A Wise Man from Helvetia

While visiting Lucerne last Autumn I had, until that time, no knowledge that it was the birthplace and resting place of one of the most celebrated theologians of the 20th Century. Lucerne is a beautiful city, nestling at the side of the lake, framed with magnificent mountains and with stunning architecture, amongst which is the awesome Jesuit Church and many excellent public buildings. The city has many attractions for the visitor - the steepest (48%) rack and pinion railway in the world up Mount Pilatus, the highest external lift in Europe to ascend the summit of Mount Börgenstock, and so on. The myth surrounding Pilatus is that it is reputed that Pontias Pilate’s body was thrown into the lake from the Mount - a story to be told to the Marines!

I had been aware of the name Balthasar as belonging to one of the supposed three wise men from the East but had no knowledge of the eponymous incumbent until stimulated by an article in the Church Times of 17 November 2006 which reported an interview with our Archbishop of Canterbury as he was about to visit Pope Benedict. I later discovered that Hans Urs Von Balthasar had been the favourite theologian of Pope John Paul II, and noted the results of the interview. Rowan Williams was asked, “From what you know of Pope Benedict’s theology, what do you think you have in common?” to which an excerpt of his reply was “... we have a critical but none the less quite enthusiastic acquaintance with Hans Urs Von Balthasar’s theology...” and then significantly added “... I think he is probably more critical than I am of Von Balthasar...”

It is a source of considerable wonderment that these two great ecclesiastical academics should focus on such an evidently towering figure of which the Christian Church, at least in England, is so ignorant. Never, in all the sermons and religious papers of recent times has any mention been made of him nor have any of my acquaintances, religious or secular academics been able to enlighten me.

Hans Urs Von Balthasar was born in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 12th August 1905 and died on 26th June 1988. He studied in Vienna, Berlin and Zurich. In 1928 he joined the Society of Jesuits, leaving that order in 1950 when he considered that God had called him to found a new religious order for the laity. He was asked by John Paul II to be a cardinal but died shortly before the ceremony. He is buried in the Hofkirche Cemetery in Lucerne. He wrote over a hundred books and myriad articles. His main work is the trilogy rendered in English as ‘The Glory of The Lord’ (Herrlichkeit, Theodramatik, Theologik) which is a theological synthesis seeking to re-establish the priority of beauty in theological reflection.

It is not unusual that mystics and totally committed religious persons have some sort of revelation. Von Balthasar has written that in 1927 whilst in the Black Forest he sheltered under a tree which was struck by lightning. In his mind, as a flash he then knew that he could not choose what to do but had been called. All he could do was to have revealed to him what he was needed for. He taught, studied, researched and had various posts, both religious and lay. He had a friendship with the reformed Protestant neo-orthodox theologian Karl Barth, and a deep association with the mystic Adrienne Von Speyr, whose work he published.

Von Balthasar summarises his theology as ‘the transcedental attributes of Being are - The One, The Good, The True and The Beautiful - these surpass all the limits of essences and are co-extensive with Being”.

Rod Dawson