Book excerpt: A detailed study of how theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) comprehended the connections between the Christian doctrine of God, the doctrine of humanity, and Christian ethics, a triad of concepts that the author refers to as Barth's theology of relations. He examines Barth's writings on parents and children to discuss Barth's ethics generally, and argues for the relevance of Barth's theology of relations to contemporary family issues. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR