In this classic text, John Webster shows how you should regard Barth's work as a moral theology. He opens with a study of Barth's ethical thinking in key writings from the period of his break with theological liberalism, and then highlights the moral anthropology set out in his lectures on ethics from the end of the 1920s. He studies the themes of original sin, hope and freedom in Barth's Church Dogmatics, illustrating Barth's concern to prove that divine grace shapes and restores human agency. He explores the theme of the missionary activity of the church in relation to Barth's remarkable treatment of the prophetic office of Christ. He also draws a contrast between the moral anthropology of Barth and Luther.

John Webster (1955-2016) was one of the world's leading systematic theologians. His distinguished career saw him publish over 20 books and 100 major articles, solidifying himself as an expert on systematic theology as well as the works of Karl Barth and Eberhard Jüngel. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2005 and, along with Colin Gunton, he co-founded the International Journal of Theology. Ultimately, he rose through the ranks of academia to become the Chair of Divinity at University of St Andrews, UK.