The Glory of the Lord by Hans Urs von Balthasar

In the more popular forums of discussion, one hears that Balthasar’s point of view runs counter to the explicit teaching of Jesus and to the witness of many of the saints. In very recent times, certain theologians have opined that Balthasar’s “universalism” has contributed mightily to the decline of the Church’s influence in the West and to an attenuating of its missionary impulse. In the opening pages of his book, Balthasar himself mentions a number of theologians and journalists who dismissed his speculations out of hand, some even questioning his orthodoxy. Take even the most cursory look at the extensive and vehement internet conversation surrounding this issue if you doubt me. That this proposition is controversial was evident from the moment this book was published and it remains evident today. But he will insist-in fact, it is the gravamen of his argument-that we are permitted to hope that Hell might be empty of human beings. Whatever else Hans Urs von Balthasar says in this book, the one thing he is quite clearly not saying is that we have certain knowledge that all people will be saved. It is curious indeed that a text so often characterized as advocating an easy “universalism” in regard to salvation, actually commences with a clear statement that all human beings stand under the divine judgment. Barron’s entire Foreword to the book, along with two videos he filmed on the life and work of Hans Urs von Balthasar.įoreword to Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?

You should also browse the new website they launched,, to learn about the man Henri de Lubac called “the most cultured man in Europe.” We strongly encourage you to pick up a copy. This week, Ignatius Press released a beautiful new edition of Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?, for which Fr. If you have not yet read the book, now is a good time.

Some readers vigorously defend Balthasar’s views on Hell and salvation, while others label him a universalist, someone certain that all people will be saved. The book remains one of the most discussed theology books of the twentieth century as well as one of the most controversial. Titled Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved? With a Short Discourse on Hell, the book combined two small works originally published in German in 19. Just over twenty five years ago, Ignatius Press published the first English translation of a book by the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, a man esteemed by St.

The Glory of the Lord by Hans Urs von Balthasar