A constructive theology of prayer, drawing on the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar

Thesis

In this thesis I provide a constructive theology of prayer drawing on the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988). I do this by exploring the Trinitarian, Christological, ecclesial, anthropological, and eschatological dimensions of prayer in Balthasar’s theology, and showing how these combine to give an account of prayer’s proper theological scope and purpose. I argue that it is frequently in connection to the topic of prayer that Balthasar’s coherence and creativity as a theologian are most apparent. My approach is intended to demonstrate the centrality of prayer to Balthasar’s entire theological system, and to do so in a way which itself constitutes an exercise in Catholic systematics. I show that for Balthasar prayer is a central aspect of Christian existence, with its foundation in the eternal Trinitarian life and its end in the eschatological future of the world. In this way prayer has a certain shape or rhythm which Balthasar’s theology helps to clarify. There is furthermore a critical aspect of prayer which is underdeveloped in Balthasar but which I show to have significant dialogical potential with contemporary accounts of parrhesia since Foucault. Prior to taking up the various questions related to prayer, I establish a method of proceeding through Balthasar’s sprawling oeuvre (and the similarly vast secondary literature) by arguing for three “categories” of texts in Balthasar’s writings and, separately, three “waves” of Balthasar readers. These models are intended to be resources for future students of Balthasar, regardless of their particular research interests. Altogether, then, this thesis substantiates the claims that prayer is both a central aspect of and a topic for an engaged systematics, while showing the ways in which Balthasar’s particular understanding of the relationship between theology and prayer is still relevant to the task of theology today.

Authors: LaCouter, T

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-eopgbzqja
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: parrhesia; Balthasar; prayer
• Subjects: Theology, Doctrinal; Prayer