An encounter with God’s honored partner: Karl Barth’s Christ-centered philosophy of education

Abstract

Karl Barth is regarded as one of the most preeminent theologians of the 20th century. While much attention has been given to Barth’s theological writings, little attention has been paid to his teaching practices. However, analyzing a historical narrative of Barth’s teaching career—culled from two highly regarded biographies on Barth—through the lens of Barth’s theology yields a robustly Christian philosophy of teaching that is theologically rooted and practically demonstrated. Viewed in this way, the narrative of Barth’s teaching provides a model for contemporary teachers on how they might connect their Christian faith with their pedagogical practice.