Irenaeus

“My entire period of study in the Society of Jesus was a grim struggle with the dreariness of theology, with what men had made out of the glory of revelation. I could not endure this presentation of the Word of God and wanted to lash out with the fury of Samson: I felt like tearing down, with Samson’s own strength, the whole temple and bury myself beneath the rubble. But it was like this because, despite my sense of vocation, I wanted to carry out my own plans, and was living in a state of unbounded indignation. I told almost no one about this. [My teacher at the time Erich] Przywara understood everything; [to him] I did not have to say anything. Otherwise there was no one who could understand me.”

These thoughts of Hans Urs von Balathasar are taken from his introduction to Adrienne von Speyr’s journals. His feelings reflect what he saw as dry Thomist theology that lacked the passion and the fire inherent in the Word.

In Vol. II of the Glory of the Lord Balthasar selects five theologies that represent what he sees as preceding the branching off of the disciplines of theology and philosophy; Irenaeus, Augustine, Denys, Anselm and Bonaventure. In Vol. III he selects seven whose theologies were developed after the split of the two areas of study; Dante, St. John of the Cross, Pascal, Hamann, Soloviev, Hopkins and Peguy. He selects these as representative of those theologies that project the fire and passion, what he termed “the glory of the Lord”,  he felt was lacking in the theology being taught at the time.

An example of what he saw in Irenaeus is taken from Vol. II P.64 – 65:

“ …. Irenaeus is totally amazed at the miracle of the human body made alive by the soul. It is for him the most fundamental example of what distinguishes the creature: its being formed by God's hand: `The flesh is not without a share in the artistic wisdom and power of God, because God's power, which bestows life, is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12.9), that is, in the flesh."" Strange and impressive exegesis! `The flesh is devised to be receptive and to be able to contain the power of God, since in the beginning it received the art of God, and one part became an eye for seeing, another an ear for hearing, another a hand for feeling and making, another nerves, tensed in all direction and holding the limbs together, another arteries and veins for the circulation of the blood and the soul-breath, another in turn different internal organs, and another blood, the link between body and soul. It is indeed impossible to describe the whole masterly structure of elements which makes up man; it did not come into being without greatness and wisdom. But what shares in the art and wisdom of God also shares in his power.'

And from p.74-75:

 “This is the source of the central concept of `glory' as the mutual glorification of God and man. Man, who preserves God's art in himself and obediently opens himself to its dispos­ing, glorifies the artist and the artist glorifies himself in his work. `You do not create God; God creates you. Therefore if you are God's work, wait patiently for the hand of your artist, who does everything in due proportion, and in due proportion as regards you who are being made. Offer him your heart soft and pliable, and preserve the form which the artist forms out of you: preserve it by keeping yourself moist, so that you do not dry out and harden and lose the trace of his fingers. Keeping the form that has been impressed on you, you will move towards perfection, for the clay that is in you will be hidden by the artist.   His hand has created the substance in you, and now it will cover you inside and out with pure gold and silver and beautify you so much that "even the king will lust after your beauty" (Ps 45:11)”