After playing a pivotal role in our Oklahoma reading group, Matthew Dowling took up a pastorate at Monmouth Church of Christ
in Tinton Falls, NJ. Not surprisingly, he has now started a Monday morning Barth reading group there (as well as a Bonhoeffer book club).
Even more notably, Matthew has decided to blog his way through the Church Dogmatics in a year! Check out his index of CD blog posts and follow along with him as he goes — or join him in reading the CD at your own pace and leisure:
Although reading through the entire Church Dogmatics in a single year might seem ambitious (at first glance), to me it is above all an affirmation of humility in the life-long quest to know God more deeply. Surely few would disagree that the Church Dogmatics is worth reading through more than once in a lifetime, for anyone interested in modern Trinitarian theology. Just as Flannery O’Connor returned to reading Thomas’ Summa over again throughout her life, so it makes sense for us to inhabit the magnum opus of the Thomas of the 20th century. And if the goal is to “listen long,” why not start off with a quick read to survey the lay of the land? As Rick Steves urges first-time and experienced travelers alike, “expect to return!”
To kick off this Barth series, Matt sets some context with two related posts:
- On Reading Karl Barth (two videos).
- Princeton Theological Seminary “Barth in Dialogue” Conference Report
Matthew, your quest is inspiring. We wish you and your reading group all the best, and look forward to hearing of your progress confident of the encouragement your efforts will bring to many.
