The Glory of the Lord, vol. II: Clerical Styles
Overview
Henri de Lubac has described von Balthasar as “probably the most cultured man in Europe.” In this volume, von Balthasar shows the extraordinary range of his knowledge and expertise in a series of essays designed to illustrate different ways in which theologians have shared their work. What he offers is “a typology of the relationship between beauty and revelation” which shows “that there neither has been nor could be any true great and historically fruitful theology which was not expressly conceived and born under the constellation of beauty and grace.” The volume offers a series of studies of representative figures from the earlier period of Christian theology, including Irenaeus, Augustine, Denys, Anselm, and Bonventura.
With the Logos edition the reader has an abundance of resources that offer applicable and insightful material for their study. You can easily search the subject of theological aesthetics to access an assortment of useful resources and perspectives from a variety of pastors and theologians.
- Series of studies of representative figures from the earlier period of Christian theology
- Essays designed to illustrate different ways in which theologians have shared their work
Top Highlights
“Knowledge is primarily the reception of spiritual light from God (ellampsis); activity is primarily the giving back of this light in imitation of the God who goes out from himself and communicates himself.” (Page 197)
“Only through the mediation of an understanding spirit can the sensible symbols speak of God.” (Page 184)
“Nothing is more fundamental in Augustine than the hierarchical character of the primary intuition about being—even if the diversity of the levels is shown only by a comparison with the world. The point is not to establish an empty identity between being and thinking, nor an original ‘tension’ between subject and object; it is an attempt to find a place for the most fundamental order of being in the world within the original act of consciousness.” (Page 107)
“The ‘hymnic’ is therefore for Denys a methodology of theological thinking and speaking” (Page 160)
“In Irenaeus apologetics and dogmatics are totally one, because the indissolubility of the inner necessity and harmony between the triune God, the decree of salvation in Christ, Scripture and the Church together with its tradition is both the real content of the intellectus fidei and the only convincing proof of Christian truth ad extra.” (Page 43)
Balthasar’s most important works, at least in his own eyes, are not his writings but his foundations.
—Peter Henrici
. . . meeting Balthasar was for me the beginning of a lifelong friendship I can only be thankful for. Never again have I found anyone with such a comprehensive theological and humanistic education as Balthasar . . . and I cannot even begin to say how much I owe to my encounter with him.
—Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
- Title: The Glory of the Lord, vol. II: Clerical Styles
- Author: Hans Urs von Balthasar
- Publisher: Ignatius
- Publication Date: 1984
- Pages: 366