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Study guides, historical commentary, and theological reflection on the Barmen Declaration.
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Does the Barmen Declaration Speak to the Church Today?
The Barmen Declaration was written in a specific crisis — the Nazi capture of the German Protestant church. But its central claim, that Jesus Christ alone is Lord of the church, has proven relevant in every generation that has faced pressure to serve a different master.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
Date
May 9, 2026
The Legacy of Barmen: How One Declaration Changed Church History
The Barmen Declaration was signed in a crisis and forgotten for years by many who signed it. But its legacy has grown with each passing decade — adopted by denominations worldwide, invoked against apartheid, and studied as a model of church resistance for the 21st century.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
Date
May 2, 2026
Barmen Declaration and Political Theology: What Does the Church Owe the State?
Thesis 5 of the Barmen Declaration addresses the relationship between church and state directly — affirming the state's God-given role in justice and peace while firmly rejecting totalitarianism. Its framework remains one of the most useful tools in Christian political theology.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
Date
April 25, 2026
Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Barmen Declaration
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was not present at Barmen — he was in London when the declaration was adopted. But he was a key figure in the Confessing Church and his theology of costly discipleship grew from the same roots as the Barmen Declaration's central claims.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
Date
April 18, 2026
The Six Theses of Barmen: A Guided Explanation
The Barmen Declaration consists of six theses, each citing Scripture, making a positive confession, and issuing a formal rejection. This guided explanation walks through each thesis — what it affirms, what it rejects, and why it still matters.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
Date
April 11, 2026
The German Christians: The Heresy Barmen Rejected
The German Christians (Deutsche Christen) were a Nazi-aligned movement within the Protestant church that tried to merge Christianity with National Socialism — and the Barmen Declaration was written directly against them. Understanding what they taught is essential to understanding what Barmen affirmed.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
Date
April 4, 2026
Karl Barth and the Writing of the Barmen Declaration
Karl Barth was the primary author of the Barmen Declaration. His theology of the Word of God — developed over years of writing the Church Dogmatics — made him uniquely prepared to draft a confession that placed Christ alone at the center, leaving no room for National Socialist ideology.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
Date
March 28, 2026
What Is the Barmen Declaration? A Complete Introduction
The Barmen Declaration is a 1934 theological confession in which German Protestant pastors declared that Jesus Christ alone — not Hitler, not the state, not any ideology — is Lord of the church. Written by Karl Barth, it stands as one of the most courageous acts of confessional Christianity in the modern era.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
Date
March 21, 2026