WORD AND REDEMPTION

This is a short collection of essays on the general topic of the role of theology both as a speculative science and as a spiritually perfective force. The overall impression is one of unevenness and illogical ordering of parts; indeed, the book reads as though it were a collection of articles from theological reviews, selected on the basis of availability rather than of unity of subject or treatment. A remarkably clumsy translation, combining Germanic syntax, unidiomatic English, and bizarre punctuation, extorts an effort from the reader which cannot be justified by any particular originality of content. Both the editorial approach and the translation do an injustice to Balthasar's reputation and to his competence.