Comments on: Response to Love Alone http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/ Catholic Anglican Reflections on Theology and Culture Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:44:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Tony http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-482 Tony Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:26:30 +0000 http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-482 I suspect Balthasar's literary style sometimes gets in the way... How many can take his "The Heart of the World" easily??? Still, one should allow the man his own style. For what he says though said in a more easily accessible way, I would point to Rowan Williams Lost Icons... Love Alone mourns the death of the aesthetic and seeks to recover it. Lost Icons does a similar thing... The last chapter is a tour de force: Lost Souls...Lost Selves... I suspect Balthasar’s literary style sometimes gets in the way… How many can take his “The Heart of the World” easily??? Still, one should allow the man his own style. For what he says though said in a more easily accessible way, I would point to Rowan Williams Lost Icons… Love Alone mourns the death of the aesthetic and seeks to recover it. Lost Icons does a similar thing… The last chapter is a tour de force: Lost Souls…Lost Selves…

]]> By: Fred http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-199 Fred Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:50:27 +0000 http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-199 <i>Maybe I’m putting too much emphasis on Balthasar’s Ignatian background</i> It would be very difficult to over-estimate the impact of the Spiritual Exercises on Balthasar's formation. One of the strengths of Ong's <i>Hopkins, the Self, and God</i> is that Ong understands the Exercises from within. The Community of St. John takes both Ignatius and John as its inspiration. And, Balthasar gave the Exercises many times, while a Jesuit and afterwards. Both Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr wrote works of formation that draw heavily upon the Exercises. Maybe I’m putting too much emphasis on Balthasar’s Ignatian background
It would be very difficult to over-estimate the impact of the Spiritual Exercises on Balthasar’s formation. One of the strengths of Ong’s Hopkins, the Self, and God is that Ong understands the Exercises from within. The Community of St. John takes both Ignatius and John as its inspiration. And, Balthasar gave the Exercises many times, while a Jesuit and afterwards. Both Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr wrote works of formation that draw heavily upon the Exercises.

]]> By: DWM http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-195 DWM Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:54:34 +0000 http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-195 DJW, thanks for the nice words, and the excellent bibliographical information and link. Best, DWM DJW, thanks for the nice words, and the excellent bibliographical information and link. Best,
DWM

]]> By: DJW http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-186 DJW Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:34:29 +0000 http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-186 Hi, Nice piece. In reference to a couple of things you've stated - I don't think you're over-emphasising the Ignatian influence on von Balthasar at all. Although he left the Jesuits, the imprint left on him by the Spiritual exercises continued to exert an influence on his theology. As regards A.D.'s mention of psychoanalysis. I think it's probably safe to say von Balthasar was no fan of Freud but he was no stranger to pyschoanalysis. He was friends with Rudolf Allers (who used to be a student of Freuds') and preferred his inter-subjective and personalist approach to the reductionist views of Freud. I don't know if he ever read any Lacan but I suspect he probably wouldn't be overly impressed. If anyone's interested there's more information on Allers over on this site: http://www.rudolfallers.info/index.html Hi,

Nice piece. In reference to a couple of things you’ve stated - I don’t think you’re over-emphasising the Ignatian influence on von Balthasar at all. Although he left the Jesuits, the imprint left on him by the Spiritual exercises continued to exert an influence on his theology.

As regards A.D.’s mention of psychoanalysis. I think it’s probably safe to say von Balthasar was no fan of Freud but he was no stranger to pyschoanalysis. He was friends with Rudolf Allers (who used to be a student of Freuds’) and preferred his inter-subjective and personalist approach to the reductionist views of Freud. I don’t know if he ever read any Lacan but I suspect he probably wouldn’t be overly impressed.

If anyone’s interested there’s more information on Allers over on this site: http://www.rudolfallers.info/index.html

]]> By: Janet Leslie Blumberg http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-177 Janet Leslie Blumberg Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:30:16 +0000 http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-177 Graham Greene was working in just these veins, I think, in Brighton Rock. I am incredibly grateful for that book, even though it seems on the surface, I suppose, to resolve nothing. Why is it that just knowing other hearts have been in the same place as your own is itself a redemption? Thanks, everybody. Graham Greene was working in just these veins, I think, in Brighton Rock. I am incredibly grateful for that book, even though it seems on the surface, I suppose, to resolve nothing. Why is it that just knowing other hearts have been in the same place as your own is itself a redemption? Thanks, everybody.

]]> By: A.D. http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-176 A.D. Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:05:17 +0000 http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-176 I really enjoyed reading Jefferson's post, very insightful, and I resonate with the feeling that this mother/baby smile can come off a bit blase. There is a reason why there exists such a thing as psychoanalysis, which in effect tries to address the gap between the Christ who smiles at Mary (and the Mary who embraces us) and our human parents whose faces are much more troubled. I said that upside down, of course, but I emphasize the gap. This is a weak spot of Balthasar, that he never read Lacan and never understood Freud, although he and Lacan had almost the exact same dates. They should have went on a date. I really enjoyed reading Jefferson’s post, very insightful, and I resonate with the feeling that this mother/baby smile can come off a bit blase. There is a reason why there exists such a thing as psychoanalysis, which in effect tries to address the gap between the Christ who smiles at Mary (and the Mary who embraces us) and our human parents whose faces are much more troubled. I said that upside down, of course, but I emphasize the gap. This is a weak spot of Balthasar, that he never read Lacan and never understood Freud, although he and Lacan had almost the exact same dates. They should have went on a date.

]]> By: Davis http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-175 Davis Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:46:36 +0000 http://www.thelandofunlikeness.com/2007/08/02/response-to-love-alone/#comment-175 Love comes sometimes in small but heroic gestures. Love comes sometimes in small but heroic gestures.

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