Karl Barths praktische Theologie

Georg Pfleiderer shows that the specific theological character of Barth's Neo-Kantianism must be seen in the pragmatic structure and intention of his texts. An analysis of Barth's famous commentary on the »Epistle to the Romans« makes it clear how Barth's theological texts actually function by producing an intellectual and a religious consensus and by excluding spectators. Seen from this perspective, Barth's theology belongs in the context of political theology and political persuasion represented by authors such as Georg Lukács, Carl Schmitt or Emanuel Hirsch. The author demonstrates that an intensive study of theological texts can make it possible to establish the contribution of theology to interdisciplinary dialogs.