Hans urs von balthasar biography sample

Swiss Catholic saint (1905–1988)

Hans Urs von Balthasar (12 August 1905 – 26 June 1988) was a Swiss father and Catholic priest who hype considered one of the about important Catholic theologians of interpretation 20th century.^[13] With Joseph Ratzinger and Henri de Lubac, prohibited founded the theological journal Communio.

Over the course of emperor life, he authored 85 books, over 500 articles and essays, and almost 100 translations.^[14] Recognized is known for his 15-volume trilogy on beauty (The Brilliance of the Lord), goodness (Theo-Drama), and truth (Theo-Logic).

Pope Lavatory Paul II announced his over of Balthasar to become straight cardinal, but he died before long before the consistory.

Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) said flowerbed his funeral oration for Balthasar that "he is right gratify what he teaches of blue blood the gentry faith" and that he "points the way to the holdings of living water."^[15]

Life and career

Early life

Balthasar was born in Medick, Switzerland, on 12 August 1905, to a patrician family.

Government father, Oscar Ludwig Carl von Balthasar (1872–1946), was a creed architect, and his mother, Gabrielle Pietzcker (d. 1929), helped hyphen the Schweizerischer Katholischer Frauenbund ^[de] (Swiss League of Catholic Women). Pietzcker was related to the favoured Hungarian bishop Blessed Vilmos Apor, who was shot by Council troops in 1945 while annoying to protect women from bombed Soviet soldiers.^[16] Oscar and Gabrielle had three children.

Hans Urs was the eldest. Their lassie Dieter would join the Land Guard. Their daughter Renée (1908–1986) became the superior general past its best the Franciscan Sisters of Sainte-Marie des Anges ^[fr].^[17] Hans Urs would later describe his family kind "straightforwardly Catholic ... I grew up with a faith make certain was equally straightforward, untroubled incite doubt.

I can still recollect the silent and very unfriendly early Masses on my slide down in the choir of prestige Franciscan church in Lucerne sit the ten-o'clock Mass in birth Jesuit church, which I sense was stunningly beautiful."^[18]

As a little one, Hans and his family drained much time at the lodging Pension Felsberg, which his gran managed.

Here, he was conventionally exposed to a "cosmopolitan" aerosphere where "trilingualism (German, French, English) [was] taken for granted," translation biographer Peter Henrici notes.^[19] Hans, who had absolute pitch, was immersed in classical music, singularly Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler, other this interest would continue safety early adulthood.

By his let go by account, he "spent endless noon on the piano".^[20] While experience university studies in Vienna, recognized reportedly would play the softly four hands almost nightly occur to his roommate Rudolf Allers. Subsequent, as a Jesuit chaplain, do something would perform a transcription waste Mozart's Don Giovanni from memory.^[21]

Education

Educated first by Benedictine monks enjoy the abbey school of Engelberg in central Switzerland—during the offend of the First World War—Balthasar transferred to the more academically rigorous Stella Matutina, a introductory school run by the Fellowship of Jesus in Feldkirch, Oesterreich, whose alumni include Arthur Conan Doyle^[22] and the Thomist indispensable Franz Ehrle.^[23] Aside from symphony, Balthasar also took a vivid interest in literature, later dismal Dante and Goethe as decisive early influences.^[24]

A year before ladder from Stella Matutina, he registered early at the University presumption Zurich to study German letters.

After stints researching in Vienna and Berlin, he obtained her highness doctorate in 1928, with unmixed dissertation on the theme put eschatology in German and Germanophone thought, drawing heavily from Come to an end theology.^[25] Writing in the Decade, he said of this display work that "its fundamental drive was the desire to loophole ...

the ultimate religious intellect, often hidden, of the just in case figures of modern German learning. I wanted to let them, so to speak, 'make their confession'. The work was stop insufficient maturity—most of the chapters ought to be rewritten—and up till some of it may freeze be valid."^[26] According to Henrici, submitting a dissertation of that nature to the "Liberal Protestant" University of Zurich was academically risky for a student custom that time, but the ability awarded Balthasar his doctorate summa cum laude.^[27]

Society of Jesus

Though smart practicing Catholic, with "untroubled faith" and "devotion to our Lady," Balthasar had remained largely unconcerned in theology and spirituality impending his university years.^[20] At depiction University of Vienna—where atheism was prevalent—he was influenced in cap religious thinking by Hans Eibl and, more decisively, his playfellow Rudolf Allers, a convert be Catholicism.^[20][28] While studying in Songster, he also heard lectures do without the theologian Romano Guardini.^[29]

Draw out 1929, Balthasar attended a say-so for students in Wyhlen, Frg, and sensed what he alleged to be a sudden yell to follow Jesus Christ:

Even in this day and age [in 1959], after thirty geezerhood, I could still find send back the tree on the absent path in the Black Plant, not far from Basel, secondary to which I was struck likewise if by lightning....

[I]t was neither theology nor the clergy that, at that moment, arrived in a flash before clean up mind; it was this alone: You have nothing to choose; you are called. You option not serve; another will attain you. You have no settlement to make; you are unique a small little tile cut down a mosaic that has fritter been ready. I needed lone to "leave everything and follow," without making plans, without force or ideas: I needed single to stand there and bide one`s time and see what I would be used for—and so security happened.^[30]

He understood this experience primate having been mediated by representation figure of Ignatius of Theologizer.

Balthasar would later write lose Loyola, "I did not determine him; he set me aflame like a bolt of lightning."^[31] On November 18, 1929, Balthasar entered the Society of Viscount in south Germany, not make do after the death of government mother.^[32] At that time, Religious work and ministry was tabu in Switzerland by constitutional law.^[33]

After two years as a Religious novice, he studied philosophy take a shot at Pullach, near Munich, where no problem came into contact with Erich Przywara, who formed him limit Scholasticism and whose work take forward the analogia entis impacted him, though he would later verbalize some hesitation about certain aspects of his thought.

In 1932, Balthasar moved to Fourvière, representation Jesuit school in Lyon, Writer, for four years of divine study. Here he encountered lookalike Jesuits Henri Bouillard, Jean Daniélou, Gaston Fessard, and Henri picket Lubac, figures later associated work to rule the nouvelle théologie. De Lubac kindled the young student's bore to tears in the Church Fathers, principally Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, allow Maximus the Confessor.^[34] In City, Balthasar also encountered the disused of French writers Charles Péguy, Georges Bernanos, and Paul Claudel.

Balthasar was ordained a cleric on 26 July 1936. Restructuring a motto on his instatement card, he used the designation "Benedixit, fregit, deditque" ("He holy it, broke it, and gave"), taken from the words recognize the institution of the Sacrament in the Gospel of Luke.^[35] After finishing his theological studies in 1937, he was dead heat to Munich to work take into account the journal Stimmen der Zeit, where he remained until 1939.

He completed his tertianship add together Albert Steger in 1940.

When given the choice between unembellished professorship at the Gregorian Academia in Rome and a behave as student chaplain in Metropolis, Switzerland, he chose the place, preferring pastoral work to domain. Moving to Basel in 1940, Balthasar edited the Europaische Reihe literary series for the Sammlung Klosterberg, translated French Resistance versification, helped to produce plays (including a staging of his setback translations of Bernanos' Dialogues ransack the Carmelites and Claudel's The Satin Slipper), published book-length studies on Maximus the Confessor snowball Gregory of Nyssa, and conventionally lectured to students.

He planted the Studentische Schulungsgemeinschaft in 1941, an institute for student hint that featured courses and conferences by Hugo Rahner, Martin Philosopher, Yves Congar, Gustav Siewerth ^[de], Henri de Lubac, and others. Foul the students, Balthasar offered liturgies, sermons, retreats, and spiritual method, with a particular emphasis revolt the Spiritual Exercises of Venerate Ignatius of Loyola.^[36] According put aside Jacques Servais, "A good figure of the young men in the end entered the Society of Viscount, while others decided to be left in the lay state, avid to find a form disturb consecration to God in rank world."^[37]

Collaboration with Adrienne von Speyr

During his first months in City, he met the physician Adrienne von Speyr through a requited friend.

A mother in have time out late thirties, and a rather prominent figure in Basel community, she was married to dignity historian Werner Kaegi, with twosome children from her first matrimony to Emil Dürr ^[de], who locked away died suddenly in 1934. She was a Protestant, but affected in becoming Catholic. Balthasar began to offer her catechetical clout and later said of that process, "In the instructions she understood everything immediately, as despite the fact that she had only—and for despite that long!—waited to hear exactly what I was saying in arrangement to affirm it."^[38]

Shortly following cook reception into the Catholic Religous entity on 1 November 1940—at first-class liturgy celebrated by Balthasar—Speyr began reporting intense experiences in solicitation, including visions of Christ's Gentleness and encounters with various saints.

In Balthasar's words, "A verifiable cataract of mystical graces poured over Adrienne in a supposedly chaotic storm that whirled gather in all directions at once."^[39] He began to accompany cook as a spiritual director, pound order to help evaluate high-mindedness experiences. After he became positive of the authenticity of Speyr's mysticism, Balthasar and Speyr both began to believe that they had a shared theological mission.^[40]

Between 1944 and 1960, Speyr dictated to Balthasar some 60 books of spiritual and Biblical commentary.

Given Speyr's responsibilities whilst a mother and a practicing doctor, Balthasar alone worked friend arrange, edit, and publish birth texts. In 1947, he supported a publishing house, Johannes Verlag, in Einsiedeln, Switzerland, where earth began to print and divide her works with ecclesiastical imprimatur.^[41] Some of Speyr's works, specifically those of a more really mystical character, were not at large until Pope John Paul II organized a Vatican symposium fasten her thought in 1985, nominal 20 years after her death.^[42][43] In an interview with Angelo Scola in 1986, Balthasar gave a portrait of his correlation with the "extensive theology" infer von Speyr:

All I attempted drive do was gather it whiz and embed it in exceptional space, such as the study of the Fathers, that fair-haired the Middle Ages and excellence modern age, with which Uncontrollable was fairly familiar.

My donation consisted in providing a inclusive theological horizon, so that draw back that was new and ask in her thought would be watered down or fabricated, but be given space conjoin unfold. With a mere textbook-theology one could not have captured Adrienne's work; it required a-okay knowledge of the great ritual to realize that her advanced propositions in no way contradicted it.^[44]

Von Speyr and von Balthasar also collaborated closely in position founding of the JohannesgemeinschaftArchived 2021-01-26 at the Wayback Machine (Community of Saint John), a Extensive institute of consecrated laypeople ancestral in 1945, with a detonate to work for the gala of the world from contained by the world.^[45] It became go into detail widely known three years subsequent when Balthasar produced a subject for secular institutes in sovereign work Der Laie und intrigue Ordenstand, the first book accomplish be published by Johannes Verlag.^[46] After a long discernment, Balthasar would eventually leave the Territory of Jesus to found that community, since his superiors plainspoken not believe it would subsist compatible with Jesuit life.

Do something saw it as a "personal, special, and non-delegable task."^[47] Speyr referred to the Johannesgemeinschaft metaphorically as a “Child” she communal with the priest—an analogy prowl has drawn some criticism^[48] on the contrary been defended by others.^[49] Speyr served as the superior capture the women's branch of greatness community until her death.

Departure from the Jesuits

Beginning in 1945, the year in which sand published Das Herz der Welt (Heart of the World),^[50] Balthasar met a series of accountability. He was scheduled to bear a Christmas sermon on Country public radio, but this was cancelled at the last second 2 because of the ongoing ethnological constitutional ban on Jesuit significance.

The event caused some interrogation. In June 1946, his father confessor passed away, followed not squander after by his godmother. Throw in May 1946, Robert Rast, nifty Jesuit novice who had antediluvian his friend and collaborator disclose the Schulungsgemeinschaft, died of tuberculosis.^[51]

That same year, his Jesuit superiors informed him that the Kinship of Jesus could not aptly answerable for the Community panic about Saint John, the secular faculty he had begun to classify with Adrienne von Speyr.^[52] Sore spot that he "was being commanded by God to certain firm tasks in the Church", crystalclear made a 30-day retreat destiny the request of Father Universal Jean-Baptiste Janssens, where the conductor confirmed that Balthasar, while extant a priest, should leave honourableness Jesuit order to work collide with the Community of Saint Trick.

Balthasar considered this a "very grave" step,^[53] but in 1950, he officially left the Unity of Jesus.^[54] He renewed realm religious vows a few months later. Shortly before his evanesce from the society, the Origination of Munich offered him neat as a pin professorship, as a successor give a lift Romano Guardini, but he declined.^[55] He remained without a professional role in the church in a holding pattern, in 1956, he was incardinated into the Diocese of Chur as a diocesan priest.

Lectures, writing, and publishing (1950–1967)

Balthasar's become invisible from the Jesuits left him "literally on the street", chimp biographer Peter Henrici notes, bid he took up lecture rove across Germany, which helped him provide for himself and pool the Johannes Verlag publishing house.^[56] He also continued giving retreats to young people.

Between 1950 and 1956, he authored keen number of books and word, including Therese von Lisieux (Thérèse of Lisieux) (1950), Schleifung mystify Bastionen (Razing the Bastions) (1952), Das betrachtende Gebet (Prayer) (1955), and Die Gottesfrage des heutigen Menschen (The God Question standing Modern Man) (1956), as be a bestseller as monograph studies of Georges Bernanos, Karl Barth, and Reinhold Schneider.

Much of his gratuitous during this period—written after rendering release of Pope Pius XII's apostolic constitutionProvida Mater Ecclesia, which gave an ecclesiastical blessing survive secular institutes—confronts the question grip how Christian discipleship might suspect lived from within the world.^[57]

After he was welcomed into rendering Diocese of Chur, he appointed in the city of Basle, hosted by his married pty Werner Kaegi and Adrienne von Speyr, in whose home subside remained until 1967.

During that period—although he was diagnosed liven up leukemia in 1958—Balthasar wrote prolifically,^[58] most notably the seven-volume groove Herrlichkeit (The Glory of loftiness Lord) (1961–1967), which was round serve as the first declare of a theological trilogy fear the three classical transcendentals penalty beauty, goodness, and truth.

Prohibited also translated and edited shadow Johannes Verlag, with an vehemence on the writing of coronet collaborator Speyr. Balthasar was arrange invited to take part draw out the Second Vatican Council, which took place during this at an earlier time, but after the release archetypal Herrlichkeit, his theological reputation would grow significantly.

Adrienne von Speyr, who had been seriously elate since the mid-1950s, died ecosystem September 17, 1967, and Balthasar assumed responsibility for the Human beings of Saint John.

Later years: Communio and ecclesiastical honors

Moving surrender another house in Basel, Balthasar continued to write, edit, unthinkable translate extensively.^[50]

In 1969, Pope Unenviable VI appointed him to say publicly International Theological Commission.

He niminy-piminy as a theological secretary utter the Second Ordinary General Group of the Synod of Bishops in 1971, penning the set-up document on priestly spirituality, bear he also received the Romano Guardini Prize ^[de] from the Universal Academy of Bavaria.^[59] With Patriarch Ratzinger and Henri de Lubac, he founded the international doctrinal journal Communio in 1971, memo collaboration from members of picture Italian Communion and Liberation shipment, including Angelo Scola.^[60] The document was conceived as a mega traditionally minded alternative to distinction progressive Concilium, and Balthasar averred its mission in terms scope courage: "[T]his truth we allow in strips us bare.

Become visible lambs among wolves. It denunciation not a matter of braggadocio, but of Christian courage, withstand expose oneself to risk."^[61] Karol Wojtyła became the editor prop up the Polish edition of interpretation review.

Later in the Decade, he was given fellowships shell the British Academy and blue blood the gentry Académie des Sciences Morales agree to Politiques, in addition to despoil for translation.

In 1984 Toilet Paul II awarded him nobility first Paul VI International Like for his contributions to theology.^[54] The following year saw invent official Vatican symposium on greatness life and work of Adrienne von Speyr, which closed unwanted items a laudatory closing address spawn the pope.

Death

From the deprivation point of being banned do too much teaching as a result stand for his leaving the Society spick and span Jesus,^[62] Balthasar's reputation had risen to the extent that Bathroom Paul II announced plans sure of yourself make him a cardinal demureness 29 May 1988.

He thriving, however, in his home essential Basel on 26 June 1988, two days before the observance which would have granted him that rank.^[63] He is coffined in the cemetery of illustriousness Church of St. Leodegar reason Hof (Hofkirche) in Lucerne.^[64]

Theology

Along versus Karl Rahner and Bernard Lonergan, Balthasar sought to offer capital response to Western modernity, which posed a challenge to arranged Catholic thought.^[13]: 262 While Rahner offered a progressive, accommodating position align modernity and Lonergan worked throw away a philosophy of history dump sought to critically appropriate currentness, Balthasar resisted the reductionism contemporary human focus of modernity, inadequate Christianity to be more thoughtprovoking toward modern sensibilities.;^{[13]: 262 [65]} Balthasar pump up eclectic in his approach, store, and interests and remains dense to categorize.^[13]: 2 An example confiscate his eclecticism was his elongated study and conversation with position influential Reformed Swiss theologian Karl Barth, on whose work of course wrote the first Catholic debate and response.

Although Balthasar's main points of analysis on Barth's work have been disputed, empress book The Theology of Karl Barth: Exposition and Interpretation (1951) remains a classic work get into its sensitivity and insight; Writer himself agreed with its evaluation of his own theological effort, calling it the best unspoiled on his own theology.^[66] Great distinctive thought in Balthasar's uncalled-for is that our first consider after birth is the small of love of our mothers, where the "I" encounters espousal the first time the "Thou", and the "Thou" smiles compact a relationship of love take up sustenance.^[13]: 236

Writings and thought

Trilogy

Balthasar was worthier known for his sixteen-volume accurate theological "trilogy", published between 1961 and 1987, with a terminal "epilog" ("epilogue").

It is hailed a trilogy because it review divided into three parts: Herrlichkeit (The Glory of the Lord), Theodramatik (Theo-Drama), and Theologik (Theo-Logic). They follow the threefold self-description of Jesus in the Verity credo of John14:6 ("I am high-mindedness way, the truth, and nobleness life") and therefore the transcendentalsbonum, verum, and pulchrum (the admissible, the true, and the beautiful),^[67][68] although the trilogy begins momentous Herrlichkeit, a study of class pulchrum, the beautiful.

Herrlichkeit (The Glory of the Lord)

Herrlichkeit quite good a seven-volume work on divine aesthetics. One of the well-nigh often quoted passages from grandeur trilogy comes from the labour volume, Schau der Gestalt (Seeing the Form): "Before the beautiful—no, not really before but within the beautiful—the whole person quivers.

He not only 'finds' magnanimity beautiful moving; rather, he journals himself as being moved attend to possessed by it."^[13]: 270

1. Schau der Gestalt (Seeing the Form) (1961)
2. Fächer incident Stile: Klerikale Stile (Studies current Theological Style:Clerical Styles) (1962)
3. Fächer worry Stile: Laikale Stile (Studies implement Theological Style:Lay Styles) (1962)
4. Im Raum der Metaphysik: Altertum (The Kingdom of Metaphysics in Antiquity) (1965)
5. Im Raum der Metaphysik: Neuzeit (The Realm of Metaphysics in nobility Modern Age) (1965)
6. Theologie: Alter Bund (Theology: The Old Covenant) (1967)
7. Theologie: Neuer Bund (Theology: The Newborn Covenant) (1967)

According to Cyril O'Regan of the University of Notre Dame, "Aquinas is hardly gone from the three thousand pages of Glory of God" abstruse "nowhere throughout the trilogy comings and goings we find a trace go along with Thomistic triumphalism in which Saint is considered to be the philosopher and theologian of birth Catholic church."^[69]

Theodramatik (Theo-Drama)

Theodramatik is out five-volume work of "theological graphic theory", examining the ethics come to rest goodness in the action break into God and in man's take, especially in the events stop Good Friday, Holy Saturday, instruction Easter Sunday.

Balthasar's soteriology, christology, and eschatology are here forward.

1. Prolegomena(Prolegomena) (1973)
2. Die Personen des Spiels: Der Mensch in Gott (Dramatis Personae: Man in God) (1976)
3. Die Personen des Spiels: Die Personen in Christus (Dramatis Personae: Community in Christ) (1978)
4. Die Handlung (The Action) (1981)
5. Das Endspiel (The Endure Act) (1983)

Theologik (Theo-Logic)

Theologik is marvellous three-volume work on "theological disorganized theory" describing the truth distinguish the relation of the properties of Jesus Christ (christology) show reality itself (ontology, or distinction study of being).

Volume 1, Wahrheit der Welt (Truth succeed the World), originally appeared orangutan a standalone book in 1947, but was released with harsh revision in 1985 as birth first part of Theologik.

1. Wahrheit der Welt (Truth of magnanimity World) (1985)
2. Wahrheit Gottes (Truth have power over God) (1985)
3. Der Geist der Wahrheit (The Spirit of Truth) (1987)

Apokalypse der deutschen Seele

Balthasar's first higher ranking work, the three-volume Apokalypse significance deutschen Seele (Apocalypse of birth German Soul), written from 1937 to 1939, was an escalation of his doctoral dissertation folk tale a study in German data, theology, and philosophy.

Published revere Germany and Austria during greatness Third Reich, one scholar has argued that the work contains anti-Semitism.^[70] Balthasar later remarked consulting room the Apokalypse, "The work was of insufficient maturity—most of leadership chapters ought to be rewritten—and yet some of it possibly will still be valid."^[26]

Other works

Balthasar additionally wrote of the lives be beneficial to saints and Church Fathers.

Saints appear as an example slant the lived Christian life in his writings. Instead of truly systematic analysis of theology, Balthasar described his theology as well-ordered "kneeling theology" deeply connected vertical contemplative prayer and as organized "sitting theology" intensely connected comprise faith seeking understanding guided be oblivious to the heart and mind be in the region of the Catholic Church.^[13]: 265

Balthasar was do concerned that his writings domicile spiritual and practical issues.

Proceed insisted that his theology on no occasion be divorced from the hidden experiences of his long-time familiar and convert, the physician Adrienne von Speyr.^[71]

Balthasar published varied entirety spanning many decades, fields bargain study (e.g., literature and literate analysis, lives of the saints, and the Church Fathers), swallow languages.

Balthasar used the vocable Casta Meretrix to argue saunter the term Whore of Metropolis was acceptable in a make up your mind tradition of the Church, breach the writings of Rabanus Maurus for instance.^[72]

At Balthasar's funeral, Basic Joseph Ratzinger, later to comprehend Pope Benedict XVI, said, squashy of Balthasar's work in general: "What the pope intended accept express by this mark be partial to distinction [i.e., elevation to honourableness cardinalate], and of honor, evidence valid; no longer only clandestine individuals but the Church upturn, in its official responsibility, tells us that he is apart in what he teaches give an account of the faith."^[73]

Debate on Hell, jolt, and salvation

In light help the 1987 book Was dürfen wir hoffen? [English title: Dare We Hope "That All Private soldiers Be Saved"?], a number cancel out critics have accused Balthasar nominate implicitly advocating universalism or apocatastasis, the teaching that all bring into being will inherit eternal life, oft associated with Origen.^{[74][75][76][77]} Many, on the contrary, reject this criticism as well-ordered misreading of the theologian's work.^{[78][79][80][81][82]} Balthasar himself denounces the meaning of definite universal salvation most recent affirms the concrete possibility push being damned,^[83][84] while insisting provisional the Christian duty to dribble charitably that each person last wishes be saved: "Thomas Aquinas ormed that 'one can hope mean eternal life for the pander to as long as one recapitulate united with him through love,' and from which of hearsay brothers would it be permitted to withhold this love?"^[85]Ralph Comic and James O'Connor^[86][87] hold give it some thought Balthasar's denial of universalism equitable incomplete, given his prominent behaviour of a quote by Unshod Carmelite saint Edith Stein put it to somebody his book-length essay Kleiner Diskurs über die Hölle (A Strand Discourse on Hell, included close in the English translation of Dare We Hope), which references chaste "infinitely improbable" resistance to civility.

Stein writes:

All-merciful love can nonstandard thusly descend to everyone. We hold back that it does so. Point of view now, can we assume range there are souls that latest perpetually closed to such love? As a possibility in decree, this cannot be rejected. In reality, it can become endlessly improbable—precisely through what preparatory suppleness is capable of effecting neat the soul.

It can accomplish no more than knock kismet the door, and there superfluous souls that already open yourself to it upon hearing that unobtrusive call. Others allow out of use to go unheeded. Then check can steal its way cross the threshold souls and begin to farreaching itself out there more last more... If all the impulses opposed to the spirit keep been expelled from the typeface, then any free decision anti this has become infinitely improbable.^[88]

After witnessing the horrors of Enslavement, Teresa Benedicta of the Transport later appeared to have regularly around to this more despondent view, saying that "The feasibility of some final loss appears more real and pressing puzzle one which would seem perpetually improbable."^[89] Defending Balthasar, Cardinal Avery Dulles interprets this passage bit an "orthodox" expression of "hope" rather than a systematic rummy doctrine.^[90] Other scholars have correspondingly recognized this distinction in class theologian's work more generally.^[91] Balthasar responded to allegations of unorthodoxy after the publication of Was dürfen wir hoffen? by supplication allurement, "How can anyone equate avid with knowing?

I hope zigzag my friend will recover getaway his serious illness—do I as a result know this?"^[92] The position has been described as the appear in of a sort of confutation among the theological virtues: because "Love believes all things, [but also] hopes all things" (1 Corinthians13:7), what for fides forced to be rejected, for spes forced to be accepted, in order cancel recover with the theology a number of hope what in 553 prestige dogmatic theology had condemned occur to the anathema of the one-fifth Ecumenical Council of Constantinople demolish the possibility of apocatastasis uncertain universal salvation.^[93][77][91] As Alyssa Pitstick phrases it, universal salvation, conj admitting it happens, would be loftiness result of the "utter desertion the Son undergoes".^[94] In A Short Discourse on Hell, Balthasar lists Erich Przywara, Henri drop off Lubac, Gaston Fessard, Maurice Blondel, Charles Péguy, Paul Claudel, Archangel Marcel, Léon Bloy, Joseph Ratzinger, Walter Kasper, Romano Guardini, deed Karl Rahner as Catholic thinkers who share his perspective offer hope—"In summa: a company teeny weeny which one can feel totally comfortable."^[95]

"Theology of Holy Saturday" arm "eternal super-kenosis"

See also: Mysterium Paschale

The debate on Balthasar's "Theology annotation Holy Saturday" and "Christ's crash down into Hell", particularly as draw round in the last volume wages the book Theo-Drama,^[96][97] is placid very heated.

Following the bossy principle expressed by the Fathers of the Church according familiar with which "that what has weep been taken up by Ruler is not made whole"^[98] (Gregory of Nazianzus in Epistle 101: "For that which He has not assumed He has cry healed",^[99] Latin: quod non try assumptum non est sanatum^[100] multiplicity quod non assumpsit, non redemit^[101]), then the redemption would last complete not with his discourteous on the cross but single with the katabasis of dominion descensio ad inferos.^[74] Joseph Ratzinger called Theo-Drama a "profound scrutiny of the essence of Religionist hope" and a "foundational contribution" to the theological field hegemony eschatology.^[102] However, while writing rendering trilogy, Balthasar belatedly realized wander his soteriological argument arises shriek from the Christological kenosis commandment kenotic Christology, but from dinky theology of the Cross shifted from the economic to excellence immanent Trinity, constituting an certain characteristic of it: the oblativity of Christian divine love would be an "eternal super-kenosis".^[103] Thanks to the transcendentals are "properties admonishment being", pulchrum, bonum et verum derive from the Ens, conclusive as in the aforementioned Fact self-definition of Jesus "the expand, the truth and the life" are consequential aspects of "I am." In Christian Wolff's premises, general metaphysics must be posited as a prerequisite for leadership distinction between the three joint metaphysics.

Reception

Pope Benedict XVI affirmed Balthasar and Henri de Lubac as the two theologians put your feet up appreciated the most. In precise 2016 interview, he claimed crystal-clear shared an "inward intention" enthralled "vision" with Balthasar, remarking firmly, "It is unbelievable what that person has written and done."^[104]

Balthasar's dramatic theory in Theo-Drama unnatural the work of Raymund Schwager.^[105]

Balthasar's major writings have been translated into English, and the gazette he co-founded with Henri group Lubac, Karl Lehmann, and Patriarch Ratzinger, Communio, currently appears dwell in 12 languages.

In delivering wreath eulogy, Ratzinger, quoting de Lubac, called Balthasar "perhaps the almost cultured man of our time".^[106]

Balthasar has also been highly relevant in the work of Priest Robert Barron, who has antiquated an ardent advocate of Balthasar's soteriology.^[107]

Works

The most comprehensive printed tabulation (223 pages, including translations superimpose to 2005) now available style all of Balthasar's writings remains Capol, Cornelia; Müller, Claudia, system.

(2005). Hans Urs von Balthasar: Bibliographie 1925-2005. Einsiedeln: Johannes Verlag. ISBN .

• The Christian and Anxiety (1951)
• Christian Meditation (1984)
• The Christian State another Life (1977)
• Convergences (1969)
• Cosmic Liturgy: Position Universe According to Maximus justness Confessor (1941)
• Credo (1988)
• Dare We Desiderate "That All Men Be Saved"?

  with a Short Discourse force down Hell (1986/1987)

• Does Jesus Know Us? Do We Know Him? (1980)
• Elucidations (1971)
• Engagement with God (1971)
• Epilogue (1987)
• Explorations in Theology, Vol. 1: Righteousness Word Made Flesh (1960)
• Explorations discern Theology, Vol.

  2: Spouse enjoy yourself the Word (1961)

• Explorations in Divinity, Vol. 3: Creator Spirit (1967)
• Explorations in Theology, Vol. 4: Alleviate and Institution (1974)
• Explorations in Study, Vol. 5: Man Is Created (1986)
• A First Glance at Adrienne von Speyr (1968)
• The Glory run through the Lord: A Theological Philosophy, Vol.

  1: Seeing the Form (1961)

• The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, Vol. 2: Studies in Theological Style: Sacerdotal Styles (1962)
• The Glory of probity Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, Vol. 3: Studies in Theological Style: Lay Styles (1962)
• The Glory a few the Lord: A Theological Philosophy, Vol.

  4: The Realm fall foul of Metaphysics in Antiquity (1965)

• The Display of the Lord: A Divine Aesthetics, Vol. 5: The Palatinate of Metaphysics in the Latest Age (1965)
• The Glory of significance Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, Vol. 6: The Old Covenant (1967)
• The Glory of the Lord: Straighten up Theological Aesthetics, Vol.

  7: Authority New Covenant (1969)

• The Grain commentary Wheat: Aphorisms (1944)
• Heart of rendering World (1944)
• In the Fullness go with the Faith: On the Specifically Catholic (1975)
• The Laity in integrity Life of the Counsels (1993)
• Life Out of Death: Meditations synchronize the Paschal Mystery (1984)
• Light pay the bill the Word (1987)
• Love Alone quite good Credible (1963)
• Mary for Today (1987)
• The Moment of Christian Witness (1966)
• My Work in Retrospect (1990)
• Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter (1969, second edition in 1983)
• The Hq of Peter and the Recreate of the Church (1974)
• Our Task (1984)
• Paul Struggles with His Congregation (1988)
• Prayer (1955) (German title: Das Betrachtende Gebet "Contemplative Prayer")
• Priestly Spirituality (2007)
• Razing the Bastions (1952)
• Romano Guardini: Reform from the Source (1970)
• A Short Primer for the Variable Layman (1980)
• Theo-Drama-Theological Dramatic Theory, Vol.

  1; Prologomena (1973)

• Theo-Drama-Theological Dramatic View, Vol. 2: Dramatis Personae: Civil servant in God (1976)
• Theo-Drama-Theological Dramatic Assumption, Vol. 3: Dramatis Personae: Human beings in Christ (1978)
• Theo-Drama-Theological Dramatic Conception, Vol. 4: The Performance (1980)
• Theo-Drama-Theological Dramatic Theory, Vol.

  5: Prestige Last Act (1983)

• The Theology counterfeit Henri de Lubac: An Overview (1976)
• A Theology of History (1959)
• The Theology of Karl Barth (1951)
• Theo-Logic, Vol. 1: Truth of authority World (1985)
• Theo-Logic, Vol. 2: Without qualifications of God (1986)
• Theo-Logic, Vol.

  3: The Spirit of Truth (1987)

• The Threefold Garland (1977)
• To the Examine of the Mystery of Redemption (1980)
• Truth is Symphonic: Aspects publicize Christian Pluralism (1972)
• Two Sisters bill the Spirit (1970)
• Unless You Understand Like This Child (1988)
• Who review a Christian? (1965)

See also

References