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Rating: 
Summary: The Heavens are telling the Glory of God: Ps 19:1
Review: Hans Urs von Balthasar:
Hans Urs von Balthasar is certainly one of the greatest, and most influential Catholic theologians, and is said to be the most cultured of the twentieth century, with amazing breadth of literary, philosophic and religious tradition. He was born in Lucerne, studied in Vienna, Berlin and Zurich universities. Henri de Lubac and Pryzwara influenced him, and with Danielou studied the fathers of the Church Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine and Maximus. He was so versatile and innovative, wrote over a hundred books, one with a title, "Truth is Symphonic" He was active in editorial activities, publishing especially works of the mystic Dr. Von Speyr. He was awarded Paul VI Prize for theology and designated a Cardinal just before he passed away in 1988. Balthasar's writings together with Karl Rahner have clearly shaped Tubingen reconstruction of Catholic theology. Maximus the Confessor:
Born around 580, this Eastern Orthodox Byzantine theologian, and ascetic writer received education, rare in his time. He was first secretary to emperor Heraclius for a while before recognizing his calling in 614 to a monastery in Turkey. He visited Carthage as a refugee were he befriended Sophronius of Jerusalem. They journeyed to Alexandria together meeting with Cyrus, the last Melekite Patriarch/Governer of Egypt, trying to overturn the union agreement with the miaphysite Egyptians, since Maximus was a staunch opponent to monothelite movement. He was opposed to monophysitism but is considered by contemporary miaphysites as a neo-Chaledonian who returned to Cyril Severus' Orthodox Christology. His masters were those of the Alexandrines, Origen, Evagrius, and Dionysius pseudo-Areopagite. His most beautiful and authentic Orthodox expression on icons: "Love is the best icon for Christ." Cosmic Liturgy:
Written by Balthasar over sixty years ago, won an able translator, Fr. Daley wrote a most compelling forward relating the thought of the author and the subject, that made this work vivid, inviting and rewarding. In his own words, "a work combining historical interpretation with constructive argument in a way seldom encountered today," The serious study of the fathers including this work influenced the resurgence of Neo-Catholicism of Vatican II.
Maximus "chapters on knowledge," defined the promise and danger of Neo-Platonism of Alexandria, and earlier of Balthasar research revealed John of Scythopolis as the writer and Maximus the editor of the commentaries of our great master mystic Dionysius Areopagiutum. Not being an expert, I may still dare say that there was no better person to analyze, and comment on Maximus work, expose and resynthesize his thought like Urs von Balthasar, including the confessor himself. Brian Daley's expert warning:
"The dangers inherent in this kind of historical-theological study are obvious. Evenscholars willing to acknowledge the magnitude and interpretive brilliance of this book, especially in reviews of its second edition in 1961, suggested weaknesses in von Balthasar's approach: the questions he asks of Maximus are modern questions, set by situation of French and German Catholic theology in the mid-twentieth century, and the picture of Maximus he draws is, in the end, an incorporation of substantial and authentic elements of maximus' thought into the proportions and shadings of von Balthasar' own theological enterprise.'
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