Abstract

The viability of Christianity in the modern age was not only a theoretical but also an existential question that preoccupied Nietzsche's close friend, the Basel theologian, Franz Overbeck. Though Karl Barth acknowledged his debt to his troublesome predecessor, Overbeck has otherwise tended to be quietly ignored by mainstream modern theology. Given his scepticism about the value of theology, this neglect is perhaps understandable. Whether it is justified, is the question taken up in this article.