Synopses & Reviews
"Alyssa Lyra Pitstick's Light in Darkness - the first comprehensive treatment of Balthasar's theology of Holy Saturday - draws on the multiple yet unified resources of authoritative Catholic teaching on Christ's descent to challenge Balthasar's conclusions. Pitstick conducts a thorough investigation of Balthasar's position that Christ suffered in his descent into hell and asks whether that is compatible with traditional teaching about Christ." "Light in Darkness is a thorough argument for the existence and authority of a traditional Catholic doctrine of Christ's descent as manifested in creeds, statements of popes and councils, Scripture, and art from Eastern and Western traditions. Pitstick's carefully argued, contrarian work is sure to spur debate across the theological spectrum."--BOOK JACKET.
Synopsis
He descended into hell. Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century, placed this affirmation of the Nicene Creed at the heart of his reflection on the world-altering events of Holy Week, asserting that this identification of God with the human experience is at the "absolute center" of the Christian faith. Yet is such a descent to suffering really the essence of Catholic belief about the mystery of Holy Saturday?
Alyssa Lyra Pitstick's Light in Darkness -- the first comprehensive treatment of Balthasar's theology of Holy Saturday -- draws on the multiple yet unified resources of authoritative Catholic teaching on Christ's descent to challenge Balthasar's conclusions. Pitstick conducts a thorough investigation of Balthasar's position that Christ suffered in his descent into hell and asks whether that is compatible with traditional teaching about Christ.
Light in Darkness is a thorough argument for the existence and authority of a traditional Catholic doctrine of Christ's descent as manifested in creeds, statements of popes and councils, Scripture, and art from Eastern and Western traditions. Pitstick's carefully argued, contrarian work is sure to spur debate across the theological spectrum.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Creeds and catechisms -- Scripture and the traditional doctrine of Christ's descent -- Magisterium and sensus fidelium: liturgy and art -- The descent event -- Christ's descent in light of the Trinity: the Father, active inflictor of the visio mortis -- Christ's descent in light of the Trinity: the Son, mission as expression of procession -- Christ's descent in light of the Trinity: the Spirit, bond of love, bridge of separation -- The centrality of the descent in the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar -- Global questions about the theological opinion of Hans Urs von Balthasar -- Conclusion.