Markus Barth, Mark R. Lindsay. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514001622) 2024.

Summary: The first biography of Markus Barth, drawn from access to his letters and papers, highlighting his theological legacy.

Karl Barth is one of the undisputed giants of theological studies in the twentieth century. Markus Barth, although a fine New Testament scholar, is far less known today. But Mark R. Lindsay may help change that with this biography of Markus Barth, the first to be published. Drawing on newly available archives of Markus Barth’s papers and private letters, he not only traces the life but also the theological legacy of this scholar.

The narrative begins with tracing a childhood on the move, as his father took different positions. We’re introduced to the unusual relationship between Karl, Nellie, and Charlotte von Kirschbaum, a;lthough it doesn’t appear to have intruded on Markus’ childhood. And we see the first glimmerings of Markus’ theological insights and independence in his decision to refuse to be confirmed. Lindsay traces Markus’ education, his courtship of Rose Marie, and his opposition to Nazism, nearly leading to arrest, before he fled to Edinburgh to complete his theological studies.

Like his father, he began his career as a pastor in the village of Bubendorf in Switzerland, where he served from 1940 until 1953. It was here that his distinctive views of Communion began to form–neither sacrament nor memorial. He arrived at similar views with regard to baptism, rejecting infant baptism. Subsequent chapters cover his teaching career at three very different U.S. institutions: Dubuque, the University of Chicago, and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. While none of these quite fit, he was deeply appreciated by students. Dubuque was too confessionally constricting. While Chicago afforded scholarly opportunities, the pluralism of the theological faculty led to questions of why he had been appointed. Pittsburgh was a better fit but he clashed with seminary leadership and some of the conservatism of Pittsburgh’s Presbyterian community.

In 1973, he returned to Basel, where he had completed his doctorate under somewhat controversial circumstances. These years marked the zenith of his scholarship with the publication of his two-volume Anchor Commentary on Ephesians. He also was increasingly engaged in Jewish-Christian dialogue efforts, in which he played something of a path-breaking role. Anticipating the problems Christians would face in our own day, he later ran into grief when he challenged Israeli treatment of Palestinians, even while supporting the State of Israel generally as well as the importance of Jewish-Christian dialogue.

One of the challenges of his later years was that his teaching and lecture travel hampered his scholarship, notably the completion of his work on Philemon (posthumously) and Colossians (unfinished). This was further exacerbated by declining health and he followed Rose Marie in death in 1994.,

Lindsay highlights three areas in which Barth left a theological legacy. The first was in New Testament scholarship. In contrast to his father, he was a biblical theologian who worked from rigorous exegesis to biblical themes. Second, his distinctive views on baptism and the Lord’s Supper extended his father’s work. He saw these as a witness rather than memorials or means of grace, celebrations of the work of Christ. Finally, Barth was so involved in Jewish-Christian efforts that he was named by one Jewish commentator as “chaside omit ha-olam” or one of “the righteous ones of the nations of the world.” He saw the Jews as the people of God, an identity shared by but not superseded by Christians.

What I also appreciate about this account is how Barth gave himself for his students and the lifelong friendships with many. He loved open evenings in his home where any question was fair game. He also made room for Rose Marie to shine in these conversation. I found myself wishing I’d known of him while he was in Pittsburgh. I heard other Pittsburgh Seminary professors speak, notably John Gerstner. How I wish I could have seen the two of them in conversation!

Mark Lindsay’s biography not only gave me an appreciation of Barth’s life. It reminded me of works by Barth sitting on my shelves, and others that might be worth exploring, particularly the Ephesian commentaries. The book includes a number of photographs as well as extensive lists of publications and bibliography, a gift for any interested in the work of this “son of Barth.”

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.