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

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.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.
April 11, 2026

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.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.
April 4, 2026
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.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.
March 28, 2026

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.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.
March 21, 2026