Abstract

Barth illustrates a radicality: he analyses the Church by considering what she is supposed to be, the expression of the lordship of Christ or a living Gospel. The Church cannot rely on historical foundations neither by considering her-self as the continuation of this foundations nor by maintaining a "salvation good". She must instead always newly convert or adapt her-self to a Truth in discontinuity with historical trends. As a matter of fact, Barth strongly differentiates the State's responsibility from the Church's one. The present article discusses the former differentiation in light of Barmen's declaration during the Nazi period. It also shows Barth's mind change after 1945 when he emphasized the similarities between the State and the Church, both seeking to improve human and social welfare, however differently. Globally, Barth does not consider the Church as an institution evolving in a differentiated social game. In conclusion, this article invites us to think together about an heterogeneous Truth and about historical insertion.