Finally, the author suggests that balthasars attempt to revive accounts of god as beautiful. This kenotic pathway to agency is placed in contrast to balthasar s concept of original sin as an attempt by humanity to achieve agency on their. Barron and word on fire commenting on subjects from modern day culture. He studied in vienna, berlin, and zurich, and completed his doctorate in german literature in 1928.
Writing over 100 books and articles, he was devoted to addressing spiritual and practical issues of his time and resisted reductionism and the human focus of modernity, wanting christians to challenge modern and philosophical assumptions. It is the purpose of this article to introduce some of the themes of balthasars work. Uncommonly good collectible and rare books from uncommonly good booksellers. Theologic is a variation of theology, it being about not so much what man says about god, but what god speaks about himself. He grew up in the faith, with a pious mother who, he writes, day by day went to mass down the steep path from our house. At the end of his long and productive life, the swiss theologian was chosen by john paul ii to become a cardinal, and benedict xvi then cardinal ratzinger preached his funeral homily. Get youtube premium get youtube tv best of youtube music sports gaming movies. This blessedness of poverty is manifested in the eucharist at the heart of the church and thus in the whole of ecclesial life. The testament of a great theologian on something which is most personal and interior, contemplative. Barron and word on fire commenting on subjects from. Incredibly prolific and diverse, he wrote over 100 books and hundreds of articles.
From the persons of the trinity through the incarnation to the church and the very structure of the human person, this book is a powerful synthesis of what prayer is and how to pray. This is perhaps the best and most comprehensive book on prayer ever written. Balthasar was educated in benedictine and jesuit secondary schools and went on to study in vienna, berlin, and zurich. Balthasar argues that hell is a real possibility, however, there is good reason to hope that in the end, all people may be saved. It is quite clear that anyone who practices theology as a member of the church must profess the churchs creed and the theology implicit in it, both formally and materially. People need to recognize the incomparable, the unique character of the gospel an excerpt from a 1986 interview with fr.
To get a sense of balthasars view of the afterlife, it is imperative first to recognize the rejection of popular theologian, st. Along with karl rahner, balthasar is one of the most important roman catholic theologians of the 20th century. What you are is gods gift to you, what you become is your gift to god. Interview to erwin koller in 1984 more information. Historical contexts and intellectual formation 2015 j. Named a cardinal by pope john paul ii, he died shortly before being formally inducted into the college of cardinals. Estudio germanistica y filosofia en viena, berlin y zurich 19231929 y filosofia y teologia en lyon y pullach 19291938. Article information, pdf download for divine roominess. He was also the spiritual leader of a religious community in basel, switzerland. As a young man, he had considered a career in music or literature, and he was an accomplished pianist. Mar 28, 2016 the testament of a great theologian on something which is most personal and interior, contemplative prayer.
The stress of covid19 forms a fonder catholic heart. That all men may be saved with a short discourse on hell, is an excellent introduction into the question universal salvation. His faithvision advocates the whole instead of the part, the synthetic rather than the analytic. Not from the vatican, but from theologians of all sorts. This dissertation argues that balthasar views kenotic spiritual practice as the pathway to achieve true human agency. A place where insights from, and about, the greatest theologian of the 20th century sorry, barthians.
He wrote over one hundred books, including prayer, heart of the world, mary for today, love alone is credible. Karen kilby on balthasar 1 on youtube and 2 on youtube balthasars method of divine. The award in 1987 of the wolfgang amadeus mozart prize in innsbruck was the rounding off of a life whose secret passion had been music. He fondly remembered quiet, deeply moving early masses on my own in the choir of the franciscan church in lucerne.