Articles

Study guides, historical commentary, and theological reflection on the Barmen Declaration.

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theologyBarmen Declaration document with relevance for the church in the modern world

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.

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

Date

May 9, 2026

theologyBarmen Declaration addressing the church's relationship to political authority

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.

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

Date

April 25, 2026

church historyPortrait of Dietrich Bonhoeffer who signed the Barmen Declaration and died resisting Nazism

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.

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

Date

April 18, 2026

church historyGerman Christians movement — the Nazi-aligned heresy the Barmen Declaration rejected

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.

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

Date

April 4, 2026

church historyBarmen Declaration document — complete introduction to the 1934 confession against Nazism

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.

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

Date

March 21, 2026