Karl Barth was described by Pope Pius XII as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas, the Swiss Pastor and Theologian, and Barth continues to be a major influence on students, scholars and preachers. Barth's theology found its expression mainly through his closely reasoned fourteen part magnum opus, Die Kirchliche Dogmatik. Having taken over 30 years to write, the Church Dogmatics is regarded as one of the most important theological works of all time, and represents the pinnacle of Barth's achievements as a theologian.

Barth's account of religion in the first volume of the Church Dogmatics has been subject to all manner of misunderstanding. This superb new translation not only catches the vigour and nuance of Barth's prose, but also helps liberate the text from some conventional misperceptions. With its substantial and perceptive introduction, setting what Barth has to say in relation to contemporary study of the nature of religion, this fresh translation presents a very different Barth, of interest to theologians and theorists of religion alike.

• Preface & Acknowledgments Introduction: Karl Barth as Theorist of Religion, Garrett Green God's Revelation as the Sublimation of Religion a) The Problem of Religion in Theology b) Religion as Faithlessness c) True Religion Appendix I: On Translating Barth Select Bibliography Index