Karl Barth Society of North America

For the 2023 Annual Meeting, the Karl Barth Society of North American invites papers on the broad theme of ‘The Work of Theology and the Works of our Hands’.

Under this rubric we aim in particular to solicit papers addressing two broad themes:

• Theology and the Work of Public Witness—Papers here should explore questions relating to the nature, task, and contemporary challenge of ‘public witness’ in conversation with notable themes in Barth’s life and work. Theological investigations of specifically missiological, social-ethical, or theo-political dimensions of the theory and/or practice of Christian witness would be welcome; so too would be examinations of the role of creativity and concepts of human agency involved the work of such witness.
• The Work of Philosophy and the Task of Theology—Papers here might shed fresh light upon Barth’s relation to individual modern philosophers or to dimensions of the modern philosophical tradition; propose or trial philosophical ‘readings’ of Barth’s theology; or perhaps—in explicit dialogue with Barth’s work and legacy—critically re-consider the role of philosophical reasoning in the doing of theology, reflect upon the idea of ‘constructive theology’, or explore dimensions of either the philosophical criticism of theology and/or the theological criticism of philosophy.

In addition to these specific and overlapping calls, the Society always welcomes proposals which showcase new and emerging scholarship which imaginatively engages the core concerns, questions, and affordances of Barth’s generative theology.