Hans Urs von Balthasar and Theological Style

In this book, Christopher W. Myers uses Hans Urs von Balthasar’s (1905-1988) concept of theological style to “sketch” the characteristics of foundational theology in distinctly aesthetic terms.

Reflecting on Balthasar’s twelve exemplars of theological style, spanning from Irenaeus to Charles Péguy, this book demonstrates how a given theological style results from the confluence of three factors: the glory of divine revelation, the Church’s reception and interpretation of that revelation, and the fruitful expression of that revelation through the particular charism of the theologian. Myers argues that, in expositing these theologians, Balthasar seeks to “sketch” each of them as a means to determine and define their particular theological styles. By aesthetically defining theological style, this book illuminates an under-explored section of Balthasar’s Herrlichkeit, providing a context for reading Balthasar on his own terms and offering a fresh assessment of his strengths and weaknesses as a theologian.