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Chapter One: Reintegrating Moral Theology in the Norm of Christ

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Chapter One: Reintegrating Moral Theology in the Norm of Christ THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA The Form Love Takes in the World: On Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Contribution to Ethics A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology and Religious Studies Of The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Sacred Theology By Tobias John Nathe Washington, D.C. 2012 The Form Love Takes in the World: On Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Contribution to Ethics Tobias John Nathe, S.T.D. Director: Rev. Brian V. Johnstone, C.Ss.R., S.T.D. While no one would claim Father Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-88) to have been a moral theologian, least of all him, his work nevertheless provides a foundation for ethical discernment which distinguishes its adherents. Specifically, Balthasar’s faith-first methodology and his understanding of love as both co-extensive with being and possessing the inner form of a vow, adds new depth of insight to the gift character of things and their proper appropriation, not to mention one’s own mission in life. Being and action, for Balthasar, are to be reinterpreted in terms of the self-abandoning love of Jesus Christ, which finally indicates how everything reaches its fulfillment in the cosmic liturgy through the paradoxical surrender of its own prerogatives. In this way Balthasar’s perspective serves to bridge human action with the worship of the triune God. After disclosing a number of tenets, such as the nuptiality and fruitfulness of being, which orient such a perspective on being and action in Part One of this dissertation, Part Two is meant to help the reader discern how he or she might apply Balthasar’s “fully Catholic” understanding when approaching various ethical questions. It does this by investigating Balthasar’s own, albeit limited, moral treatises, David L. Schindler’s “Balthasarian” work in three intra-Catholic moral debates, and my own analysis of Balthasar’s thought relative to a Catholic form of life and three models of the relation between theoretical and practical reason. The reader comes to learn how Balthasar’s understanding of the form love takes in the world contributes to ethics without being an ethics in the conventional sense. This dissertation by Tobias John Nathe fulfills the dissertation requirement for the doctoral degree in Moral Theology and Ethics approved by Rev. Brian V. Johnstone, C.Ss.R., S.T.D., as Director, and by William C. Mattison, III, Ph.D., and Nicholas J. Healy, Ph.D. as Readers. _________________________________________ Rev. Brian V. Johnstone, C.Ss.R., S.T.D., Director _________________________________________ William C. Mattison, III, Ph.D., Reader _________________________________________ Nicholas J. Healy, Ph.D., Reader ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Abbreviations………………………………………………………………………….v General Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..1 Chapter by Chapter Analysis…………………………………………………………………13 PART ONE Chapter One: Reintegrating Moral Theology in the Norm of Christ Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..24 I.1 Status Quaestionis of Moral Theology: Integrating Origin, Worship, and Deed…………….30 I.2 Christopher Steck, S.J. and Melanie Barrett: Defining Parts of the Integrative Whole……...36 I.3 Love Alone Is Credible: Propaedeutic for the Christian Difference in Being and Action……45 I.4 The Trinitarian-Christological-Ecclesial Form of Self-Abandoning Love …………………..57 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….. 66 Chapter Two: Love is Co-extensive with Being Introduction…………………………………………………….……………………………69 II.1 The Convertibility of Being and Love…………………………............................................73 II.2 The Miracle of Being and the Fourfold Difference…………………………………………82 (a.) First Distinction………………………………………………………...............83 (b.) Second Distinction……………………………………………..........................85 (c.) Third Distinction……………………………………………….………………87 (d.) Fourth Distinction……………………………………………………………...92 II.3 The Polarity of Being: Nuptiality and Fruitfulness…………………………………………98 II.4 The Infinite Mystery of Being: Wonder and Worship…………………………….……….109 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………116 Chapter Three: Love Has the Inner Form of a Vow Introduction………………………………………………………………………………...118 III.1 The Form Love Takes in the World: Call and Counsels…………………………………...122 III.2 Theo-Dramatic Action: Setting the Stage………………………………………………….132 III.3 Human Freedom in Three Integral Correspondences……………………………………...136 (a.) Form and Command…………………………………………………..............137 (b.) Choice and Commitment………………………………………...……………143 (c.) Gift and Gratitude…………………………………………………..…………150 III.4 The Saints and their Missions: Examples of Surrendering Love…………………...……...157 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….164 iii PART TWO Chapter Four: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Moral Treatises Introduction…………………………………………………………..……………….…….169 IV.1(a) Nuptiality and Fruitfulness: The Transmission of Human Life………………………..……170 IV.1(b) Nuptiality and Fruitfulness: Roles in the Church…………………………….…………..…178 IV.2 Poverty and the Natural Rights of Ownership………………………………………………185 IV.3 Secular Institutes, Catholic Action, and Communio………………………………………...198 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..211 Chapter Five: Balthasar’s Theology of Love in the Work of David L. Schindler Introduction………………………………………………………………………...…….…214 V.1 Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Influence on David L. Schindler………………………………..216 V.2 The Neo-Conservatism Debate……………………………………………………….…….223 V.3 The ANT-OAR Debate ……………………………………………………………………..247 V.4 The Theology of the Body Debate………………………………….……………….…...…261 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..………270 Chapter Six: An Artistry of Love: Foundations and Proposals Introduction………………………………………………………………………..….…….273 VI.1 A Catholic Form of Life……………………………………………………………….……276 (a.) Integrates Origin, Worship, and Deed in Jesus Christ…………………………278 (b.) Interpenetrates the Work-a-Day World………………………………………...286 (c.) Expresses a Logic Both Nuptial and Fruitful…………………………………..288 VI.2 Theoretical and Practical Reason: Unity-in-Distinction…………........................................293 (a.) Melina’s “Dynamic Model” …………………………………………………..296 (b.) Rhonheimer’s “Parallelism” and Crawford’s “Triune and Circumincessive” Model…………………………….306 (c.) Concluding Remarks on Speculative and Practical Reasoning……….…….…319 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….323 General Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...326 Select Bibliography Primary Sources: Hans Urs von Balthasar…………………………………………………332 Secondary Sources: Hans Urs von Balthasar………………………………………………338 Other Sources …………………………………………………………………….............343 iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Balthasar’s Trilogy: GL1-7 The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics Vol. 1 Seeing the Form Vol. 2 Studies in the Theological Style: Clerical Styles Vol. 3 Studies in the Theological Styles: Lay Styles Vol. 4 The Realm of Metaphysics in Antiquity Vol. 5 The Realm of Metaphysics in the Modern Age Vol. 6 Theology: The Old Covenant Vol. 7 Theology: The New Covenant HK, I-III.2.2 Herrlichkeit: Eine Theologische Ästhetik Band I Schau der Gestalt Band II Facher der Stile Teil 1 Klerikale Stile Teil 2 Laikale Stile Band III. 1 Im Raum der Metaphysik Teil 1: Altertum Teil 2: Neuzeit Band III. 2 Theologie Teil 1: Alter Bund Teil 2: Neuer Bund TD1-5 Theo-Drama: Theological Dramatic Theory Vol. 1 Prolegomena Vol. 2 The Dramatis Personae: Man in God Vol. 3 The Dramatis Personae: The Person in Christ Vol. 4 The Action Vol. 5 Last Act TDK, I-IV Theo-Dramatik Band I Prolegomena Band II.1 Die Personen des Spiels: Teil 1: Der Mensch in Gott Band II.2 Die Personen des Spiels: Teil 2: Die Personen in Christus Band III Die Handlung Band IV Das Endspiel v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS (Cont’d) Balthasar’s Trilogy (Cont’d): TL1-3 Theo-logic: Theological Logical Theory Vol. 1 Truth of the World Vol. 2 Truth of God Vol. 3 The Spirit of Truth TLK, I-III Theologik Band I Wahrheit der Welt Band II Wahrheit Gottes Band III Der Geist der Warheit Other Works by Balthasar: CSL The Christian State of Life CS Christlicher Stand LAC Love Alone is Credible GNL Glaubhaft ist Nur Liebe “NP” “Nine Propositions on Christian Ethics” “NS” “Neun Sätze zu Christlichen Ethik” “TS” “Theology and Sanctity” “TH” “Theologie und Heiligkeit” St. Thomas Aquinas: ST Summa Theologica Summa Theologiae vi GENERAL INTRODUCTION1 Given the plethora of books and articles on Father Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905- 1988),2 not to mention the personal commendations of the last two supreme pontiffs,3 the Swiss theologian’s influence on post-conciliar Catholic thought is well established and apparently growing.4 That his body of work shows erudition on such wide ranging topics as music, literature, poetry, and philosophy, in addition to theology, no doubt substantiates this 1 Balthasar’s original German prose will be cited alongside the English in this dissertation for the following major works: his trilogy (The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, Theo-Drama: Theological Dramatic Theory, and Theo-logic: Theological Logical Theory), The Christian State of Life, Love Alone is Credible, “Theology and Sanctity,” and “Nine Propositions on Christian Ethics.” See List of Abbreviations. 2 See Hans Urs von Balthasar: An Internet Archive, accessed February 12, 2012, http://hansursvonbalthasar.blogspot.com/ for an excellent resource of primary and secondary literature on Balthasar in English. For an extant list of titles from his former publishing house, see Johannes Verlag Einsiedeln, accessed February 12, 2012, http://www.johannes-verlag.de/.
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