In 1934 Christian churches in Germany faced strong pressure to conform their belief and practice to the pillars of Nazi thinking -- respect for the authority of the Fuhrer and fervent devotion to the history and culture of the German race. Defying this ideological agenda, leaders in the German Evangelical Church responded by adopting the Barmen Declaration. This bold statement of dissent, grounded in the authority of Scripture, has since become a powerful model for the contemporary confession of the Christian faith against modern forms of skepticism and unbelief.

In The Barmen Theses Then and Now Eberhard Busch demonstrates to a new generation how that key German confession during a specific time of crisis can guide Christians everywhere today. He interprets each of the six theses in its original context -- Nazi Germany -- and then applies it to crucial cultural and political challenges facing Christianity in our time.