Conference Presentations by Helenka Pasztetnik
Hans Urs von Balthasar opened his major work with the programmatic statement: “We here attempt to... more Hans Urs von Balthasar opened his major work with the programmatic statement: “We here attempt to develop a Christian theology in the light of the third transcendental, that is to say: to complement the vision of the true and the good with that of the beautiful (pulchrum).” This presentation will seek to analyse the importance of beauty in the thought of Balthasar and explore its role in the Christian moral life. It will be argued that what is needed in moral theology is a new enchantment with the glory of Christ and the beauty of sanctity.
This presentation will follow Balthasar’s thought on the nature and mission of the saints in the ... more This presentation will follow Balthasar’s thought on the nature and mission of the saints in the Church. It will particularly focus on Balthasar’s ‘subjective’ analysis of human sanctity through his three-fold schema of contemplation, receptivity and mission. The saint will be shown to be one who first is enraptured by the beauty of Christ’s love through contemplation, who then actively cultivates a disposition of receptivity to God’s will, and finally bears fruit for the Church and the world by carrying out his or her God-given mission. Throughout the paper, it will also be shown that, for Balthasar, Mary is the archetype and model of Christian sanctity. Ultimately, it will be claimed that by Balthasar’s model of contemplation, receptivity and mission, one may come to understand that saints are hidden and incomprehensible, but also, through their missions, that they bear fruit in the Church and the world, and are “the only really effective apologia for Christianity.”
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Conference Presentations by Helenka Pasztetnik