“But for much of my career I approached Barth via those who tried to reinterpret his theology to make it more palatable to late twentieth century concerns. Barth as a socialist or Barth as a champion of Protestant orthodoxy appeals to some. But in John Webster, I finally found a theologian more concerned with an unvarnished Barth, who let’s Barth’s theology speak on its own terms regardless how it may offend modern sensibilities.”

“Our time, the time we know and possess, is and remains lost time,” according to Barth, Noel Coward notwithstanding, “even when we believe that God is the creator of time.” “We need,” says Snow, stating the obvious, “to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of [your end] can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon.” We need to get past the anxiety but how?”