You can tell a great deal about a person's approach to theology by how they respond to Karl Barth (1886–1968), rightly acclaimed as the greatest theologian of the last century. (The name is pronounced with a silent "h," thus Bart.) If a person is an avowed opponent of Barth's thought, then they are quite likely either very liberal or very conservative in their methodology. Even the once oft-used terms "Barthian" or "Barthianism," neither of which is now in vogue, are now terms of derision on both the left and the right.
I still recall the day I first became aware that frenzied opposition to Barth's writing, that originated from within certain sectors of my rigid conservative background, was not a helpful response if I was to pursue a rigorous and thoughtful theology. Interestingly, it was under a very conservative, and quite imminently fair, professor of systematic theology that I first began to read Barth for myself. I was not given a "sales pitch" but rather a measured and respectful evaluation. My first response, after truly reading his writing, was utter amazement. I couldn't believe how profoundly biblical this man really was in his impact upon the theological world of Europe and America. Even when I disagreed with Barth, which I did then and still do now, I couldn't deny that his primary goal was to lead the discipline of academic theology away from the flawed foundations of modern religious philosophy. Those modern approaches held an almost entirely positive attitude toward modern science, culture, and art. They also had a great sympathy for mysticism and its corresponding stress upon feeling. Barth sought to bring the study of theology back to first principles, those developed most consistently in the Reformation. This meant that he desired to relate all theology directly to the prophetic teaching and application of the Holy Scriptures. He was, more than any man of his time, a biblicist in his approach. Again and again he seeks to be faithful to Scripture, and even when he appears to be wrong he makes you think beyond the simple categories often forced upon Scripture from outside.
The right for believers to interpret Scripture lies at the core of Protestantism. Dr. McGrath writes his latest book Christianity’s Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution – A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First to help the church today remember the roots and adaptability of Protestantism. With a balance of criticism and encouragement, McGrath clearly presents the development of Protestantism over the past 500 years. He concludes with great insight on the tremendous upside of Protestantism in that it continues to be close to the culture yet faithful to preaching the gospel. We are very thankful for his flexibility to do this interview over the phone with us (especially with the time difference involved!).