Hans Urs von Balthasar, born in Lucerne on 12th August 1905, is one of the magisterial figures of contemporary theology. Out of a creative encounter with the great minds whose religious and human vision has shaped our world, he has produced a rich body of work. In 112 representative texts, this book provides a comprehensive view of the key themes of von Balthasar's life and work. These characteristic texts also allow access to the fullness of faith itself. As the major section headings show, these selections touch on all the great themes that can occupy a person reflecting on the Christian faith: the human being, the church, life in faith and consummation. Introducing the reader is a 50-page "portrait" of von Balthasar which describes the personal encounters that have influenced him (Pryzwara, Barth, de Lubac, Adrienne von Speyr) and the chief aspects of his theological achievement.
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Editorial Reviews
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"His writing illustrates that theology can be elegant and inspiring without ceasing to be profound and erudite... a book to be pondered, savoured, and, one would hope, possessed.' Avery Dulless SJ 'Those who believe that Christian faith is "evangelical, catholic and reformed" will find a kindred spirit in Hans Urs von Balthasar. Here is a theologian who has not forgotten about sin and grace, the singularity of Jesus Christ, the sacramental life and eschatological hope. Yet these classic themes are thought through in fresh ways, with openness to contemporary sensibility.' Gabriel Fackre
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Language Notes
Text: English, German (translation)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Missed Opportunity,
This review is from: The Von Balthasar Reader (Paperback)
In its original German, this book filled an essential need among the reading public. Unfortunately, the English version hobbled itself with a clumsy translation, one that a general reader unfamiliar with the Tuetonic style of the translators will have trouble deciphering. Moreover, the translators also decided to drop several of the essays, under the pretext (in the 1980's!) that some of those essays would "soon" be appearing in English. But by now, that is true of almost all of the selections chosen in the Reader. And yet, the presence of essays and selections scattered all over the place is precisely the readon for a Reader in the first place! Now the publishers have brought out the book again, unchanged and still truncated and abridged. The introductory essay is worth reading, but the the reading public would be better advised to read some of Balthasar's own shorter works that summarize his thought rather than trying to make sense of this densely and woodenly translated Reader.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not worth the paper it's printed on,
By
This review is from: The Von Balthasar Reader (Hardcover)
Yes, this anthology is garbage. The previous reviews nailed it - the translations are awful, and the selections give at best a sketchy view of the man's thought. For a good introduction, you're better off reading Fr. Oakes' Pattern of Redemption and the three volumes by Aidan Nichols (The Word Has Been Abroad, No Bloodless Myth, and Say it is Pentecost) along with the essays in the four Explorations in Theology volumes and volume one of VB's Theo-Logic, The Truth of the World. Then, jump in and read The Glory of the Lord. Just remember, pace yourself and keep breathing...
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not a good introduction,
By
This review is from: The Von Balthasar Reader (Paperback)
It seems like that most readers who try to understand Balthasar might want to have a structural grasp of his aesthetic-dramatic-logic trilogy in his own words. However, the selections are presented in traditional Catholic categories of God, Jesus, Church etc. which usually cannot easily convey the main thrust of the theologian's project. I bought this book together with Edward Oakes' <Pattern of Redemption> and I found myself spending all my time reading Oakes' intro rather than this reader. This book is a complete disappointment for me.
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