The Epistle to the Romans (German: Der Römerbrief) is a commentary by the Swiss theologian Karl Barth on the New Testament Epistle to the Romans. Disillusioned with both German Protestant Liberalism and Religious Socialism after the outbreak of the World War I in 1914, Barth decided in the summer of 1916 to write a commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans as a way of rethinking his theological inheritance. Barth was a pastor in Safenwil at the time. Protestant Liberal theology had played a significant role in the rise of German nationalism prior to World War I, leading to Barth's disillusionment and attempts to restructure Protestant theology. The first edition of the commentary was published in December 1918 (but with a publication date of 1919). It was the first edition of the work, wh