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Theo-Drama: Theological Dramatic Theory : The Dramatis Personae : The Person in Christ (Balthasar, Hans Urs Von//Theo-Drama) (v. 3)

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This volume, volume III of "Theo-Drama", provides the centerpiece of the theological thought of the late Hans Urs von Balthasar. In its pages, he presents, using his concept of a "theological dramatic theory", his ecclesiology, his Christology, and his Mariology, all of which are intrinsically interconnected.

In a review of this sort, it is impossible to fully express the range of what this book covers (much less the totality of von Balthasar's thought). However, as a bit of a 'teaser', (to encourage the review reader toward the purchase of this book), I'll point out a couple of areas which were of great interest to me.

One area of interest was in von Balthasar's discussion of Christology. Unlike many systematicians who all too often assume that students of systematics already know history (a dangerous assumption, at best), von Balthasar locates his theological discussion of Christology from within the historical controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries.

Another area of interest was in his discussion of ecclesiology. In expounding his theology of "Church", von Balthasar develops his "Christological Constellation" (further expounded in "The Office of Peter and the Structure of the Church") based on the New Testament witness of Peter, James, John, Paul and Mary.

A third area of interest was in his discussion of Mariology, which he locates (following Vatican II) in his discussion of the Church. His presentation of Mary is at once theological and pious, without being overbearing. Of special interest in the Mariological section is his discussion of the role of woman vis a vis the role of man in the Divine Plan.

If you only read one volume of von Balthasar's theology, this would probably be the one to read. I heartily recommend this book.

This volume of work was spiritually groundbreaking for me in the area of Trinitarian spirituality.

In this volume, you may find especially engaging von Balthasar's theology of perichoresis where he asserts in a most profound way that there is a finite/infinite ontology for the finite being. That is, creator and creation are all swept-up together in a movement of self-possessive love driven by freedom and otherness. As one example, von Balthasar captures creation's ontology this way:

"Just as each Trinitarian hypostasis is infinite self-possession precisely through an infinite `going forth' into the other, so too the world is never more `worldly' than when is seeks its consummation through an obedient opening up to the divine Thou who called it into existence and who now addresses it. The `space' that opens up with the Trinitarian relations is not a void, an area of divine non-being - an essentially negative condition - but rather the strictly positive reality of the distance required for truly interpersonal communion. It is the mystery of the abyss of infinite love where there is never a `boundary' or a `limit', but an excessus and an ecstasy that can ground the reality of the world as `not God' in direct proportion to the depth of the world's incorporation into God."

Balthasar's theology of perichoresis posits that love is what is being given-over between the persons of the Trinity animated in divine freedom and otherness. As one example, von Balthasar captures perichoresis this way:

"God's nature, theologically speaking, shows itself to be "absolute love" (autocharis) by giving itself away and allowing others to be, for no other reason than that this (motiveless) giving is good and full in meaning - and hence is quite simply, beautiful and glorious'."