1930 Karl Barth began teaching at the University of Bonn, and not long after that he was calling Christians to radical opposition to the “German Christians.” But even before his arrival in Bonn, Barth’s commentary on Paul’s letter to the Romans had caused a stir. The first edition had appeared in 1919, and then expanded editions followed from 1921 through 1932. In his reading of Romans, Barth challenged readers to hear the epistle as God’s word directly addressing the present moment. No longer was