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A new National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant will allow Princeton Theological Seminary to translate the final two currently published volumes of “The Lectures and Shorter Works of Karl Barth,” into English for publication, making these important texts more accessible to readers worldwide.
Led by the Center for Barth Studies, the project was one of only 15 selected in the category of Scholarly Editions and Translations. A $300,000 grant will support the translation of works from 1934-37, a seminal period in the Reformed Swiss theologian’s life and world history. The grant also includes up to an additional $150,000 in matching funds.
“The works being translated will contribute greatly not only to Barth’s own body of theological scholarship available in English, but also to our understanding of German and European fascism,” said Dr. John R. Bowlin, Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Robert L. Stuart Professor of Philosophy and Christian Ethics.
The latest grant builds upon two previous NEH grants, which supported the translation of the first six volumes of “The Lectures and Shorter Works of Karl Barth.” In its entirety, the eight-volume translation project covers more than three decades of the theologian’s career.
This important translation work will make many volumes of Barth’s writing available in English for the first time. The goal is to provide English speaking readers with greater knowledge of the intellectual, social, and political context in which he lived and worked as a theologian.
The 21-member project team is composed of members of the Barth Translators Seminar, a central component of the Center’s work, which gathers leading scholars and translators to facilitate the publishing of yet unavailable Barth resources for the academy and the church in English. The project’s leadership team includes Co-Director Dr. Kaitlyn M. Dugan, MDiv ’13, Director of the Center for Barth Studies; Co-Director Bruce L. McCormack, PhD ’89, Professor of Modern Christian Theology at the University of Aberdeen; Project Editor Cambria Kaltwasser, PhD ’17, MDiv ’10, Marvin and Jerene DeWitt Endowed Biblical and Theological Studies Professor at Northwestern College; English Editor Dr. Paul Nimmo, ThM ’01, King’s Chair of Systematic Theology at the University of Aberdeen; and German Editor, Matthias Gockel, PhD ’02, Faculty of Theology at the University of Basel. Seventeen translation fellows round out the team; all are experienced translators of German theological works, most of whom are Barth scholars with doctorates in theology or religion and many are native German speakers.
“The Barth Center’s team of skilled translators has worked for many years to develop best translation practices so they can provide nuanced, accessible, and trusted English translations for a broader audience,” said Dugan. “This important translation work will make many volumes of Barth’s writing available in English for the first time. The goal is to provide English speaking readers with greater knowledge of the intellectual, social, and political context in which he lived and worked as a theologian.”
Founded in 1997, as a research center devoted to the life and theology of Karl Barth (1886–1968), the Center for Barth Studies is a preeminent scholarly resource for information, events, and programs related to Barth’s work. The Center is devoted to enhancing the global scope and accessibility of Barth’s work through digitizing materials and translating his writings into English. Through conferences, lectures, and research resources, the Center facilitates constructive theological conversation about the Christian tradition and its public significance today. Learn more about the Center for Barth Studies at barth.ptsem.edu.
The National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation.
