It is simply the best introduction to Balthasar's thoughts. I didn't understand what is really going on with the 'Analogy of Being' business in medieval theology until I find this book. (Not that I understand it well right now, but at least I finally find a systematic introduction that makes sense to a contemporary reader.)

The writing, while sometimes dense, has the rare clarity that makes you feel like you learn and understand something more after reading every paragraph. It is a very refreshing book in this way.

Oakes captures and transmits the beauty of Balthasar's rich and complex theology in this clearly-written and inspiring volume. This book moves one to prayer, to the silent contemplation of God, the Father, Son and Spirit, the Loved One of Balthasar. Oakes, like the theologian he so lovingly studies, has an astounding knowledge of everything -- philosophy, theology, history, culture, science. Everything! I heartily commend this book!

This eminently readable book provides an excellent introduction to the thought of this most difficult figure, making him accessible in a way that many other books on Balthasar have not. Moreover, it does not fall into the trap of "hagiography", that is, of being excessively admiring and blindly uncritical, which has typified so much of what has been written on Balthasar.

I was not a fan of von Balthasar's before reading this book. I would find him incredibly difficult and dense to read. However, this book changed my mind about this great theologian.

Written at a level the average theologically educated reader can understand, von Balthasar's questions raised in this book are no less penetrating. I particularly enjoyed his insightful expositions of Simon-Peter's human fallibility, as well as von Balthasar's theological speculation why Our Lord would choose this very apostle to be graced with the Petrine Primacy and the gift of infallibility.

Nevertheless, as von Balthasar reminds the reader, these gifts are not given to St. Peter for his personal benefit, but rather to facilitate his service to the entire Church.

A must read for all Catholic apologists, as well as those struggling with the Petrine Primacy.

. . .Fr. von Balthasar has provided a thoroughly scriptural and theological defense of the Papacy.

Fr. von Balthasar has enunciated, in remarkably cogent fashion, a theory of ecclesiology which as both thoroughly Catholic and expertly reasoned.

What I found most compelling, was his scheme of authority structures in the New Testament, and how each one (James, representing Law; John, representing love; Paul, representing freedom; and Peter representing authority)was necessary to the proper functioning of the Church. His incorporatin of the role of Mary in the Church was also worthy of note.

A good read for anyone wishing to understand the theology behind the papacy, and how the Church is organized.

This book gave me a lot to think about.

Fr. von Balthasar has enunciated, in remarkably cogent fashion, a theory of ecclesiology which as both thoroughly Catholic and expertly reasoned.

What I found most compelling, was his scheme of authority structures in the New Testament, and how each one (James, representing Law; John, representing love; Paul, representing freedom; and Peter representing authority)was necessary to the proper functioning of the Church.

A good read for anyone wishing to understand the theology behind the papacy, and how the Church is organized.

This is one of my two favorite books written by Hans Urs von Balthasar. The Catholic Church asserts that certain individuals are in Heaven, but never declares a specific individual to be in Hell. In fact, the Church still hopes that in their final moments of life, even the greatest sinners such as Judas Iscariot and Adolph Hitler would have repented of their terrible sins.

In this book, Hans Urs von Balthasar pushes the hope that in their final moments of life, all souls will repent and make their peace with God. He hopes all will be saved, not because all deserve Heaven, but rather because all will come to know the great mercy and forgiveness of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Nevertheless, von Balthasar HOPES for the salvation of all. He does not maintain all will indeed be saved, but rather this is his hope. Several times in the work, von Balthasar reminds the reader that Hell remains a very real possibility, and that man must always keep this possibility before his eyes.

. . .by the late Catholic theologian Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar -- but arguably one of the most important.

Critics have unfairly suggested that Fr. von Balthasar is either denying the existence of a literal hell, or denying that anyone is/has been/will be located there. These critics miss the point entirely.

My (extremely brief) summary of Fr. von Balthasar's argument does not concern the existence of hell but rather of the duty of the Christian, which is to fervently pray and hope that all men ARE eventually saved; that the love of Christ CAN eventually reach and be accepted by all; and that knowing through Holy Writ that some will NOT be saved and will choose against God does not free the Christian from the duty of praying for such persons.

In today's troubling times, von Balthasar's message is of timeless importance. To dare to hope and to dare to pray that the love of God will melt the heart of even the most heinous of sinners is a difficult duty. Indeed, such a reminder is liable to make many people angry. But it is, nevertheless, a reminder which needs to be made.

This book is less technical than much of von Balthasar's work, and thus should be much more widely accessible to the informed layman.

This book contains some very interesting essays on Balthasar, especially on his use of Goethe's thought, and an essay on him and Rahner. Very interesting.

Many accuse theology of being meaningless bickering over what we cannot verify. Von Balthasar happily topples those prejudices with this book, which is not only a profound look at the human condition and Scripture, but is also a strong challenge to the reader. The Christian and Anxiety starts with a chapter on what anxiety means in Scripture. This first Chapter alone would merit a purchase, as von Balthasar pulls together many threads from the Wisdom literature of the OT (e.g., Proverbs, Wisdom, Sirach, etc.) to give us a Scriptural review of anxiety. I found this very fruitful, and has caused me to go back to a couple books of the Bible for a new look. Von Balthasar then goes on in the next two chapters to reflect on the theological and philosophical underpinning of anxiety. This becomes tough, involved reading, and I'll be musing over this part of the book for some time, but you do come away with a new understanding about anxiety, which seems to be a very representative emotion for the modern West. Some books are difficult because the writing is poor, or the thoughts are disconnected, and some books are difficult because the author enters into a deep subject and does justice to it. The Christian and Anxiety fits in with the latter, and I highly recommend it as a worthy investment.

I've spent the last year daily exploring the wonderful territory that is von Balthasar's theology. From the Glory of the Lord through Theo-dramatics. McIntosh takes you directly to his heart. There are other helpful introductions and guides, but none captures the beauty of his work with such skill, precision, and depth. Don't even try to tackle von Balthasar without this book.

in this short meditation on the apostle's creed, von balthasar gives us a summary of his own theolgy, firmly based in the Trinity and Fatherhood of God; firmly Catholic and saturated in the orthodox doctrine of the Church. it's too bad that this book wasn't five hundred pages, but the strength of this book and the Truth to which it points can, i think, best be sought and got in prayer; a truth which von balthasar new well enough. this book is an absolute beauty, and i highly recommend it.

This book, a much revised version of a doctoral dissertation from Yale University, is *the* best extant guide to Von Balthasar's ethical thought. This work is, I believe, destined to become a classic in the field.

As usual, Von Balthasar did a wonderful job in the compilation of this collection. The thematic organization is very helpful, as is the entirety of the book, in allowing the reader to get quickly to the meat so to speak. This book is a very good prompt for further study and research into Origen and other early Christian thinkers. Robert Daly should also be commended for a very smooth translation that reads extremely well. In addition, the introduction does a good job in highlighting Origen's thought and importance. One of the most powerful comments I've ever read regarding Origen is included therein:

"The voice of the Alexandrian [Origen] is more like that glowing, rainless desert wind that sometimes sweeps over the Nile delta, with a thoroughly unromantic passion: pure, fiery gusts. Two names come to mind in comparison: Heraclitus and Nietzsche. For their work too is, externally, ashes and contradiction, and makes sense only because of the fire of their souls which forces their unmanageable material into a unity and, with a massive consumption of fuel, leaves behind a fiery track straight across the earth. Their passion, however, stems only from the Dionysian mystery of the world. But here, in Origen, the flame shoots out and darts upward to the mystery of the super-worldly Logos-WORD [. . .]"

But the best comments are reserved for Origen himself, as in the Epigraph where he says:

"I want to be a man of the Church. I do not want to be called by the name of some founder of a heresy, but by the name of Christ, and to bear that name which is blessed on the earth. It is my desire, in deed as in spirit, both to be and to be called a Christian.

If I, who seem to be your right hand and am called Presbyter and seem to preach the Word of God, If I do something against the discipline of the Church and the Rule of the Gospel so that I become a scandal to you, The Church, then may the whole Church, in unanimous resolve, cut me, its right hand, off, and throw me away."

Truly a man of steel, too many have thrown Origen away and he needs to be reclaimed by many, many more. This book is a step in the right direction. TBTG.

The outstanding quality of Hans Urs von Balthasar's thought stems, I believe, from his early, pioneering work in Patristics. He wrote three seminal studies of three of the greatest and most influential of the patristic writers, Origen, Gregory of Nyssa and Maximus the Confessor, and he drew the core principles of his own systematic thinking from the writing of these giants of Christian metaphysics and spirituality. This book is the second of these studies, and it simply is one of the best and most perceptive analyses of St. Gregory in print. Everything Balthasar says about beauty as a key to theology and spirituality, for example, can be found in the writings of St. Gregory of Nyssa, the patristic apostle of beauty as a Divine attribute and gift. This book is a must for both those interested in St. Gregory and for those looking for an insight into von Balthasar.