Abstract

This work critically examines Karl Barth's use and criticism of the concept of religion with special reference to the 19th-century Liberal approach which he seeks to overcome. The inquiry uncovers a fundamental dependency of Barth on this Liberal background, and on Schleiermacher, its chief proponent. This dependency is able to explain Barth's perplexing and much discussed ambiguity towards the concept of religion. The study also investigates the potential for an alternative approach based on Barth's mature theology and finds an undercurrent in his thinking which proves to be a fruitful contribution in the current debate over a viable theology of religions.