Barmen Declaration
Encyclopedia
The Barmen Declaration or The Theological Declaration of Barmen 1934 (Die Barmer Theologische Erklärung) is a statement of the Confessing Church
opposing the Nazi-supported "German Christians
" movement known for its anti-Semitism
and extreme nationalism
. More specifically, The Barmen Declaration rejects (i.) the subordination of the Church to the state (8.22-3) and (ii.) the subordination of the Word and Spirit to the Church. "8.27 We reject the false doctrine, as though the Church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans." On the contrary, The Declaration proclaims that the Church "is solely Christ's property, and that it lives and wants to live solely from his comfort and from his direction in the expectation of his appearance." (8.17) Rejecting domestication of the Word in the Church, The Declaration points to the inalienable lordship of Jesus Christ by the Spirit and to the external character of church unity which "can come only from the Word of God in faith through the Holy Spirit. Thus alone is the Church renewed" (8.01): it submits itself explicitly and radically to Holy Scripture as God's gracious Word.
The Declaration was mostly written by Reformed theologian Karl Barth
as well as in part by other Confessing Church
leaders, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer
. Its ecumenical nature can be seen by its inclusion in the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) http://www.pcusa.org/oga/constitution.htm and the Book of Order of the world wide Moravian Unity, the Unitas Fratrum
. Its name comes from its adoption by church representatives who had met in 1934 in the German town of Barmen
.
One of the main purposes of the Declaration was to establish a three-church confessional consensus opposing pro-nazi "German Christianity". These three churches were Lutheran, Reformed, and United
.
After 1945, the threat of pro-nazi "German Christianity" abated, providing several conservative Lutheran theologians a fresh new era in which to speak out against Barmen for having challenged four tenets of traditional Lutheranism: their Orders of creation
, natural revelation
, the doctrine of the two kingdoms
, and the relationship between Law and Gospel
.
Confessing Church
The Confessing Church was a Protestant schismatic church in Nazi Germany that arose in opposition to government-sponsored efforts to nazify the German Protestant church.-Demographics:...
opposing the Nazi-supported "German Christians
German Christians
The Deutsche Christen were a pressure group and movement within German Protestantism aligned towards the antisemitic and Führerprinzip ideological principles of Nazism with the goal to align German Protestantism as a whole towards those principles...
" movement known for its anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
and extreme nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
. More specifically, The Barmen Declaration rejects (i.) the subordination of the Church to the state (8.22-3) and (ii.) the subordination of the Word and Spirit to the Church. "8.27 We reject the false doctrine, as though the Church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans." On the contrary, The Declaration proclaims that the Church "is solely Christ's property, and that it lives and wants to live solely from his comfort and from his direction in the expectation of his appearance." (8.17) Rejecting domestication of the Word in the Church, The Declaration points to the inalienable lordship of Jesus Christ by the Spirit and to the external character of church unity which "can come only from the Word of God in faith through the Holy Spirit. Thus alone is the Church renewed" (8.01): it submits itself explicitly and radically to Holy Scripture as God's gracious Word.
- 8.04 Try the spirits whether they are of God! Prove also the words of the Confessional Synod of the German Evangelical Church to see whether they agree with Holy Scripture and with the Confessions of the Fathers. If you find that we are speaking contrary to Scripture, then do not listen to us! But if you find that we are taking our stand upon Scripture, then let no fear or temptation keep you from treading with us the path of faith and obedience to the Word of God, in order that God's people be of one mind upon earth and that we in faith experience what he himself has said: "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." Therefore, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
The Declaration was mostly written by Reformed theologian Karl Barth
Karl Barth
Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas...
as well as in part by other Confessing Church
Confessing Church
The Confessing Church was a Protestant schismatic church in Nazi Germany that arose in opposition to government-sponsored efforts to nazify the German Protestant church.-Demographics:...
leaders, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr. He was a participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism and a founding member of the Confessing Church. He was involved in plans by members of the Abwehr to assassinate Adolf Hitler...
. Its ecumenical nature can be seen by its inclusion in the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) http://www.pcusa.org/oga/constitution.htm and the Book of Order of the world wide Moravian Unity, the Unitas Fratrum
Unitas Fratrum
This article is about the coordinating body of the Moravian Church worldwide. For the Christian denomination based in Texas see Unity of the Brethren....
. Its name comes from its adoption by church representatives who had met in 1934 in the German town of Barmen
Barmen
Barmen is a former industrial metropolis of the region of Bergisches Land, Germany, which in 1929 with four other towns was merged with the city of Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. Barmen was the birth-place of Friedrich Engels and together with the neighbouring town of Elberfeld founded the...
.
One of the main purposes of the Declaration was to establish a three-church confessional consensus opposing pro-nazi "German Christianity". These three churches were Lutheran, Reformed, and United
United and uniting churches
United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...
.
After 1945, the threat of pro-nazi "German Christianity" abated, providing several conservative Lutheran theologians a fresh new era in which to speak out against Barmen for having challenged four tenets of traditional Lutheranism: their Orders of creation
Orders of creation
Orders of creation refer to a doctrine of theology asserting God's hand in establishing social domains such as the family, the church, the state, and the economy. Although it is commonly traced back to early Lutheranism, the doctrine is also discussed within Reformed Christianity as well as...
, natural revelation
General revelation
General revelation is a term used by theologians which refers to a universal aspect of God, of God's knowledge and of spiritual matters, discovered through natural means, such as observation of nature , philosophy and reasoning, human conscience or providence or providential history...
, the doctrine of the two kingdoms
Doctrine of the two kingdoms
Martin Luther's doctrine of the two kingdoms of God teaches that God is the ruler of the whole world and that he rules in two ways....
, and the relationship between Law and Gospel
Law and Gospel
In Christianity the relationship between God's Law and the Gospel is a major topic in Lutheran and Reformed theology. In these traditions, the distinction between the doctrines of Law, which demands obedience to God's ethical will, and Gospel, which promises the forgiveness of sins in light of the...
.
External links
- http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/barmen.htm
- *http://www.ekir.de/ekir/3169_3201.php