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Books by Balthasar
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note that although some books are available from T & T Clark in the UK, they are distributed by Ignatius Press
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hundred Catholic titles on a wide range of subjects: contact us for a copy of our free catalogue.
Bernanos
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
This book is a double-treat: it combines the genius of the towering theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar
and his ability to make his subject come alive before the reader, along with the focus of that genius on someone
with the spiritual depth and creative stature of Georges Bernanos, considered by many to be the greatest Catholic
creative writer of the twentieth century. The goal of this book is to simply convey what Bernanos wanted to say
as the devout Christian that he was. Bernanos was a deeply prayerful, practicing sacramental Catholic whose profound
love for the Church made everything he created or wrote an "ecclesial existence that has been given form:
existence derived not merely from an abstract, individual faith but from the faith of the Church." With judicious
quoting of the primary source and careful juxtaposing of texts and commentary, Balthasar provides a unique forum
from which Bernanos can speak to the reader in a way that he can be clearly heard and genuinely understood.
Christian Meditation
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
While von Balthasar's classic Prayer is unparalleled in its development of the Trinitarian,
Christological, Mariological and ecclesiological dimensions of prayer, Christian Meditation is a short, readable
and eminently practical guide to that form of prayer which God's revelation in Jesus Christ has made indispensable:
meditation on the word of God revealing the inner depths of God to man and--since it comes from God made man--the
inner depths of man to himself. In a treatment that is both fresh and profound, Balthasar describes the central
elements of all Christian meditation, provides a guide for making the meditation and then points the way to the
union that prayer achieves in the footsteps of Mary, within the Church and in and for the world. "Consequently,
Christian meditation is entirely trinitarian and at the same time entirely human. In order to find God, no one
need reject being human personally or socially, but in order to find God all must see the world and themselves
in the Holy Spirit as they are in God's sight."
Convergences
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Von Balthasar stresses the need for all the elements of Christianity, which are diverse
and specialized, to return to unity in God.
Meditations on the Apostles’ Creed
These brilliant reflections on the Apostles’ Creed epitomise Balthasar’s theology.
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Dare We Hope : With a Short Discourse on
Hell
by Urs von Balthasar
The Church's teaching on Hell has been generally neglected by theologians, with the notable
exception of Fr. von Balthasar. However, what he has said has stirred controversy both in Europe and in the United
States. Here he responds in a clear and concise way, grounding his reflections clearly in Scripture. Revelation
gives us neither the assurance that all will be saved, nor the certitude that any are condemned. What it does require
of us is the ``hope that all men be saved'' rooted in a love of Christ that reaches even into the depths of Hell.
Does Jesus Know Us?
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Von Balthasar sets forth and explains the Scriptural evidence for our ability to know
the Lord and for His knowledge of us.
Heart of the World
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
A great Catholic theologian speaks from the heart about the Heart of Christ, in a profound and lyrical meditation
on Our Lord's love for his Bride the Church.
In the Fullness of Faith
On the Centrality of the Distinctively Catholic
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Virtually every aspect of Catholicism which is controversial within the Church or a stumbling
block to non-Catholic Christians is treated in this book. Rather than avoiding what is most glaringly un-modern
or what is most criticized by non-Catholics, Balthasar reviews these elements one by one, and shows how they are
rooted in the central Christian mysteries and the commonly accepted tradition. What is specifically Catholic is
not defended polemically, but described in such a way that others can see, even from their own point of view, the
inner consistency with the mystery affirmed by all. Here is a form of thought which is truly ecumenical precisely
because it is fully Catholic.
"We are not only interested in those aspects of the mystery of the Roman Catholic Church
which set her apart from the other Christian communities, but also to show how often they are central beliefs by
describing what is specifically Catholic in such a way that the partner in dialogue can see, even from his own
standpoint, the inner consistency."
Light of the Word
Brief Reflections on the Sunday Readings
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
It is not only the Catholics who attend Sunday Mass, but also the priests who preach
at Mass who feel overwhelmed by the three scripture readings in which for the most part only the first from the
Old Testament and the third from the Gospel have any interconnection, while the second from the apostolic letters
stands by itself. This book seeks to present the common theses that connect all three of the readings for Sundays
and feasts of the Lord in the three year cycle of readings. The reflections here are meant to be theological and
spiritual suggestions that the one who is preaching can develop further and from which he can select individual
perspectives. Rather than seeking immediately concrete applications, Fr. von Balthasar attempts to elucidate the
content which is immediately present in the passages.
Organized by each Sunday and feast day of the liturgical year for years A, B, & C, these reflections are meant
to be theological and spiritual suggestions that the one who is preaching can develop further and from which he
can select individual perspectives
Mary for Today
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
The acclaimed theologian von Balthasar gathers from the Sacred Scriptures and the richest tradition of the Church
the elements of a portrait which shows Mary's place and her relevance for today.
Mary: God's Yes to Man
Encyclical Letter of John Paul II, Redemptoris mater
Introduction by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Commentary by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Pope John Paul II's only encyclical on our Blessed Mother, with introduction by the Cardinal
Prefect of the congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and commentary by one of
the world's leading Catholic theologians, Hans Urs von Balthasar. The Church's supreme magisterium and representative
of the Church's most penetrating theological reflection combine to provide for all the faithful a rich and concise
compendium of the Mother of the Redeemer.
The development of traditional Marian dogma in the light of the present day bears the Pope's unmistakable personal
stamp. The three parts of the encyclical ("Mary in the Mystery of Christ", "The Mother of God in
the Midst of the Pilgrim Church" and "Motherly Mediation") draw predominantly from two sources:
Sacred Scripture and the central documents of the Second Vatican Council. There is a particular emphasis on ecumenism.
What binds all Christians to Mary becomes ever clearer: she is the model of their faith.
"Preparing for the advent of the year 2000, the great memorial of Christ's birth, is a fundamental concern
of the encyclical. In the liturgy, Advent is a Marian time: the time when Mary made room in her womb for the Savior
of the world and bore within her humanity's hope and expectation. Celebrating Advent means becoming Marian, imitating
Mary's unconditional Yes which is ever anew the place of God's birth, the `fullness of time'"
My Work
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Hans Urs von Balthasar made detailed statements about his work on five occasions, mostly on the birthdays that
marked the end of a decade of his life: as a young author in his "desire to lift out of the jumble of history
the four or five figures which represent for me the constellation of my idea and my mission;" as publisher
and writer, "out of concern for the reader" and in order to equip this reader with a guide to his own
books. Then, in the midst of the transformations connected with the Council, he wrote an "Account" for
himself and his readers, about what had been done, and what was still required.
Finally, in a kind of pause, as one already looking toward the close of his life, he gave once
again an account of what had been achieved and what could no longer be achieved, in a clear shift of emphasis away
from his "authorship" in favor of the pastoral work in the communities which he had founded. This present
volume is a helpful guide to his many-sided work.
REVIEWS
"Von Balthasar's theological universe includes the entire Christian culture of saints and
scholars, artists and poets, theologians and philosophers, Church fathers and heretics. It grew so vast that every
decade he had to draw a road map of the work accomplished in his titanic enterprise. To the reader venturing into
the thicket of the hundreds of books, articles, and editions in which he realized his project of overcoming the
modern gap between nature and grace, these guides have become indispensable. This collection presents them all
in one volume."
-- Louis Dupre, Yale University
"In providing the author's own guide to his vast corpus, *My Work* becomes indispensable for anyone who would
understand the constellation of von Balthasar's ideas and mission."
-- David L. Schindler, Professor of Theology John Paul II Institute
New Elucidations
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Von Balthasar brings his years of research and scholarship to bear on some of the major topics of our time for
the benefit of everyone.
Our Task
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
This book describes the common task which Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr undertook,
the founding of a secular institute: The Community of St. John. He also describes their common theological work
and explains the theology and role of secular institutes.
Paul Struggles with His Congregation The Pastoral Message of the Letters to the Corinthians
Hans Urs von Balthasar Commenting on the pastoral questions taken up by Saint Paul in his letters to the Corinthians,
Hans Urs von Balthasar offers a meditative interpretation of Paul's writings and difficulties with the Christians
at Corinth. He discusses the different roles of pastors and believers, and we see how the problems are resolved
through Paul's advice, example and prayerful patience.
"The questions people ask God and the Church change; God's answer in Christ is sufficient for all time. Even
though the Church, as well as the individual priest, always has to make this answer understandable anew, its essence
does not change. Paul's dramatic confrontation with the congregation of Corinth provides both: his words and actions
do complete justice to the situation and yet they are timeless. Therefore his pastoral directives to this difficult
congregation are still a guideline for everyone holding a pastoral office. The eye-to-eye confrontation with Corinth
is so intense and so rich, that it includes virtually everything of importance. Paul emphasized that everything
he says is spoken in love and because of love, but he must get rid of `the old leaven' so that the Christian feast
can be celebrated with joy. Joy has an amazing preeminence in all of Paul's letters."
Prayer
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
A completely new translation, this is perhaps the best and most comprehensive book on
prayer ever written. 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. The testament of a great
theologian on something which is most personal and interior, contemplative prayer.
Presence and Thought
An Essay on the Religious Philosophy of Gregory of Nyssa
Hans Urs von Balthasar
Von Balthasar presents one of the few serious studies available on the thought of one
of the most important, and yet most neglected Fathers of the Church, Gregory of Nyssa. He was the most profound
Greek philosopher of the Christian era, a mystic and an incomparable poet whom St. Maximus designated as the "Universal
Doctor" and the Second Council of Nicaea declared him "Father of Fathers."
Less prolific than Origen, less cultivated than Gregory Nazianzen, less practical than Basil, Gregory of Nyssa
nonetheless outstrips them all in the profundity of his thought, for he knew better than anyone how to transpose
ideas inwardly from the spiritual heritage of ancient Greece into a Christian mode.
Principles of Christian Morality
by Ratzinger, Schürmann, von Balthasar
A concise compendium of the fundamental principles of Christian life by
three of the most respected scholars in the Catholic Church
Razing the Bastions
On the Church in this Age
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Written in the 1950s, this book defines and anticipates, in a prophetic way, the role of the laity in the Church,
and the intimate relationship between the Church and the world. These two themes were recognized by the Second
Vatican Council especially in the two constitutions "On the Church" and "The Church in the Modern
World."
Von Balthasar's "bastions" are barriers erected over the centuries which separated
the laity from the clergy and the Church from the world. He pleads for a Church that interprets "the signs
of the age," grasps them and answers them, allowing herself to be awakened by the Holy Spirit and by the age
"from the bed of historical sleep for the dead of today." The new function of the Church is to be the
"yeast of the world"--she must understand herself as the "instrument of the mediation of salvation
to the world." Stressing that the hour of the laity is sounding in the Church, von Balthasar makes it clear
that the "true program of the Church for today is: the most powerful radiance into the world through the most
immediate imitation of Christ."
Scandal of the Incarnation
Irenaeus Against the Heresies
Edited by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Saint Irenaeus was the first great Christian theologian. Born in Asia Minor in about
130 A.D., he became Bishop of Lyons and died as a martyr early in the third century. His main work, Adversus Haereses
(Against the Heresies), is as relevant today as it was eighteen hundred years ago. It is a critique of Gnosticism,
the `anti-body' heresy, which, far from dying out, continues to flourish as the main threat to the Christian faith
in our own day. With serenity and good humor, Irenaeus unfolds the unity of God's purpose in creation and redemption,
in Old and New Testaments. The flesh and blood which Gnosticism so despised has been assumed by God in the womb
of the Virgin Mary, and glorified in the Resurrection and the Eucharist.
In this book, quotations from Saint Irenaeus have been arranged thematically in order to show
the unity of his Christian view of the world. The texts have been selected and are introduced by the late Hans
Urs von Balthasar, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Catholic theologians of this century. They are
translated by John Saward.
"Everything in Irenaeus is bathed in a warm and radiant joy, a wise and majestic gentleness. His words of
struggle are hard as iron and crystal clear, ... so penetrating that they cannot fail to enlighten the unbiased
observer."
Short Primer for Unsettled Laymen
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Von Balthasar addresses the critical issues facing today's Catholic layman in a clear and readable manner. Speaking
plainly on those ideas and questions which have unsettled many of the Catholic faithful, he brings much needed
clarity into the contemporary confusion.
The Christian State of Life
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
One of von Balthasar's masterworks, this book is a profound meditation on the Christian's call
to choose a state of life according to God's will.
The Grain of Wheat
Aphorisms
Hans Urs von Balthasar
This volume is unique among the works of the great theologian and spiritual writer von Balthasar for it is a collection
of short, personal and very readable reflections and aphorisms that are the fruit of his prayer and study over
the course of his life on the central themes of the Christian spiritual life. Balthasar's style-intimate, lucid,
precise and yet poetic, along with the intensity of his contemplative vision-invites every reader to meditate deeply
on the fullness and dynamism of Christian truths in all their splendor.
In addition to his own meditations, Balthasar also includes quotes and thoughts from some 30 saints and spiritual
writers including Augustine, Francis de Sales, John of the Cross, Elizabeth of the Trinity, Teresa of Avila, Fenelon,
Therese of Lisieux and more.
These rich, thought-provoking gems provide wonderful meditations for laity by one of the masters of the spiritual
life.
REVIEW
"Every careful reader of Hans Urs von Balthasar will discover that the precious alchemy
of his thought results from the deeply fruitful marriage he achieves between keen intelligence and ardent piety,
which is the very heart of the Christian intellectual endeavor. Balthasar proves to be one of the scant few thoroughly
reliable teachers and pathfinders in the thicket of late-twentieth-century life because he himself exemplifies
the truth of his own aphorism that only the one whose eyes can encompass much may be said to have an integrated
vision."
-Dr. Erasmo Leiva, From the Foreword
The Moment of Christian Witness
Hans Urs von Balthasar
Balthasar puts his finger on the precise origin of all those elements in modern Christianity which see the real
Jesus Christ as unknowable, the Gospels as merely the confused reflections of later Christians, and Christian tradition
as a perpetuation of the mythology.
The office of Peter and the Structure of the Church
Hans Urs von Balthasar
Von Balthasar masterfully examines the history of
the "anti-Roman attitude" and analyzes the role of papal authority in the Church.
The Threefold Garland
Hans Urs von Balthasar
The great theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar, presents beautiful and profound reflections on the mysteries of the
Rosary.
Theology of Henri De Lubac
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Hans Urs von Balthasar prepared this overview of the theology and spirituality of Henri de Lubac, whom he calls
friend and master, on the occasion of the latters' eightieth birthday. Beginning with personal reflections drawn
from the then unpublished pages of "memoirs" which de Lubac placed in his hands, von Balthasar offers
a review of all the major works of de Lubac.
Von Balthasar illustrates here the wonderful synthetic power for which he is justly known: bringing
the range as well as the organic unity of de Lubac's work clearly into view. The main themes of that work remain
as important now as when de Lubac first took them up--perhaps even more important. And there is no one better able
to discuss these themes than von Balthasar, a master of theology in his own right and de Lubac's great friend for
over fifty years. Co-published with Communio Books.
REVIEW
"Von Balthasar provides us with an astonishing summary of the massive theological output of Henri de Lubac.
Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that here we have one theological giant synthesizing the ecclesiocentric
thought of another giant. The book offers a double benefit, for in it we get a glimpse of two great contemporary
theologians--de Lubac and von Balthasar."
-- Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J., Editor, Homiletic and Pastoral Review
Tragedy Under Grace
Reinhold Schneider on the Experience of the West
Hans Urs von Balthasar
In Tragedy Under Grace, Hans Urs von Balthasar presents a magisterial portrait of one of the most fascinating figures
of the European Catholic renaissance, the historian and man of letters, Reinhold Schneider, whose response to the
spiritual collapse of the West led him to Christ and to an interpretation of history in the light of the cross.
Balthasar's painstaking reconstruction of Schneider's spiritual and intellectual itinerary, which traces the author's
discovery of the presence of grace in the tragic conflicts of history, will be valuable for those desiring to understand
the historical experience of the West, the relationship between faith and culture, or the role of the Catholic
layman in the world. Anyone looking for a profound - and costly - response to the cultural crisis of our own day
will also find in this book a source of understanding and inspiration
Truth Is Symphonic
Aspects of Christian Pluralism
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Von Balthasar shows the tension between the necessary unity in Christianity and the diversity
that should and must exist. Today when most people talk about pluralism and really mean dissent and rebellion,
von Balthasar shows how genuine variety is both possible and desirable within Catholic unity.
Two Sisters in the Spirit
Thérèse of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
Balthasar's unique volume on Thérèse of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity
presents a theological biography of each of these holy Carmelite sisters which gives profound insights into their
spirituality, showing that their differences actually complement one another. Balthasar probes the depths of the
contemplative mission of each of these young Carmelites who both died in their twenties, and gave powerful witness
to the critical importance of contemplation as a means to holiness. Each woman is clearly shown as a daughter of
her Carmelite heritage with her own emphasis: Thérèse's discovery of the "little way of love"
and Elizabeth's focus on the indwelling of God in the soul.
"This book is an important event for every serious student of the spiritual life. Everyone interested in the
contemplative dimension of the Christian life needs to drink deeply of the wisdom from these pages."
- Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.
Hans Urs von Balthasar is regarded by many as one of the greatest theologians and spiritual writers of the twentieth
century. He wrote over 65 books on theology and spirituality.
Unless You Become Like This Child
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
In one of the last books written before his death, the great theologian von Balthasar
provides a moving and profound meditation on the theme of spiritual childhood. Somewhat startlingly, von Balthasar
puts forth his conviction that the central mystery of Christianity is our transformation from world-wise, self-sufficient
``adults'' into abiding children of the Father of Jesus by the grace of their Spirit. All else in the Gospel--the
Lord's Incarnation, his hidden and public lives with their silences, miracles and preaching, his Passion, Cross
and Resurrection: all else has been for this.
After giving us the numerous weighty tomes comprising the theological trilogy, von Balthasar, as a kind of last
will and testament, proclaims to a self-important and dreadfully earnest generation of contemporaries that only
that person is lastingly wise, thoroughly fulfilled, who allows God's mercy to give him second birth and surround
him for good with maternal care. The profound and technical knower of the Fathers of the Church and all Western
philosophy and theology reveals himself gladly in the end as a humble disciple of ... the Little Flower, Thérèse
of the Child Jesus!
Readers will be particularly interested in von Balthasar's analysis of the role the Mother of Jesus plays in the
Christian's progress toward full spiritual childhood, as well as in the analogy he develops between the insights
of early-childhood psychology and the life of Christian childlikeness, which is paradoxically the highest maturity
possible to man.
You Crown the Year
Sermons Throughout the Liturgical Year
Hans Urs von Balthasar
One sometimes wonders what relevance the speculations of theologians can have for Christians--and in particular
the laity--engaged in the ordinary tasks of life. In this remarkable book we see the theological literary erudition
of von Balthasar in these sermons preached over a period of several decades. The sermons are arranged according
to their place in the Church's liturgical year. This selection comprises feasts of God, of Christ and of Mary.
"One can understand nothing of Christ without the mystery of the Trinity, nothing of the
Church without faith in the divinity and humanity of Christ, nothing of the sacraments without the bridal mystery
between Christian life without Christian faith. Thus, the present sermons revolve around the same center--the inexhaustible
mystery of the one indivisible faith."
-- Hans Urs von Balthasar
You Have Words of Eternal Life
Scripture Meditations
by Hans Urs von Balthasar
The highly-respected Swiss theologian provides short, profound meditations on numerous scriptural passages throughout
the New Testament. The simplicity and wisdom of these meditations demonstrates that, although he was a great theologian,
von Balthasar was deeply interested in sustaining the spiritual lives of modern men and women in this difficult
time of the Church.
REVIEWS
"These beautiful meditations of Fr. von Balthasar are a wonderful testament to his spirit--a
spirit of great love of the Lord and his Church, and a spirit of the deepest wisdom and discernment for our times.
Turn wherever you like in these pages and I believe you will find the spiritual nourishment which our souls need
so much today. People cry out for the authentic food which can only come from inspired and prayerful pondering
on the living message of Jesus. In You Have Words of Eternal Life there is such good food in plenty."
-- Sister Briege McKenna, O.S.C., Author, Miracles Do Happen
"An outstanding example of Biblical theology that is both useful for the laity and faithful to the Church.
It shows that something rich and true lies between scripture scholarship and systematic theology."
-- Professor Scott Hahn, University of Steubenville
"These New Testament meditations are vintage von Balthasar, but more readily, more easily grasped by non-theologians.
He brings to his scriptural commentary a fresh depth of insight that most biblical technicians simply do not have."
-- Fr. Thomas Dubay, Author, Fire Within
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Please contact us for details of prices. We promise prompt service, and stock over four
hundred Catholic titles on a wide range of subjects: contact us for a copy of our free catalogue.
Version: 19th March 2004
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