JUSTICE AS BEAUTY-IN-ACTION? INSIGHTS FROM HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S AESTHETICS AND DRAMATICS
This essay explores the relation between beauty and justice by turning to the thought of the Swiss Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. It begins by giving an exposition of Balthasar’s theological aesthetics, as developed in his work The glory of the Lord, which shows how, for Von Balthasar,...
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University of the Free State
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Acta Theologica |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/4939 |
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| author | M.J. Havenga |
| author_facet | M.J. Havenga |
| author_sort | M.J. Havenga |
| collection | DOAJ |
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This essay explores the relation between beauty and justice by turning to the thought of the Swiss Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. It begins by giving an exposition of Balthasar’s theological aesthetics, as developed in his work The glory of the Lord, which shows how, for Von Balthasar, earthly beauty participates in, and expresses something of God’s divine glory and reaches its apex in the revelation of the beautiful form of Jesus Christ. This is then followed by an exposition of Von Balthasar’s theological dramatics, as developed in his work Theo-drama, which shows how, for Von Balthasar, this beautiful form of Christ is not merely a static image, icon, or artwork but, in fact, a dynamic event, a dramatic act, an embodied performance which reveals to us, along with God’s glory and beauty, God’s unbounded goodness. The essay subsequently turns to questions of justice (in light of Von Balthasar’s understanding of the relation between beauty and goodness), and ultimately argues that, according to Von Balthasar’s thought, justice can be viewed as a form of beauty-in-action that asks to be performed in the world.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-44813c9e80e540dfbf3f8ab759cc69b9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1015-8758 2309-9089 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Theologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-44813c9e80e540dfbf3f8ab759cc69b92025-02-11T09:45:57ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Theologica1015-87582309-90892020-11-0110.38140/at.vi.4939JUSTICE AS BEAUTY-IN-ACTION? INSIGHTS FROM HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S AESTHETICS AND DRAMATICSM.J. Havenga0University of Stellenbosch This essay explores the relation between beauty and justice by turning to the thought of the Swiss Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. It begins by giving an exposition of Balthasar’s theological aesthetics, as developed in his work The glory of the Lord, which shows how, for Von Balthasar, earthly beauty participates in, and expresses something of God’s divine glory and reaches its apex in the revelation of the beautiful form of Jesus Christ. This is then followed by an exposition of Von Balthasar’s theological dramatics, as developed in his work Theo-drama, which shows how, for Von Balthasar, this beautiful form of Christ is not merely a static image, icon, or artwork but, in fact, a dynamic event, a dramatic act, an embodied performance which reveals to us, along with God’s glory and beauty, God’s unbounded goodness. The essay subsequently turns to questions of justice (in light of Von Balthasar’s understanding of the relation between beauty and goodness), and ultimately argues that, according to Von Balthasar’s thought, justice can be viewed as a form of beauty-in-action that asks to be performed in the world. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/4939Theological aestheticsTheological dramaticsHans Urs von BalthasarBeauty |
| spellingShingle | M.J. Havenga JUSTICE AS BEAUTY-IN-ACTION? INSIGHTS FROM HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S AESTHETICS AND DRAMATICS Acta Theologica Theological aesthetics Theological dramatics Hans Urs von Balthasar Beauty |
| title | JUSTICE AS BEAUTY-IN-ACTION? INSIGHTS FROM HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S AESTHETICS AND DRAMATICS |
| title_full | JUSTICE AS BEAUTY-IN-ACTION? INSIGHTS FROM HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S AESTHETICS AND DRAMATICS |
| title_fullStr | JUSTICE AS BEAUTY-IN-ACTION? INSIGHTS FROM HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S AESTHETICS AND DRAMATICS |
| title_full_unstemmed | JUSTICE AS BEAUTY-IN-ACTION? INSIGHTS FROM HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S AESTHETICS AND DRAMATICS |
| title_short | JUSTICE AS BEAUTY-IN-ACTION? INSIGHTS FROM HANS URS VON BALTHASAR’S AESTHETICS AND DRAMATICS |
| title_sort | justice as beauty in action insights from hans urs von balthasar s aesthetics and dramatics |
| topic | Theological aesthetics Theological dramatics Hans Urs von Balthasar Beauty |
| url | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/4939 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mjhavenga justiceasbeautyinactioninsightsfromhansursvonbalthasarsaestheticsanddramatics |