0% found this document useful (0 votes)
100 views9 pagesBeing Interpreted As Love: Reflections On The Theology of Hans Urs Von Balthasar by Werner Löser
Uploaded by
OratoryCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
100 views9 pagesBeing Interpreted As Love: Reflections On The Theology of Hans Urs Von Balthasar by Werner Löser
Uploaded by
OratoryCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
/ 9
474 _ John O'Donnell
‘mission which no one else can full, In this way the persons
‘own holiness is fulfiled by responding to the mission, and at
the same time holiness is never a grace for oneself but is always
agift given for the up-building of the Church.
‘Thus we see that i the religious question arses for
‘man in that primordial moment in which his Tis awakened by
the mother’s'smile, thereby giving him the intuition tolove, the
resolution of this question is found in God's address fo man in
Chis. In Christ and in his Cross we see the form of God's love
for the world. Responding tothatlove, in aithand in obedience,
toa mission planned for no one else who ever was ot will be,
the person discovers the meaning of his freedom, a freedom
which in the response becomes concrete and informed, thus
enabling him to verify in his own experience the truth that
Being is love o
|
Being interpreted as lov
Reflections on the theology
of Hans Urs von Balthasar
Werner Loser
It is not the ascent of religious man to the
absolute One, but rather the descent of the
trinitarian God of love to man that is the
departure point of von Balthasar’s theology.
Inconsidering the written work of Hans Urs von Balthasar, the
Guestion arises ic it not realy Just an assemblage of all too
Uiparate elements, 20 much so that we cannot realy expect 3
clear and direct answer to the question of what von Balthasar
‘ranted to say? And in fact vor Balthasar’ work character.
ined by the impressive variety in themes he takes up and even
Syhis election of the linge and expressive forms which he
{hes for presenting thie varity of conten, Thus the impression
Gould ae ht wn Balan has ony a eteogeneis con
Jomerate of things to say-—one day this, he other that. If thal
Shore tue, then the reader rally intersted in finding st
‘whether our author set much store in expressing one thing over
I ese-doing so in a suite spec, Im foc entirely unique
‘way—would finaly set aside these books, justiably disap.
pointed
But this impression doesnot correspond to reality
For von Balthasar, the “one thing necessary” wan aways em
tial, an the immense varity of things he said and wrote only
fas meaning Insofar a t rings this “one thing necessary” 0
ever new expression, This “One” can be summarized i i
Pithiet form in the sentence: "Being and love are cost 476 Werner Liser
Being interpreted as love 477
sive To maintain that Being and love are mutually convert
ible is—so one will be immediatly tempted to objec pare
provocation. And inthe history of thought this asseaionhas
hot ben very common, not without meaton, Docs mat the
aly that we perceive forcast interpret Beng on the bas
Something te diferent than love perhaps onthe basis of
knowledge, or power, oF desire or useulies, or something
else? OF couse cach ome vl mediately sence? i the sale
tment ofthe covextensiveness of Bring and love were tac then
the deepest human hoping and longing would be moving to.
seard flilment and thus no end in the wok. In but afew
ine moment the ruth of tent poets
Suspected by man rom as, perhaps inthe event of unclouded
Jove for another human being. a
Vor Balthasar and work desired o bea pointer
to this: ha hat we long or and occasionally Susped tbe
true i nothing less than the final and most comprehensive
Word on Being and realy at a whole Tobe sure hat nex.
‘bly requtes von Palthsat £0 old the condone under
‘shih alte the assertion of the covstensiveness of Being and
love is tre, fortis searcely one tat obvious
ht what allow sis statement tobe tru (this con
nl be sid at this pint na susmary way-—wve wil stare to
the point in more dal furher ons Gods deed in Chit on
behalf of man: “What should be sald at this point about ts
deel is that tis credit only as love: meaning God sown love,
those appearance bthat of the splendor of God"= Boon
Goa’s deeds only an act of ove, itean nether be compelled by
in reve men expected is ean announcement of
ently surprising It "ean ony be porcelved recepivly
asthe ‘whally-other "God's deed as lose genrats te tah
Of the asention that Being and love ae converte.
1. The path to realizing the convertibility of being an love
This insight ad aleady been part of von
Datthasar’s thought ot Scns. For hihi ean he Marat
"Der Zagang out Welch Goes,” in Myer Sti vl ted
by einer an Laer (inset, 19), 1 here
“fas Us Yon lh Gina ar ee Enid 286, 5.
id 6
altemative—entrely determining his ie and thought fom
{hen on--to what he encountered in modern thought aot was
presented in art and philosophy.*
Ine text fom the year 195, von Balthasar reports
Just asthe young lad was condemned to slog his way through the
‘hole undelnichof Koma muse am Mebdecobn an Saas
to Mahler and Schonberg in order finaly Yo see nein beh them
the eternal sta. of Bacitand Morar, 50 (00 had terhack my way
‘Soewhewe days ove aed now deappeted end Yaka er
‘nore apy smi unt Hee abakkal Lien and cursing Be
fol ke, tok Gos gracious hand ands my wy Caro «
‘Von Balthasay’s youth and time in studies until around 1930
was therefore marked. with his involvement in music (he
learned to play the piano at that time) as well as with the more
recent literature, especally philosophy. But both of these left
him Feeling deeply discontent. What did he encounter in music
ate Bac and Mozart and in ve fcet era and e
ern philosophy? What made him characterize this music later
Gn as “underbrash” and’ modern thinking as. junge?™
"Regarding musi, an answer can be found ina few
lines he wrote ina lite interpretive esay he published in 1928
fon J. S. Bach's “Art of the Fugue.” In this essay the twenty-
three year old compares the self-understanding, of the pre-
‘modern artist with that of the modern artist
Many remember he ine when what was hough woe ough a
to knowledge of everything ese, an re was con
gure tom tetra ofa Atthat ete master wi hay cle
“taster” but the pctre sc went through te sets in tum
Buta the Beginning ofthe me when atras commonly called
‘mani, culture began to fay the restonship between sist and at
‘since, tomy knowledge, very te far is known about these connec:
tionsneve the bogeaphcal neste mach has ead een repre
‘shout ie ter yar rn vuous sources ter example in Vonptnlr,
"Hans Ure vr Baltasar” Blader Ths XX. ender, a IV
1H Vorgrmle and van dar Gach [Prag 197, 12214), 1 hoaght
‘might te uefa to ge some information here, instr that poise on
‘he Bai of pub et
"Stet ich vor nt Urs von Balthasar,” Der nove Bah (Lucene)
708 478__ Werner Liser
(0 lationship that rom antiquity had ben Joke on as one a
Fre othe dence of ar withthe phe falcy aii the os
Row became the reionsip of art to soy Ni ager i he
7 wat the fave fr his ot bat rather sought he pote for hire
aA alone he scaled heaven to rab the divine fi, not as one
secillycommlsigned but as am audacious, cretve bestowed
‘heause he elevated hinsel above society inspite of and not oa
Braet om tcl fal en red yh lon ns ge
{ved by hic ambtionforhis best sights an the sae es Se
‘as greter han his cay ©
Ie all converges on one point: in his encounter with recent
inthe young von Bthasar sensed hut hem the
Product of a Promethean selbundestanding of manta he
Eipoint of the Riser’ of the creston of asi stands the
Tonelysubjevity ofthe art selling on isl Ard’ pres
Sisal this understanding of the artis ate the Lind of aos
‘work resulting from filed vom Balthasar wth emporess and
toredom,
He had a similar experienc in his dealings with
tmodern thought as # was offered to him in Posey nd
iterate The result of hs stasis can be set in his acer
son presente in 198 at the Universy of Zunch called Te
History ofthe Eschalogal rolon Modern German ttre
Tho git! modean thought stands ender the sign of tvee mye
ical figure: that of Prometheus (tthe tne Sf German aca
sm), of Ahasver (the mil ofthe nnetenth centr) ana
of Dionysus (rom Nietache on, unl well into the trent
conan)
The Asindn's thread, the guiding thought that
Bins these figures les in anthropos the nal come
struction point from which the world and knowledge of ety
Bs Sketch ot ise sujet of un Beyond tas and sor
eae wh modern toupt alyprove el pan
asain to bea panthestcthnking of Mena
‘The word isan infin proces that ppracher heise, Man its
sStessng the jourfiey over te ga Bul who is jurneving fae he
‘Die Kunst de Fuge: Paralpumena 2a einer Aafithrung Scherzer
‘Randa 28 1928 87 er,
esi etl Pron i der alone deen tert
i 190),
Being interpreted as love 479
Absolute, Go himselP? The depersonaization of manish viniza-
Sect’ atc of wey: teste ona pushes to
Schelling’ and Hegel's historczaion of the Abrohte sid the sso.
Totiation ofthe historical
‘Man ends up being a union of opposites:
sett
serdar, tole
eS Seige Sakti lee
divinity and humanity, history and moe
Goes cece cutee haat wee
Saar ener cect eteccrniees cuss
hd Jets the most ephemeral Peerbach and Mar)
‘This last statement points in rather more hidden
than open way, tO an event that had given von Balthasa's ie
and thought an entirely new diecton and in which he dise
rcs hel er hath preva determine NS in
41929 he made the thitty-day Spiritual Exercises ise
with some of hs ends under the deo of
Fredich Kronseder, 5. in the “Kloster Himmelsore” in
Wyhlen (not fr from Basel). Inthe course ofthese exercises he
ipade thet, an vent atone can only characte
the key and originating event determining the rest of his fe
‘This “econ howetee was spy hanger we he rae
ization tat came over him, suddenly and with geat intensity,
that he was called by God te follow Christ without reservation.
In 1959-"that is, thirty years later-—when the question was put
{© him why’ had become a priest, he reported on this event
along with others like i
m x ater, can al find the wey tee along the fost
aur Uca olen the Carsan par ine i toe ao on
el under which {wa suck by a sudden Blt co
tle T'was studying Germans’ and [took pant inte ty day
‘xerlses foray Suleman these cndes hwo ell load ob a8
Isfogune Inca spxatied snd ured ote stay of thea
gy. Bu it was nether thealogy nor the priesthood that forced el
Pthattime on my spit was ony this Youhave nothing to choose,
ou are ead, Youll not serv but others wil make Se of out
Serie; you have no plane to male, ou are only asl stone in a
“tid. 78
na 6, 480__ Werner Liser
‘mosaic designed Jong before you. 1 had only to “to give up all and
follow,” without making my dwn plans, wthowt wtshies or ances
fons, jhad only to walt here expecanty and foo out for the dy 1
"woul be used And that is how it appened. When Tonce though
25, Goda uen me complete enti and has provided forme an
{xi ouned mision, Hstrackme that he wes ce toturn fal on
ie hendin actin en ann spt the ews an hab
the tool hat was. The only thing worth noting sboat ts thet
Living aw that shaters ws and, by shattering also ale us (ike St
Ignatius’ wounded fg) has acemed to me even frm the very Be
‘inning fo be a kind oP iwinbe theme of my hie"
It is remarkable that von Balthasar immediately
gzind the theological ight hat aol eof deve
Portance in his work while making the Spistual Exercises,
‘hen he was struck bythe Lord's land had “eles” a
reserved discipleship. (hat this meansis that this did not hap-
pen ita discursive reflection. On the contrary, these insights
fame with the experience: firs, that the divinity of God who is
tne Tove is FGodnes” ay er, coni in he sve
eignty and spontaneity of his freedom that proves itself as such
inalloving use of his ceatue, but even more in the possibilty
and actualy of his sel comarunieation; secondly, thatthe a
litude that corresponds in man to this commanicaton from
God i dispomibiity, which in Tgnaion of Loyola and in
Balthasar’s theology is also called obedience and "tnfrencia
‘This for von Balthasar was the exact slternative to what mod-
em thought and artiste creation have to offer. Here Being i
tnveled as love and no longer needs to be integpreted in the
framework of pantheistic intellectual vision of identity,
Of couse, von Balthasar was not entirely unpre-
efor these insights that then pressed upon hit inthe
bs 50 iresistibly: im entice day he met people who cone
vincingly pointed him om this way. To pont out only the most
important we will mention the following: 1 In Berin Romano
Guardini encouraged. von Balthasar sometime to. compare
Nietzsche and Kierkegaard with one another vehich he en
immediately di. The multifarious individual analyses, part of
which eventually were incorporated into his work, Te fst of
Peargun je ne sis fat pete” Edo Centre Disa de cum
i Touro, 198), 1922 here, 21.2
"hace dr nut Pres, 3
Being interpreted as love 481
‘the EschatolgicatProblem,2 converge in the following text, one
that makes clear how the “alternative” was already being
posed at that ime:
Niece had ld God, saciid hin to he Superman who it
nothing mare than a pointer and ton Superman. There is
‘nly one eschatology ha of ie only one movement tansse
‘nly one transformation: the Dionysian. Only here do the finite and
Ininite become one and only a5 fomenis of the denial Bat for
‘Kerkepanrd this no ident. Yes, the nite and the finite are
‘Sislecialy one in man ut hs diaketc behaves toward Cou a the
{indislecicas Of course in Cheatianity even Cod enters into the d-
sits by bing historeal But the undlectical God is no thereby
Superseded: father, Kierkegaard stress inthe assurance that one
incor attains to Christan than one con pasion oncslf Before
the ruprasdtecial Cod. Gad dead T have kiled um, sciced
iim: that ia Nictsche’s conclusion. God is dea, he has serie
Iimoe ut he has newer ceased to hives tha ts Rietkegasrds
prado?
2) We should also mention another encounter: in
Vienna von Balthasar became friends with Rudolf Allers. In
1965, he discussed this time in his life with Allers:
“Tome, aga student in Vienna atthe time, my fendship with Rudolf
alles, is, plosopher snd theca the tan
isted Agulnas and Anscim’s collected works, Was af almost inex:
haustle source of stmulaten. An’ taf Freud he ad, and
Fad commuricated, an insight, frely following, Allred Adler, into
felow human love Ss the objective medium of human existence. The
philosophical wath of psychotherapeutic method lay for ham in ts
fern rm the ego to the realty of fhe fall Thou.
2) Finally, we should indicate the lectures of Hans
bl that von Balthasar attended in Vienna, Hans Eb] was ine
ferpreting Photinia that time for bis students and conveyed
{othem fs insight into Being that insofar a ti dif oul
fs honum ii therefore selLemerging and sel-communscating
‘These lectures let a lasting impression on von Ballast
A
"ig, chap. 3: “Die Alternativ: Kierkegaard und Ntsche,” 103;
Isler Kiskaghird and Neto in Api dr dead Se, a
ouch tors (Salsbury 32), 975 In retrospect one can se inal these encounters
serly the milestone on she way tothe actual frning pt
oman and thought the lactone Exe
hey to “understanding” hi personas wel oss
work ote es teeth to fellow Chiat at ace
‘ording to his own he spe a that time, Whatever
‘en Balthasar has done snc the canbe pasped on sso
2ctvty atin this orginal esto the call Cod tae to him
“The decisions and insights that von Balthasar at
tine in te Exceed man contin nthe
ving ests Contact wi rat te begin
the 1s, which continued to thse over the year wee of
ccrardinary importance. Feeywaras thought centered atthe
{ime around the“ enalgaoto” The dct ofthe analogy Of
Being, however, thinks of the selaonship between Cod, an
and the world, in such away that these thee pole nether
ide noone another (asin panthelsm), nor stand over against.
‘Sne anothers pure parties of contraction (asin elects).
‘The formala ofthe analogy of Being, nsolarasit is primary 0
theological statement, means nothing more than the statement
ofthe convertibility of Being and love A few yeas later cme
nother important encounter Hn de Lubee pointed von
Batthasar te, among ethers, Irenaeus Studying the writings of
this pre Alecandrine Church Father was for von Balthasar an
Impresve contrat fhe nats he had won aie
theological wrk that von Balthasar presented
throughout his es might be formulated in thiscontext =
‘was a uafoling further development and a deepening of
the knowledge reched ear. Out task now in the Fallon
Section ip to show in more dell! what th assertion of the
convertblty of Being and love contains and entails:
1 The dimensions of interpreting being a love
The assertion that Being is to be interpreted as love
gains its truth from the way God has lovingly dealt with the
World. What does that mean?
‘The existence ofthe world and of man could hardly
bbe construed on the basis of love ifthe whole of reality nally
is no more than the sum of what men will have produced out
of their own possibilities and efforts. The stalement that Being.
and love ate coextensive can only be true if 2 Wholly Other,
‘who is himself love, allows his love to become so effective in
Being interpreted as love 483
the world that all values will hereby undergo a transvaluation.
‘The factual realization of these conditions just specified cannot
‘only not be brought about by man, it cannot even be antici
ppated. It can only mect man as the entirely unexpected and
‘nanifest itself thezein as that which alone saves and heals. The
‘event in whichall this happens is the Incarnation, the Crossand.
the Resurrection of Christ. Only the condescending. [ab
teigende| love of God can s0 change the situation ofthe world
‘and of man that they can be affirmed as worthy of love in all
their finite and diseased helplessness. According to what was
sid already, the truth of the statement that Being and love are
‘coextensive is strictly theological. It appeals #0 one fact that
God proves himself be efficacious to the world in Christ. Von
Balthasar has himself formulated this thought differently:
‘hoe Chit fe? He holy haa ing inthe whole
Df would history who haw dare fo caim hat Cod humelfclasned in
the Old Covenant aad who was therefore seen as crazy and pos:
Sesced (Mk S211) and was thus crac for raising this claim, For
itis iting fora tage to show humility and fora prophet to say, "thus
‘asthe Lord, "but na for someone to say: "But fsay untoyen.” God
SRE Father coped claim by ang Jus ro the ded
ieounting i state Tat God i ove at te eeu
rity has been gevealed in the eeonomic Tent and indeed that this
rere Gas “erthoprane the tll surrendering of hi Son
{othe point of Godabundonment and descent into hel This ts the
atest possible conception of God” he ie with Hogel, dwt of
Esnity (Coa is everything, he js eternal lie) and of nonsdentty
(Conti dea insofaras he hs dented hin ith godessness) he
{S30 val (60 mach love) that he can aflord tobe dead: No eign oF
‘world view has dared to think or procaio anything ke ths about
‘Godt man and the world. That i why Christan femains without
Salogy inthe word; I ests not on a “idea but on 8 fact—Jests
‘Ghat And thie aft that remains as an unisionable atom, fused
{ito a wally of claim, Cross and Resurrection. On this fact depends
‘whether we can dare to adress Being os love and thus whettr ee
‘an see everything that oxsts as worthy of love. Ths is a thought
‘without Which the countenance of the world would be scarcely en
‘durable to
God can only be absolute love as trinitarian God. IF
the were not trnitarian love in himself, then he would need the
"antbuton o Wirt ro Neh fr mi? 10pm oe
vise sd by Spor anh 484 Werner Loser
Being interpreted as love 485
‘word so a o be able tobe along Cod, But then this would
Fappen forthe sake of his divinity and pantheism would be
the necessary consequence In the face ofthe conation ofthe
‘orld ast io—in there slfering snd gut and doth and
oc forsakenness God canbe justified as loving Get ony in
the Cross and inthe god-orsakenness of the Son. Therefore,
God snot God through a umphal splay of his power bul
a silent, compasslonate accompanying of man, a Journey God
has entered pon with real edoms and whose freedom he
wl ot take Bock or ou rump terspn
The doctrine ofthe Trinity, Christology, and sote-
ology have the center of dei origin inthe contemplation of
the mterium pascal, the mid-poit of which Tey Stor
dy Phe Cran wo se lity‘ cam terre Beng
in the light of ths mysterio papas inte vey Way
that God himselt sees reality. For the word addresoed (0 crs
tion, "God save everything he made nnd declared it good”
{Gen: 131) is only trie even for Cod insofar a5 Cod heel
Knows erenton in no other way than inthe light of Huy Sat
sda father ny "pang von alfa one ox
Presse this connection between dactsine of God, of eation,
BF Chustology, and of soterlogy in acistologial exegesis of
Uk 5:1 (aia to Kar Bort xcgess in Rice Dogma
W2, pp. 2125)
“etm et to ee ef eg
ots tals te ena ote
Ee Let eee ee
{Sree ueeiourcuete cremate
ieee raceme mores
cmv tat ecscuneeccrarer ate
See ch ancy maces
Behance Miecametecait
Soe mre ee reer
vc ih set atic And Ea uy power a ens
Nivel without aap stances his complet
at carton
zes the “eonsubstanbalty.” We di
“lity of the one he has sent his redeeming word ito the world.
ie that this word, become man, hab been abe to do wha
the Father intended when he generated nw uttered this Word: (0
dake hcl audible nile toanfone who does not want to
fea any more about God, In ther words that sus sould become
‘thebother of the very least and of theost that he could reveal nore
as
tuations ne
apache cer abit ee
UR Gtans Rarely Retain a ec
So cafes pane ee or ae che
Feber cach catrs cae es
Sa Gy oie Bie nae
Sit fee rent mene cae
siagitgras Beslan
Rania amie ein eer carck
Se aa ara Peaeentifah rare
deorha Gorenaacer eae uceinne Sas
arta eet teeth wickets mar
SEN uacey ir asm beetariincemict
EEhcinemopetnros®
And st snot the ascent of religous man tothe
atnolute One but rather the descent ofthe tanta God of
inveto mam tats the departure point of the thelogy of von
Balthasar. The eonesponding atta in man to ths event I
the (Maran) atitade of dsponibiy, the Vgnatia) stad of
Inno vem 25 1167 179 the Spal Ex) TE
ins already boon nied quite often that von Baltasar evey=
there sronaly emphasizes obesience in his theology. But ob
lence hee inno ay mean an yl-weak serie but aher
the reaines foe the love of Co show Hs a ve,
Tn this context von Balthasar occasionally even
speaks ofa “loving concord" Love can only “arive” at Such
ere ts offered a space of open expectation in wish can
themexpand. Ths aged tre between vo human persons
who watt encountereach other in love, Bat tis allie more
true inthe relation of man Cod. The abot Thou that
sects man, says von Balhae,
{snota Someone who happens to have the oflove but rather
JE ReGne hots contaced a uch by lve. The titastan, personal
process ove. And this tue nelther as an abstraction nor az 8
{olive ta fomething incanctaby peoal the one Go ae
Ther) gendo me (as) his “only Soin oder to fil me (us) with his
Holy Sprit of love. In response to uch an event the crested person
“Warum ih noch en Chath" Za Pins (Munich, 1971, 4248, 486 Werner Liser
can find not evel o madera rile ane bad on
igpown poner Even i penanie sonal tothe es Nhe cn
fering eT wer an re Ca Ca
pags fo cp fe onal pce aed for Me
iets hdl Ro tn ae
pone by ae ca teers ony et gente pie
mii pu of ayes Tarn smcingmey nega,
‘rote ete btu oe a tle ooo
foe cul give Cod pemison oake what fetsaok aa neds
hones own sower. faerie ponte’ ties pees
ipaleee vis ndsngihate toe ihe oe
Sumer everyting int art one weve feed gy
Golo Wwicer Se dine may might demand spy us
tf ow pat
Jesus is the prototype who has realized the full
dlisponibility to the Father in the Hely Spirit. The incarnation of
the eternal Word happened in obedience, the le ofthe earthly
Jesus converges on the Cross, which he allows to be imposed
‘on him in his obedience to the Father—for the salvation of all
‘men. Beyond even this, the Father impases on the Son the
‘experience of fll god-forsakenness: Hay Saturday. Here and
only here!—is there such a thing as “the obedience of a ca-
ddaver” in a unique, chistologicaltrinitaran sense, But what is
decisive, however, in all of this is that this indifference and
‘obedience should itself be understood asthe pattern of the ever
‘more comprehensive love of the Son for the Father just as the
authoritaive demand in the action ofthe Father Is to be inter
preted for its part also unconditionally as based on love. For
God is love’ (Jn. 48).
‘The contemplative and dislogieal intimacy in which the Father ac:
