Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Dramatic Structure of Truth: A Philosophical Investigation (Perspectives in Continental Philosophy)

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) was one of the most prolific and influential theologians of the twentieth century. This book, the first English-language study of Balthasar, seeks to show the fruitfulness of his thought by drawing out its philosophical implications for the question of truth. D. C. Schindler argues that a "dramatic" approach, shaping both the form and content of philosophy, enables a new conception of being, of human consciousness, and of their coming together to satisfy both traditional concerns about unity and postmodern calls for difference-while avoiding the pitfalls of a one-sided emphasis on either. "In this book, D. C. Schindler sets out to develop a dramatic concept of truth using the resources of the thought of the influential Swiss Catholic theologian and philosopher Hans Urs von Balthasar, in dialogue with nineteenth- and twentieth-century Continental philosophy." "Born in 1905, Balthasar became one of the century's great Catholic philosopher-theologians. Through his voluminous writings and his work as a cofounder of the international journal of Communio and of the Community of St. John, Balthasar sought to engage the world with a living God, to respond to the fundamental questions of the modern age by drawing on often-untapped souces in the great Catholic tradition, and thus to cast a striking new light on perennial problems." "This book should go a long way in establishing Balthasar as an essential voice in contemporary conversations among philosophers and theologians, especially in light of postmodern debates about the end of metaphysics and of "overcoming ontotheology."" "Schindler not only demonstrates the fundamental connections between Balthasar and the wider philosophical project of this century; he also demonstrates the continuing power of Balthasar's theology - as a human encounter with the glory of God - to shape culture and community."--BOOK JACKET.

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905Ð1988) was one of the most prolific and influential theologians of the twentieth century. This book, the first English-language study of Balthasar, seeks to show the fruitfulness of his thought by drawing out its philosophical implications for the question of truth.D. C. Schindler argues that a dramatic approach, shaping both the form and content of philosophy, enables a new conception of being, of human consciousness, and of their coming together to satisfy both traditional concerns about unity and postmodern calls for difference-while avoiding the pitfalls of a one-sided emphasis on either.

D.c. Schindler. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 429-446) And Index.