Karl Barth

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Karl Barth (May 10, 1886(1886-05-10) – December 10, 1968) (pronounced "bart") was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas.[1] Beginning with his experience as a pastor, he rejected his training in the predominant liberal theology typical of 19th-century Protestantism.[2] Instead he embarked on a new theological path initially called dialectical theology, due to its stress on the paradoxical nature of divine truth (e.g., God's relationship to humanity embodies both grace and judgment).[3] Other critics have referred to Barth as the father of neo-orthodoxy[2] — a term emphatically rejected by Barth himself.[4] The most accurate description of his work might be "a theology of the Word."[5] Barth's theological thought emphasized the sovereignty of God, particularly through his innovative doctrine of election (Wiki).