Von Balthasar's Ideal Theology

APPENDIX VON BALTHASAR'S IDEAL THEOLOGY It is well known that von Balthasar spent the early years of his theological career studying the patristic period of Christianity. I When one considers the dominant view in that period of what an ideal theology, as well as what an ideal theologian, should consist in, it soon becomes apparent how great is the patristic influence on his thought. Certainly, both his ideal theology and his conception of what a Christian theologian should be clearly show the influence that the patristic period had on him. In this appendix, I first draw out some of the features of the dominant view held within the patristic period2 of an ideal theology and an ideal theologian-a view which had such a marked effect on von Balthasar. I then discuss his proposals for the way forward in theology-proposals which incorporate the specific ideal which he draws from the patristic period. Thus, in this appendix, I shed further light on von Balthasar's appeal for a return to a more integrated approach to theology. (a) The Early Centuries If we are to gain any further insight into von Balthasar's conception of what both theology and theologians ought to be, then we must take into considera tion what, for him, was the definitive period of Christian theology-namely, the early centuries of Christianity. The most relevant feature of this period, 1 Indeed, von Balthasar's ·fIrst significant theological pUblications were in Patristics. See Hans Urs von Balthasar, Kosmische Liturgie. Hohe und Krise des griechischen Weltbilds bei Maximus Confessor (Freiburg: Herder, 1941); Hans Urs von Balthasar, Die Gnost ischen Centurien des Maximus Confessor (Freiburg: Herder, 1941); and Hans Urs von Balthasar, Presence et Pensee. Essai sur fa Philosophie Refigieuse de Gregoire de Nysse (Paris: Beauchesne, 1942). 2Unfortunately, it is beyond the scope of the present work to provide a detailed treatment of this period. What follows is a brief summary. 202 THE APOLOGETIC VALUE OF HUMAN HOLINESS if one is to appreciate his proposals for the way forward in theology, is how certain of the Church Fathers conceived of themselves as theologians. And after one has engaged in even a cursory study of the patristic period, the moment one then turns to examine von Balthasar's conception of the ideal theologian and the ideal theology, there can be little doubt that this period furnishes him with his ideal? How, then, did the Greek Fathers understand the word 'theology', and what was their conception of the theologian? According to Aime Solignac,4 the Fathers of the Church originally followed the prevailing usage of the time, which was basically the same as in Greek antiquity. However, it became increasingly apparent to them that what was new in the Christian mystery required a new meaning to be given both to 'theology' and to 'theologian'. From that moment onwards, as Solignac observes, 'the Fathers were conscious of the requirements which the true theologian must satisfy: interior purification, contemplation and respect for the mystery of God.,5 Solignac divides the history of the Fathers into three periods. What distinguishes the first period, which ends in the third century, is the develop ment by the Church Fathers of a new way of speaking about God. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215) and Origen (c. 185-254) stand out. Origen is of particular interest, for, in his view, Jesus (as saviour) was to be regarded as the primary theologian. The second period is dominated by the various controversies that occurred during the fourth century-controversies which stimulated certain devel opments in the thought of the Church Fathers. As Solignac amplifies: 'the orthodox authors were obliged to respond to the attacks of the Arians, semi Arians, and pneumatics, and this resulted in their writings becoming more 3 Indeed, there can be no doubt that the patristic period of Christianity, and the views of the Greek Church Fathers in particular, provided von Balthasar with his conception of the ideal theologian and the ideal theology. And given the extent of the influence of the ideas of the Greek Fathers on von Balthasar's views, it is not surprising that his conception of the ideal relation between theology, holiness, and philosophy seems to have more in common with that conception held today in the Eastern Christian tradition (which has descended directly from the Greek Fathers) than with that which prevails in the Latin. 4See Aime Solignac, 'Le mot et sa signification', Part One of Aime Solignac and Raymond Winling, 'Theologie', in Dictionnaire de Spiritualite: ascetique et mystique, doctrine et histoire, Volume 15 (Paris: Beauchesne, 1991), columns 463-487. Solignac provides an excellent summary of theology in the patristic period, and von Balthasar's understanding of authentic Christian theology can easily be recognised in Solignac's portrayal of the developing views of the Church Fathers, particularly in his depiction of the thinking of the Greek Fathers. ~ This and the following translations from Solignac are my own. The original reads: 'les Peres prennent conscience des exigences auxquelle doit satis!aire Ie veritable theologian: pUrification interieure, contemplation et respect du mystere de Dieu'. Ibid., col. 464. VON BALTHASAR'S IDEAL THEOLOGY 203 systematic. Nevertheless, they continued to emphasise the divine mystery and, thus, the difficulty of "speaking about God". ,6 Solignac regards the thinking of Athanasius (c. 296-377) as representative of this period, and quotes him as saying: 'anyone wishing to understand the thinking of the "theologians" must first of all purify his way of living ... in order that, through being united to them by the conduct of his life, he would also understand that which God has revealed to them. ,7 The third period can be characterised as the time when the Church Fathers came to view theology as comprising a mystical knowledge of God. It was at this time that Evagrius Ponticus (346-99) observed: 'If you are a theologian, you will truly pray, and if you truly pray, you are a theologian.'8 Moreover, and significantly, theology was understood during this period as a charism for example, by Diadochus de Photice (fifth century), who explicitly refers to the 'charism of theology'. Most interestingly, perhaps, in explicating Diadochus' Gnostic Chapters, Solignac adds: 'the theologian is designated as the one most apt to "speak about God". It appears that "the theological soul" is really "the contemplative soul" ... which knows God in its contempla tion. It is then able to communicate this knowledge to others, and thus theology becomes "discourse about God". ,9 Indeed, in concluding his survey of the patristic period, Solignac, while acknowledging the polyvalence of the tenn 'theologia', points out that during the time of the Church Fathers 'theologia' continuously included within its extension both the knowledge of God and the manner of speaking about God. Moreover, for the Fathers, this knowledge and this discourse, at the same time as requiring the work of reason as well as criticism, always presupposes a way of living which puts the human intelligence in accord with God, whom they seek. Most of them 6 Solignac writes: 'Cependant les attaques des ariens, semi-ariens, pneumatoques, obligent les auteurs orthodoxes a leur opposer des arguments qui donnent deja a leurs ecrits une allure systematique. En [sic.] meme, ils insistent sur Ie mystere divin, et donc sur la difji culte de "parler de Dieu '''. Ibid., col. 467. 7 The French reads: 'celui qui veut comprendre la pensee des "theologiens" doit au prealable purifier sa maniere de vivre ... afin que, uni a eux par la conduite de sa vie, il comprenne aussi ce que Dieu leur a reveie.' Athanasius, The Incarnation of the Word, 57.1, cited in Solignac, 'Le mot et sa signification', op. cit. 8 'Si tu es theologian, tu prieras vraiment, et si tu pries vraiment, tu es theologien' . Evagrius Ponticus, Traite de I'oraison (Paris: 1960), cited in Solignac, 'Le mot et sa signification', op. cit., col. 469. 9 The French reads: 'Ie theologien est designe comme Ie plus apte a "parler de Dieu ". II reste que "I'ame theologienne" est bien "I' ame contemplative" ... qui connait Dieu dans sa contemplation. Elle peut ensuite communiquer cette connaissance aux autres, et la theologie devient alors "discours sur Dieu ,., . Ibid., col. 470. 204 THE APOLOGETIC VALUE OF HUMAN HOLINESS also recognised that theology is, above all, a grace and a charism: only God teaches one how to speak about God. 10 It is surely beyond question that von Balthasar's own understanding of the terms 'theology' and 'theologian' draws its inspiration largely from this period. There are clear parallels between, on the one hand, his insistence on a harmony between teaching and life, or theology and holiness, and on the other hand, the patristic understanding of what it is to be a theologian and what theology consists in. With respect to theology in particular, the par allelism is striking in two major respects-namely, the joint emphasis on: (1) theology as a rational activity, which presupposes a life in accord with God-a holy life; and (2) theology as a gift of grace or, in other words, as a charism--or, in Balthasarian terms, theology as a mission. Furthermore, the Greek patristic theologians, by and large, considered theology to be united with, what we now refer to as, spirituality-a view which is clearly similar to that which von Balthasar advocates. Now, regarding the patristic perspective on this union, Solignac does con cede that the distinction between theologia and oikonomia ... appears more or less in the whole of the Greek tradition. Theologia, on the whole, designates the mystery of God in Himself; oikonomia designates the divine 'dispensation', in history, of grace and salvation.

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