Book excerpt: The Swiss theologian Karl Barth (1886–1968) was one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century. This book shows how German and European history of that century—the First World War, the rise of Hitler, the German church struggle—resonates in the theological work of Barth. He opposed National Socialism and criticized the naturalness with which the West got carried away in the Cold War rhetoric after the Second World War. A beautiful, accessible overview work for anyone who wants to get to know Barth better.