Christ Is Time: The Gospel According to Karl Barth

by Mark James Edwards

Christ Is The Gospel according to Karl Barth (and the Red Hot Chili Peppers) welcomes you to the jungle of Barth's head-banging opus, the Church Dogmatics, with the beats, rhythms, and lyrics of Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Metallica, and more. Based on lectures at Princeton Seminary, Edwards distills Barth's treatment of key questions in philosophical and systematic theology, offering a playlist of greatest hits on trinity, Christology, prayer, and others. With the care of a scholar and the energy of a stack of Peaveys, Christ Is Time testifies that the eternal God "gives it away" as time through Jesus Christ. Let's face Karl's style is a bit Beastie. And since Depeche Mode can say it best, this just might be a match made in Nirvana. Go gaga.

212 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2022

Reviews

[Tyler McQuilkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old check in from reading this last summer. Great introduction to Barth. Unique style with the songs inserted throughout. Definitely a fun read! I especially loved his chapter on what it means to be human.

[Tobias Lansberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright.
The music thing felt gimmicky - definitely not my style.
There were a lot of points where I couldn't tell if the author was presenting Barth's position or his own personal stance, which was annoying.

Overall a decent overview of Barth as far as I can tell.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect coming to this book but I loved it. It is a collection of lectures on Barth's theology given at Princeton years ago, along with recommendations of music that the author likes. It's the most accessible secondary source on Barth's theology that I've come across.