Church Dogmatics I.1 The Doctrine of the Word of God; Prolegomena; The Word of The Revelation of God

Unlike many of the systematic theologies of his day, Barth does not begin his Dogmatics with a prolegomena describing the philosophical and/or cultural influences upon his thought. Rather, Barth boldly begins with his doctrine of the Word of God, which receives priority over every other ideology or influence thought to affect one's theology. After explicating the threefold form of the Word of God (the Word preached, written, and revealed), Barth turns to the substance of revelation in his treatment of the triune God. This move is also equally noteworthy, given the predominant influence of Schleiermacher, who reserved his exposition of the Trinity as an appendix to his theology. In distinction, Barth grounds the entire project of his magnum opus in both an explication of the triune God and a trinitarian understanding of the Word of God.