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Bridge to Balthasar


An introduction to the work of Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) was a prolific German-speaking Swiss intellectual and theologian. He was trained as a Jesuit, but left the order to found a secular institute dedicated to the cultural transformation of society. He was a devoté and spiritual director of Adrienne von Speyr, a Swiss physician and visionary, whose works profoundly influenced von Balthasar's thought. He was heavily involved in publishing, having his own publishing house, Johannes Verlag, and co-founding the journal Communio. His major work was the trilogy, Herrlichkeit, Theodramatik, and Theologik, a theological synthesis which sought to reestablish the priority of beauty in theological reflection.

As a result of a discussion with a friend, my attention was directed to a study of Hans von Balthasar. I have reproduced these discussions which you can access if interested. When I did a search with my browser, I was amazed how few sites were available giving Balthasar references in English.

In recent years I have reflected on the complexities of communications between people. Of particular interest to me is what I would describe as the barriers to good communications; such barriers including hierarchical, academic, social, cultural, personality, language and barriers created by different specialities. This line of enquiry resulted in my writing a paper for an international conference held in Austria in September 1996.

As my eyes began to be opened to the vaste contribution of von Balthasar to contemporary Catholic thought, I began to wonder why Balthasar's ideas hadn't disseminated wider in the English speaking world. In response to this I started to consider a Bridge to Balthasar website. My new Christendom Awake website seems to provide a suitable context in which to place the Balthasar resources.

This section of the site is offered in the hope that it will stimulate others to work in the same direction and hopefully go much further.

Mark Alder
Edmonton, London. October 1999



PAGE CONTENTS

Fr Fessio of Ignatius Press writes on Von Balthasar

Various texts on Adrienne Von Speyr are available on this site as is a lists of Books by Balthasar.


Links

Love Alone is Believable: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Apologetics by Fr. John R. Cihak

Ressourcement: Retrieval & Renewal in Catholic Thought

Hans Urs Von Balthasar: A Sketch

The Hans Urs von Balthasar Website
This website offers news, information about von Balthasar's life and theology, an extensive links section and a discussion forum.


Second Spring -The online magazine of The Centre for Faith and Culture, Oxford is now online at: http://www.secondspring.co.uk

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Section Contents Copyright ©; Mark Alder and named authors 1999-2001


Present Version of this Page: 5th January 2001


Introduction to Hans Urs von Balthasar

Von Balthasar's theology

Origins of Bridge to Balthasar Initiative

Communio Journal

Von Balthasar's Catholicism

Books about von Balthasar's theology

Books by Balthasar (37KB)

Balthasar reading list

Balthasar article: Centre for Faith and Culture

An Introduction to Balthasar by Aidan Nichols

Von Balthasar and the Co-redemption by Aidan Nichols OP

Balthasar's theological works

Influences on the thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar: Martin Buber and Karl Jaspers

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988)

JOEL GARVER - Hans Urs von Balthasar

Hans Urs von Balthasar Discussion Forum @ www.ezboard.com

Lent: Love Provides a Last Chance - Hans Urs Von Balthasar

Hans Urs Von Balthasar




Version 12th May 2005

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