pointing out the ways in which Barth interprets Paul's epistle for his own day, how this actualized interpretation of the apostle's message challenged the theology of Barth's time, and how some of the insights he articulated in 1919 and in 1922 have shaped Christian theology up to our day. With his commentary, the young Swiss pastor paved the way for a renewed, intensely theological interpretation of the Scriptures. The volume thus centers of some of the key themes which run through Barth's commentary: faith as divine gift beyond any human experience or psychological data, the Easter event as the turning point of the world's history, God's judgment and mercy and God's one Word in Jesus Christ. This volume represents a major contribution to the interpretation of Karl Barth's early thought.

Modern science informs us about the end of the universe: "game over" is the message which lies ahead of our world. Christian theology, on the other hand, sees in the end not the cessation of all life, but rather an invitation to play again, in God's presence. Is there a way to articulate together such vastly different claims? Eschatology is a theological topic which merits being considered from several different angles. This book seeks to do this by gathering contributions from esteemed and fresh voices from the fields of biblical exegesis, history, systematic theology, philosophy, and ethics. How can we make sense, today, of Jesus' (and the New Testament's) eschatological message? How did he, his early disciples, and the Christian tradition, envision the "end" of the world? Is there a way for us to articulate together what modern science tells us about the end of the universe with the biblical and Christian claims about God who judges and who will wipe every tear? Eschatology has been at the heart of Christian theology for 100 years in the West. What should we do with this legacy? Are there ways to move our reflection forward, in our century? Scholars and other interested readers will find here a wealth of insights.

This book gathers the European reception of John. D. Caputo's proposal for a radical theology of our time. Philosophers and theologians from within Europe respond to Caputo's attempt to configure a less rigid, less dogmatic form of religion. These scholars, in turn, receive responses by Caputo. This volume so aims to strengthen the development of radical theology in Europe and abroad.

How does one become 'righteous among the Nations'? In the case of Henri Nick (1868-1954) and Andre Trocme (1901-1971), two French Protestant pastors who received the title for their acts of solidarity toward persecuted Jews, it was because they had been immersed, from an early age, in the discourses and practices of social Christianity. Focussing on the lives of these two remarkable figures of twentieth-century Christianity, Revivalism and Social Christianity is the first study in English on the Social Gospel in French Protestantism. Chalamet presents a genealogy of the movement, from its emergence in the last decades of the nineteenth century to its high point during World War II, in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, where Trocme and many local people rescued hundreds of Jewish refugees. As social Christians who prayed and worked for the coming of God's kingdom on earth in the midst of a society ravaged by two world wars, Henri Nick and Andre Trocme combined a deep revivalist faith with a concern for the concrete conditions in which people live.

The Weimar Moment's evocative assault on closure and political reaction, its offering of democracy against the politics of narrow self-interest cloaked in nationalist appeals to Volk and "community"-or, as would be the case in Nazi Germany, "race"-cannot but appeal to us today. This appeal-its historical grounding and content, its complexities and tensions, its variegated expressions across the networks of power and thought-is the essential context of the present volume, whose basic premise is unhappiness with Hegel's remark that we learn no more from history than we cannot learn from it. The challenge of the papers in this volume is to provide the material to confront the present effectively drawing from what we can and do understand.

Faith, hope, and love are the three core realities of Christian existence. Far from being self-grounded, they are rooted in God’s action and being in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Reflecting on the meaning these three realities have for us today, Christophe Chalamet argues that we gain a deeper understanding of them as we consider them in their interrelation, rather than separately. The first disciples sometimes described their burgeoning tradition as “the Way.� The apostle Paul, who reflected on faith, hope, and love in his epistles, praised love as “a most excellent way.� This book in constructive theology, drawing from a wealth of thinkers from the Christian tradition broadly conceived, presents faith, hope, and love as the abiding response to God’s faithfulness, God’s justice, and God’s love, for the sake of this world.

Synopsis: How does one become a "Righteous among the Nations"? In the case of Henri Nick (1868-1954) and Andre Trocme (1901-1971), two French Protestant pastors on whom that title was conferred by Yad Vashem (Jerusalem) for their acts of solidarity toward persecuted Jews, the answer seems to be: by being immersed, from an early age, in the discourses and practices of social Christianity. By focusing on the lives of two significant figures of twentieth-century Christianity, this study, the first in English on the Social Gospel in French Protestantism, presents a genealogy of that movement, from its emergence in the last decades of the nineteenth century to its high point, during World War II, in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, where Trocme and many people of that area of southern France rescued hundreds of Jewish refugees. As social Christians who prayed and worked for the coming of God's kingdom on earth in the midst of a world torn by two world wars, Henri Nick and Andre Trocme combined a deep revivalist faith with a concern for the concrete conditions in which people live. They wished to "save" others, and indeed they realized that intent in ways they did not foresee. Endorsements: "People marvel that the folk at Le Chambon took in the Jews. But what Chalamet helps us see is this did not come out of the blue. Rather, this was made possible by people such as Henri Nick and Jacques Kaltenbach, whose discovery of the social dimensions of the gospel made Trocme possible. The implications are clear--heroism is the outworking of lives that never appear heroic." --Stanley Hauerwas, Professor of Theological Ethics, Duke Divinity School "Based on original archival research, Chalamet richly fills in the background of the famous events at Le Chambon, where the Christian community, led by Andre Trocme, saved the lives of thousands of Jewish children during the Nazi occupation of France. . . . Nonviolent social action and spirituality were forged in a crucible of courage and suffering to produce a new and compelling version of the Social Gospel." --George Hunsinger, Professor of Systematic Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary "This book helps us rediscover the deep spiritual and social influence in the first half of the twentieth century of the Protestant movement known as the Social Gospel. The author unveils the ties between two great pastors, Henri Nick and Andre Trocme, who sought to evangelize the workers and who contributed to the rescue of Jews during the Holocaust. The result is a real contribution to the history of twentieth-century France." --Patrick Cabanel, Professor of Late Modern History, University of Toulouse-Le Mirail Author Biography: Christophe Chalamet is associate professor of theology at the University of Geneva (Switzerland). He is the author of Dialectical Theologians: Wilhelm Herrmann, Karl Barth and Rudolf Bultmann (2005).

The first two chapters of Paul's first epistle to the Christians of Corinth, written in the fifth decade of the first century, have played a significant role in the history of Christian theology. Interpreting the central event in Christianity, namely the crucifixion of Jesus, Paul reflects on the wisdom and foolishness of God, which he opposes to the world's wisdom. According to Paul, the "word of the cross," which is "foolishness" to some and "scandal" to others, leads to an upheaval in one's way of thinking. For two millenia, theology has often turned to these passages in order to sustain its reflection. Many central questions emerge from Paul's text on the meaning of a crucified Messiah, on God's omnipotence, weakness, and suffering. This volume hopes to achieve two things by seeking to place exegetes, historians, philosophers, and theologians in conversation: to better understand Paul's text and its reception and also to examine the ways in which it can nourish our theological reflection today.

Recent Developments in Trinitarian Theology explores the major renaissance that Trinitarian theology has undergone in recent decades. Remarkably, all the main Christian denominations have participated in this, and contemporary Trinitarian theology is a discussion that often crosses over confessional boundaries. English-language theology plays an important role in the renewal of Trinitarian theology and that role is the focus of this symposium. Its purpose is twofold: to gather in an international setting leading thinkers to present the major developments in Trinitarian theology and to show how Trinitarian theology can contribute to new thinking in several contemporary systematic and critical fields, including political theology and the theology of religions. It includes contributions by Karen Kilby, Gavin D'Costa, Aristotle Papanikolaou, Christoph Schwobel, Christophe Chalamet, Mathias Hassenfratz-Coffinet, and Marc Vial.