Karl Barth in searchable form
April 2, 2009
Logos Bible Software has made the 14 volumes of the Torrance-Bromiley edition of Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics available in digitised form. You can find it via their website here. Anyone who wants to understand the pathway of theology from Scheleiermacher to the present has to come to grips with Barth at some point; and, given the current evangelical infatuation with certain aspects of his thought -- or at least, the current evangelical reception of the same -- this project will prove to be immensely helpful. There is always value in seeing a great mind in action on the grand themes of historic theology, even when the reader disagrees with the results.
Writing as a virtually functionally illiterate IT sort, I am happy to report that this particular program is easy to use and attractively laid out. It makes the whole work easily searchable. I do not know the technical jargon, but if you point your little screen arrow at text highlighted in red or blue, and have the relevant volumes in your Libronix library, then you will be taken to the text (biblical, historical or otherwise) being cited. Point the same arrow at a piece of Latin, and, hey presto, you get an English translation (I've often wondered why the Latin remains in an English translation). I confess (as a classically trained miserable middle aged git) I found this latter move slightly depressing, indicative of a generation that no longer reads sources in the original languages (is it any wonder the world is economic meltdown when it's run by economists and not classicists??); but very helpful to those not fortunate enough to have learned Latin at school.
The large type/small type sections are distinguished by line spacing (the cynical might comment that this keeps the thought of Karl and Charlotte neatly separate...... Ahem).
I confess: I do find the act of reading on a screen for any length of time somewhat tough; and I suspect that I will continue to use my old bound volumes for reading purposes. But the value of having such a monster in searchable form is huge. The people at Princeton and at Logos who have worked to make this available are owed a debt of thanks to those of us who will find siginifcant time savings over the coming years as a result of their work.
Writing as a virtually functionally illiterate IT sort, I am happy to report that this particular program is easy to use and attractively laid out. It makes the whole work easily searchable. I do not know the technical jargon, but if you point your little screen arrow at text highlighted in red or blue, and have the relevant volumes in your Libronix library, then you will be taken to the text (biblical, historical or otherwise) being cited. Point the same arrow at a piece of Latin, and, hey presto, you get an English translation (I've often wondered why the Latin remains in an English translation). I confess (as a classically trained miserable middle aged git) I found this latter move slightly depressing, indicative of a generation that no longer reads sources in the original languages (is it any wonder the world is economic meltdown when it's run by economists and not classicists??); but very helpful to those not fortunate enough to have learned Latin at school.
The large type/small type sections are distinguished by line spacing (the cynical might comment that this keeps the thought of Karl and Charlotte neatly separate...... Ahem).
I confess: I do find the act of reading on a screen for any length of time somewhat tough; and I suspect that I will continue to use my old bound volumes for reading purposes. But the value of having such a monster in searchable form is huge. The people at Princeton and at Logos who have worked to make this available are owed a debt of thanks to those of us who will find siginifcant time savings over the coming years as a result of their work.
