How did Karl Barth come to the problem: What must I preach?

[Austin]

As a young pastor in Safenwil, Switzerland, he encountered the discrepancy between traditional liberal theology, which he had studied, and the pressing concerns of his congregation. Liberal theology, with its emphasis on human progress and culture, seemed unable to address the realities of social injustice and the challenges of World War I. Barth’s disillusionment deepened as prominent theologians and intellectuals of his time supported the war, revealing what he saw as a theological failure.