Fragments grave and gay; (The Fontana library: theology and philosophy)

Karl Barth was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century. Pope Pius XI called him the greatest theologian since Saint Thomas Aquinas. But he was also a popular preacher in Basel and the author of the formidable Church Dogmatics had a lighter touch as well. This is revealed in this enchanting collection of fragments. Not only do they capture the gaiety and gravity of Barth in a simple and homely style; they also contain, in a delightfully digestible form, the essence of what he had to say about the Bible, theology, and the task of Christians in the modern world.