The Barmen Declaration

The Barmen Declaration (1934)

The Theological Declaration of Barmen was adopted on May 31, 1934 by the Confessional Synod of the German Evangelical Church. Written primarily by Reformed theologian Karl Barth, with contributions from Hans Asmussen and Thomas Breit, it consists of six theses — each grounded in Scripture — affirming the lordship of Jesus Christ and rejecting the encroachment of National Socialist ideology into the German church.

Thesis 1 — The One Word of God

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) — "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber... I am the door of the sheep." (John 10:1, 9)

Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death.

We reject the false doctrine that the Church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God's revelation.

Thesis 2 — Christ's Claim on All of Life

"Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:30)

As Jesus Christ is God's assurance of the forgiveness of all our sins, so, in the same vigour, he is also God's mighty claim upon our whole life. Through him befalls us a joyful deliverance from the godless fetters of this world for a free, grateful service to his creatures.

We reject the false doctrine that there could be areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ, but to other lords — areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.

Thesis 3 — The Church Belongs to Christ Alone

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body is joined and knit together." (Eph. 4:15–16)

The Christian Church is the congregation of the brethren in which Jesus Christ acts presently as the Lord in Word and sacrament through the Holy Spirit. With its faith as well as with its obedience, with its message as well as with its order, it has to testify in the midst of the sinful world, as the Church of pardoned sinners, that it is his alone, that it lives and wants to live solely from his comfort and from his direction in the expectation of his appearance.

We reject the false doctrine that the Church would have the right to abandon this form of its message and order to its own pleasure or to changes in prevailing ideological and political convictions.

Thesis 4 — Church Office as Service, Not Dominion

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant." (Matt. 20:25–26)

The various offices in the Church do not establish a dominion of some over the others; on the contrary, they are for the exercise of the ministry entrusted to and enjoined upon the whole congregation.

We reject the false doctrine that the Church, apart from this ministry, could and were allowed to give to itself, or allow to be given to it, special leaders vested with ruling powers.

Thesis 5 — The Church and the State

"Fear God. Honour the emperor." (1 Pet. 2:17) — "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matt. 22:21)

Scripture tells us that, in the as yet unredeemed world in which the Church also exists, the State has by divine appointment the task of providing for justice and peace. The Church acknowledges the benefit of this divine appointment in gratitude and reverence before him. It calls to mind the Kingdom of God, God's commandment and righteousness, and thereby the responsibility both of rulers and of the ruled.

We reject the false doctrine that the State, over and beyond its special commission, should and could become the single and totalitarian order of human life, thus fulfilling the Church's vocation as well. We reject the false doctrine that the Church, over and beyond its special commission, should and could appropriate the characteristics, the tasks, and the dignity of the State, thus itself becoming an organ of the State.

Thesis 6 — The Church's Free Commission

"Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matt. 28:20) — "The Word of God is not fettered." (2 Tim. 2:9)

The Church's commission, upon which its freedom is founded, consists in delivering the message of the free grace of God to all people in Christ's stead, and therefore in the ministry of his own Word and work through sermon and sacrament.

We reject the false doctrine that 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.

Historical Context

The Barmen Declaration emerged from one of the darkest chapters in modern church history. When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, a movement known as the "German Christians" (Deutsche Christen) sought to align the Protestant church with National Socialist ideology — introducing the Aryan Paragraph to exclude Jewish Christians from ministry and replacing the authority of Scripture with the authority of race, blood, and the Führer.

In response, a network of pastors and congregations formed the Confessing Church (Bekennende Kirche). In May 1934 they gathered at Barmen and adopted this theological declaration, primarily drafted by Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth. The declaration was not explicitly political but was radically theological — insisting that the church has only one Lord, and that Lord is Jesus Christ.

Though Barth was later expelled from Germany and many signatories faced persecution, the Barmen Declaration became a landmark of 20th-century confessional theology. It has since been adopted by denominations worldwide, most notably by the Presbyterian Church (USA) as part of its Book of Confessions, and has shaped political theology, church-state discussions, and resistance ethics ever since.

Key Articles

Thesis 1

The One Word of God

Jesus Christ alone is the Word of God the church must hear and obey. No other power, figure, or truth may be placed alongside Scripture as a source of revelation.

Thesis 2

Christ's Claim on All of Life

Christ's lordship extends to every area of life — there are no zones exempt from his rule or from the need for his justification and sanctification.

Thesis 3

The Church Belongs to Christ

The church's message and structure must be governed by Christ alone — not by ideological or political trends of the day.

Thesis 4

Service, Not Dominion

Church office is service to the congregation — not a ruling authority. Special leaders with autonomous power are rejected.

Thesis 5

The Church and the State

The state has a legitimate, limited role in providing justice and peace. Neither the state nor the church may absorb the other's vocation.

Thesis 6

The Free Commission

The church exists to proclaim the free grace of God to all people — it may not place this commission in service of any ideology, party, or human plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Barmen Declaration?

The Barmen Declaration is a 1934 theological statement adopted by the Confessing Church in Germany, rejecting Nazi influence over the church and declaring that Jesus Christ — not any political ideology — is the sole Lord of the church. It consists of six Scripture-grounded theses.

Who wrote the Barmen Declaration?

The primary author was Swiss-German Reformed theologian Karl Barth, assisted by Lutheran pastor Hans Asmussen and Reformed pastor Thomas Breit. It was adopted by delegates representing Lutheran, Reformed, and United churches at Barmen on May 31, 1934.

Why was the Barmen Declaration written?

It was written to counter the 'German Christians' movement, which sought to fuse Christianity with National Socialist ideology — adopting the Aryan Paragraph, exalting Hitler as a new revelation, and subordinating the church to the Nazi state.

Is the Barmen Declaration still used today?

Yes. The Presbyterian Church (USA) includes it in its Book of Confessions. It is studied in seminaries worldwide and invoked whenever churches face pressure to subordinate the gospel to political or ideological agendas.

Was Dietrich Bonhoeffer at Barmen?

Bonhoeffer was not present at the Barmen Synod, though he was a leading figure in the broader Confessing Church movement. He was in London at the time. He later became the most famous martyr of the resistance, executed by the Nazis in April 1945.

What does the Barmen Declaration mean for church and state today?

Thesis 5 articulates a careful balance: the state has a legitimate God-given role in justice and peace, but may not become totalitarian or absorb the church's mission. The church owes allegiance first to Christ — a principle with enduring relevance wherever states demand ideological conformity.

The Barmen Declaration (1934)