A Symphony of Distances

A Symphony of Distances PDF Author: Christopher M. Hadley, SJ
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 0813235405
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
The two-fold task of A Symphony of Distances is to provide an overview of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s use of distance imagery with regard to personal distinctions in the Holy Trinity and to offer a critical analysis of him as a modern Catholic theologian. A metaphor of “distance” integrates all of Balthasar’s theological thought as a primary cipher for the many symbols through which he reads the Christian theological tradition in a trinitarian and eschatological mode. The book follows a chronological, four-stage development of Balthasar’s trinitarianism through the lens of this distance metaphor as it occurs across representative texts. The critical analysis employs the conceit of a symphony of four musical movements that correspond to four varieties of theological distance. These distances show certain correspondences of God’s creation and redemption of the world—marked by the first two “distances”—with the relations of the divine persons to each other in the economy of salvation and in the eternal Trinity itself—marked by the third and fourth distances. “Listening” to the four movements of Balthasar’s theological distances enables his readers to “hear” the themes of all four movements in the ascending order of richness, complexity, and inclusivity over the long development of his thought. This fundamentally positive approach of A Symphony of Distances allows for a thorough critique of the internal consistency of Balthasar’s applied method, of the controversial use of gendered trinitarian notions in his speculations on divine pathos, and of his adequacy to the tasks of modern theology. The final judgment is that Balthasar’s theology of distance can be accepted, with reservations, as a positive element of his contribution to contemporary trinitarian theology. The book can thus serve as a critical reference for readers who find Balthasar’s notion of trinitarian distance, and indeed his trinitarianism as a whole, to be compelling, confusing, or frustrating.

A Symphony of Distances

A Symphony of Distances PDF Author: Christopher M. Hadley, SJ
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 0813235405
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Get Book

Book Description
The two-fold task of A Symphony of Distances is to provide an overview of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s use of distance imagery with regard to personal distinctions in the Holy Trinity and to offer a critical analysis of him as a modern Catholic theologian. A metaphor of “distance” integrates all of Balthasar’s theological thought as a primary cipher for the many symbols through which he reads the Christian theological tradition in a trinitarian and eschatological mode. The book follows a chronological, four-stage development of Balthasar’s trinitarianism through the lens of this distance metaphor as it occurs across representative texts. The critical analysis employs the conceit of a symphony of four musical movements that correspond to four varieties of theological distance. These distances show certain correspondences of God’s creation and redemption of the world—marked by the first two “distances”—with the relations of the divine persons to each other in the economy of salvation and in the eternal Trinity itself—marked by the third and fourth distances. “Listening” to the four movements of Balthasar’s theological distances enables his readers to “hear” the themes of all four movements in the ascending order of richness, complexity, and inclusivity over the long development of his thought. This fundamentally positive approach of A Symphony of Distances allows for a thorough critique of the internal consistency of Balthasar’s applied method, of the controversial use of gendered trinitarian notions in his speculations on divine pathos, and of his adequacy to the tasks of modern theology. The final judgment is that Balthasar’s theology of distance can be accepted, with reservations, as a positive element of his contribution to contemporary trinitarian theology. The book can thus serve as a critical reference for readers who find Balthasar’s notion of trinitarian distance, and indeed his trinitarianism as a whole, to be compelling, confusing, or frustrating.

The Sacrament of Confession as a

The Sacrament of Confession as a PDF Author: William Schmitt
Publisher: Universal-Publishers
ISBN: 1581121385
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
Adrienne von Speyr in her book "Confession" and throughout her writings speaks of the "confession" of Jesus Christ. This is a startling use of the term because Christ never sinned. The author examines all the writings of von Speyr in the light of Roman Catholic soteriology and sacramental theology and in view of the influences that existed between her and Hans Urs von Balthasar. The author then shows how the theme of confession is central to von Speyr's writing, aids in illuminating her theology of Holy Saturday and the Paschal Mystery, and serves as the basis for the renewal of the sacrament of confession.

Balthasar and Prayer

Balthasar and Prayer PDF Author: Travis LaCouter
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567701905
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
This study renders an original and constructive Catholic theology of prayer drawing on the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988). Travis LaCouter explores the trinitarian, Christological, ecclesial, anthropological, and eschatological dimensions of prayer in Balthasar's theology, and shows how these combine to give a powerful account of prayer's proper theological scope and purpose. There is also a critical dimension of prayer which is arguably underdeveloped in some of Balthasar's key texts, but which LaCouter shows to have significant dialogical potential with contemporary accounts of parrhesia since Foucault. This approach demonstrates the centrality of prayer to Balthasar's entire theological system and does so in a way which itself constitutes an exercise in Catholic systematics. This study is also distinctive for establishing a method of proceeding through Balthasar's sprawling oeuvre (and the similarly vast secondary literature) by arguing for three “categories” of texts in Balthasar's writings and, separately, three “waves” of Balthasar readers. Thus, this study is a resource not just for those interested in prayer but for anyone interested in reading Balthasar today.

Hans Urs Von Balthasar and the Dramatic Structure of Truth

Hans Urs Von Balthasar and the Dramatic Structure of Truth PDF Author: D. C. Schindler
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
ISBN: 9780823223213
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 482

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Book Description
"This book should go a long way in establishing Balthasar as an essential voice in contemporary conversations among philosophers and theologians, especially in light of postmodern debates about the end of metaphysics and of "overcoming ontotheology."" "Schindler not only demonstrates the fundamental connections between Balthasar and the wider philosophical project of this century; he also demonstrates the continuing power of Balthasar's theology - as a human encounter with the glory of God - to shape culture and community."--BOOK JACKET.

Wrestling with Angels

Wrestling with Angels PDF Author: Rowan William
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802827268
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
Wrestling with Angels gathers writings by Rowan Williams, spanning the years 1980-2000. It focuses on his engagement with a range of modern theologians and philosophers - Hegel, Wittgenstein, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Balthasar, Simone Weil, Marilyn McCord Adams, and more. Key themes explored in this volume include negative theology, postmodernity, violence, innocence, divine action, and the nature of historical development in theology.--From publisher's description.

The Analogy of Beauty

The Analogy of Beauty PDF Author: John Riches
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 9780567093516
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
Examines the whole range of von Balthasar's theology and provides a clear introduction to his work.

The Eschatology of Hans Urs Von Balthasar

The Eschatology of Hans Urs Von Balthasar PDF Author: Nicholas J. Healy
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 0199278369
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
A helpful guide to the writings of perhaps the greatest Catholic theologian of the twentieth century. Healy shows how for Balthasar the ultimate form of 'the end' is given in Christ's eucharistic and pneumatic gift of himself - a gift that simultaneously lays bare the mystery of God's trinitarian life and enables Christ to return to the Father in communion with the whole of creation.

Balthasar and Anxiety

Balthasar and Anxiety PDF Author: John R. Cihak
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567628175
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
This study offers a theological response to the problem of anxiety from the point of view of Hans Urs von Balthasar. It is a systematic presentation, analysis and development of Balthasar's original theology of anxiety found in his only work on the subject, Der Christ und die Angst. The study takes a thematic approach based upon the four types of analysis found in Der Christ und die Angst: phenomenological, anthropological, theological and ecclesial. These four approaches to the topic correspond to the phenomenon, origins, redemption and transformation of anxiety. Through this thematic approach, Balthasar's thought is examined in relation to some of the important figures on anxiety. The phenomenon of anxiety is presented in relation to modern psychiatry. The examination of anxiety's origins places him in dialogue with Kierkegaard on anxiety from discursive reasoning and Freud on anxiety from ego-consciousness. The redemption of anxiety places Balthasar in relation to Aquinas in order to clarify Balthasar's interpretation and to show its significance in the theological tradition. The transformation of anxiety places our author in dialogue with Luther on the shape of anxiety in the Christian life. The final chapter begins to unravel the construct of anxiety, with a brief exploration of how it is transformed in the Church according to Balthasar, something he had never explicitly developed. The influence of Bernanos on Balthasar's thought is felt throughout the study. The entire study is framed by the two Gardens wherein transpire the most significant events concerning anxiety for Balthasar: the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane.

A Trinitarian Anthropology

A Trinitarian Anthropology PDF Author: Michele M. Schumacher
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 081322697X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 470

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Book Description
"Schumacker systematically exposits the Trinitarian theological anthropology of von Speyr, as it emerges through her vast corpus, in parallel with a development of the same theme in Balthasar's work. ... Finally, the volume exposits Aquinas's own doctrine on theological discourse, in view of initiating a dialogue wiwth his disciples." -- publisher's description.

One of the Trinity Has Suffered: Balthasar’s Theology of Divine Suffering in Dialogue

One of the Trinity Has Suffered: Balthasar’s Theology of Divine Suffering in Dialogue PDF Author: Joshua R. Brotherton
Publisher: Emmaus Academic
ISBN: 194901360X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description
Hans Urs von Balthasar’s discourse on the descent of Christ into hell and its implications for the Triune God have been disputed for half a century. One of the Trinity has Suffered evaluates and revises von Balthasar’s theology of divine suffering in a way that interacts with and significantly enriches contemporary Catholic theology. In this book, Joshua R. Brotherton engages twentieth-century Thomistic theology, as well as the thought of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) and Pope St. John Paul II. Drawing from the vast secondary literature on von Balthasar, Brotherton offers a balanced assessment of his work on the topic of divine suffering, both critical and appreciative. Recognizing von Balthasar’s laudable attempt to integrate mystical spirituality and systematic theology, Brotherton seeks to distinguish valid insights from confused mixtures of metaphorical, meta-symbolic, and philosophical (metaphysical) discourse on God, particularly with respect to the classical problem of how the Creator who willed to become incarnate may be said to suffer. Truly, “One of the Trinity has suffered,” and yet this mystery of faith must be carefully explained and understood in conformity with sustained Catholic reflection on divine immutability and simplicity, the dual nature and unique personhood of Christ, the Trinity of divine subsistent relations, the freedom of God in creating and becoming man, the analogy of being, the problem of evil, and the immensity and infinite value of Christ’s redemptive suffering.