Hans Urs Von Balthasar
| Hans Urs von Balthasar | |
|---|---|
| Biography | |
| Birth | 12 August 1905 in Lucerne ( Switzerland ) |
| Deaths | 26 June 1988 in Basel ( Switzerland ) |
| Priestly Ordination | 26 June 1939 |
| Cardinal of the Catholic Church | |
| Created cardinal | died two days before the consistory |
| Title | Cardinal-deacon appointed S. Nicola in Carcere |
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| (In) Record at catholic-hierarchy.org | |
change  | |
Hans Urs von Balthasar, born in Lucerne on 12 August 1905 and died in Basel on 26 June 1988 , is a theologian Catholic Swiss , language German. It is considered one of the greatest theologians of our time. The cardinal Henri de Lubac and Joseph Ratzinger, considered him "the most cultivated man of the twentieth century." For the philosopher and theologian Tilliette Xavier , "his books are the Summa Theologica of the century, even in the face of Karl Barth and Karl Rahner Biography
Born into a Catholic family of Swiss German Lucerne in Switzerland , Hans Urs von Balthasar was educated in a school Benedictine and then in the Society of Jesus , the college Stella Matutina in Feldkirch. He studied philosophy and literature in Vienna and Berlin.
In 1927 , he made a religious retreat in Basel , where he feels called by God. In October 1928 , he obtained his doctorate at the Protestant university of Zurich on the topic History of the problem eschatological in modern German literature. Beginning in November, he began his novitiate in the Society of Jesus. He then studied scholastic philosophy and theology for several years. He meets other students like Jean Danielou , as well as teachers as theologians Henri de Lubac , who shows him the importance of the Church Fathers , or the philosopher Erich Przywara , who introduced him to Hegel , Max Scheler , and Heidegger.
Hans Urs von Balthasar was ordained priest in July 1936. He refused a post at the Pontifical Gregorian University (Gregorian), in Rome , and settled in Basel. He lectures and befriended with the theologian Protestant Karl Barth , with whom he shares a passion for Mozart. It is indeed an excellent pianist and a musician of quality. He founded a secular institute, the Community of St. John, with the Protestant mystic Adrienne von Speyr , he converted to Catholicism and where he became confessor and spiritual director.
At that time, its difficulties are piling up: his father dies, her mother falls seriously ill, as his mentor Erich Przywara. In addition, Adrienne von Speyr has visions, for which Catholic churches and luthriennees in 1947 and 1949 , prefer to distance. The Society of Jesus rather not assume responsibility for the Institut Saint-Jean, and the "new theology" of Henri de Lubac , whom he is close, is the subject of much criticism within the ecclesiastical Roman. In 1950 , Hans Urs von Balthasar left the Society of Jesus. He finds himself jobless and destitute. The Swiss Congregation for Catholic Education has banned institutes and universities.
He managed to live through lectures. While his health deteriorated, the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar is more and more followers. Although he is not invited to Vatican II , he received in 1984 , the Paul VI prize for theology , and in 1988 , was created cardinal by John Paul II on 26 June 1988 but died two days before the consistory where he was to receive the cardinal's ring and the bar.
Theological and Philosophical Thought
- The thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar is thinking organic, in which the shift in philosophy is necessary. Imbued with the Church Fathers and medieval theology, but also of German idealist philosophy with Hegel sensitive staining, Balthasar takes distances with a theology that opposes the faith revealed to reason (that of Karl Barth , with whom he maintain a long debate). But more profoundly, that Goethe and his aesthetic it chooses, against Kant and categories.
- The history of relations between philosophy and theology goes through four stages: (1) Greece in search of wisdom and truth in a figure completed, (2) The Patristic Greek philosophy that integrates into the exploding in Revelation and transcendence, (3) medieval philosophy, especially scholasticism of Thomas Aquinas, where grows the idea of the human capacity to achieve the divine naturally (with the risk of objectification of the divine grace that will lead to the reaction Protestant), (4) the modern time is divided into two streams with which philosophical theology must be integrated: one he calls the "ancient mediation" and seeks to regain the luster of being and to take over the old metaphysical (and does so especially Heidegger) and the other "turning the mind", which began with Descartes that will lead to German idealism and positivism. Theology wife every moment, looking sometimes the organic articulation, sometimes claim Confessional.
However, Urs von Balthasar does not accept an interpretation of his thought as a Christian philosophy. Philosophy should lead to the ultimate questions which face binding options.
- A key to reading the thoughts of Urs von Balthasar is one of the "Figure" (Gestalt) and its influence. The love of God in Christ is fully committed to the created, and even imperfect figures and special command respect. The divine light is not restricted to those who confess, the more it reveals itself through the figures of creation and history, even the most tragic-Glory and the Cross. From this point of view, he distanced himself from Hegel to whom the truth ultimately is experienced not only in the final moment of absolute spirit. The love of God is broader than self-understanding of the Spirit itself. That's why Urs von Balthasar has invested in a vast drama of God himself, the keystone of a theology which speak of art and theater.
One should not infer that the thought of Balthasar is a theological immanence. His analysis of the analogy of being, not supported on a logical approach, but rather about the freedom that determines the love in God and in the relationship between God and creature, the registrant in line spiritualists metaphysicians. From this point of view, the thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar is a successful balance between ancient and medieval metaphysics, and phenomenology today.
Notes
- Xavier Tilliette , Christ's philosophy , Cerf, 1990 11.
Works
The work of Hans Urs von Balthasar is immense and practically no equivalent in the twentieth century. Henri de Lubac told him he was perhaps the most cultivated man of his time. To get into his work, one can read the two books "love alone is credible" and "God and man today." His most impressive is his trilogy, which started on the right, beauty and truth, comes in 17 volumes between aesthetics (The Glory of the Cross), a drama (Drama Divine) and theology in particular the Holy Spirit (Theology).
List is not exhaustive.
- Apocalypse of the German soul (1937-1939)
- Presence and Thought. Essay on the religious philosophy of Gregory of Nyssa (1942)
- Cosmic Liturgy (1947)
- The Christian Bernanos (1954)
- The heart of the world (1956)
- Mystery word and Origen (1957)
- Ronchamp (preface to an album of photos), trans. Guerne Armel , Descle de Brouwer, 1958.
- The Glory of the Cross. Aesthetic aspects of Revelation, (1961-1969)
- Milestones (1973)
- The Divine Drama (1973-1983)
- Believers uncertain (1980)
- Faith of Christ, Cerf (1994)
- The truth is symphonic (2000)
Bibliography
- French Language
- Record and link to pdf file of the thesis: The theological language of evil and Hi in the trilogy of Hans Urs von Balthasar: a basis for reflection on the language of theology on the online catalog of libraries from the UCL
- Vincent Holzer, The Triune God in history: The theological dispute Balthasar Rahner, Paris, Cerf, 1995: a deepening of thought Trinitarian Balthasar
- German
- Otmar Meuffels: Einbergung Menschen in das Mysterium in der Liebe dreieinigen. Eine nach trinitarische Anthropology Hans Urs von Balthasar. Echter, Wrzburg 1991, ISBN 3-429-01391-7
- Elio Guerriero: Hans Urs von Balthasar. Eine Monographie. Johannes, Einsiedeln 1993, ISBN 3-89411-317-0
- Manfred Lochbrunner : Hans Urs von Balthasar als Author, Herausgeber und Verleger. Fnf Studien zu seinen Sammlungen (1942-1967). Echter, Wrzburg 2002, ISBN 3-429-02440-4
- Manfred Lochbrunner: Hans Urs von Balthasar und seine Philosophenfreunde. Fnf Doppelportrts. Echter, Wrzburg 2005, ISBN 3-429-02740-3
- Werner Lser: Kleine Hinfhrung zu Hans Urs von Balthasar. Herder, Freiburg 2005, ISBN 3-451-28781-1
- Hans Urs von Balthasar: Bibliography 1925-2005, neu bearbeitet und ergnzt von Cornelia und Claudia Mller Capol. Johannes, Einsiedeln 2005, ISBN 3-89411-029-5
- Sonderheft der Zeitschrift Communio ber Hans Urs von Balthasar. Schwabenverlag, Ostfildern 2005 (Heft 2), ( ISSN 1439-6165 )
- Walter Kasper (Hrsg.): Logik der Liebe Gottes und Herrlichkeit. Hans Urs von Balthasar im Gesprch. Festgabe fr Karl Kardinal Lehmann zum 70. Geburtstag. Matthias-Grnewald, Ostfildern 2006, ISBN 3-7867-2601-9
- Manfred Lochbrunner: Hans Urs von Balthasar und seine Literatenfreunde. Neun Korrespondenzen. Echter, Wrzburg 2007, ISBN 3-429-02913-9
- Italian
- Elio Guerriero, Hans Urs von Balthasar
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