OnScript Marty Folsom – Karl Barth’s Doctrine of Creation
Jan 28, 2026
Marty Folsom, theologian and professor who writes accessible guides to Karl Barth, walks through Barth’s Doctrine of Creation. He highlights creation as covenant, divine hospitality, embodied imagery, and the waterfall metaphor of grace. Conversations range from Barthian actualism and freedom to everyday delights like angels and the coffee machine.
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Creation As A Hospitable Covenant
- Barth portrays creation as God preparing a hospitable, covenantal 'party' for human flourishing.
- Creation's purpose is relational enjoyment, not mere rule-following or distant divinity.
Bring Congregations To The Living Jesus
- Pastors should continually bring congregations to the living, present person of Jesus each week.
- Use doctrine of creation to invite people into the 'family meeting' of God's loving presence.
Relational Anthropology Shapes Ethics
- Barth emphasizes relationality: humans are created as embodied, interdependent persons.
- This relational anthropology reframes therapy, education, and ethics within covenantal contexts.
