THE THEOLOGY OF HISTORY

The author of the masterful and much acclaimed Prayer (Sheed & Ward 1961) has evidently been persuaded to go into his trunk (or wherever else a distinguished scholar hides away manuscripts) to come up with another book to follow on this earlier success in the United States. The Theology of History is certainly something Dr. Von Balthasar wrote originally for his intellectual peers. The intrusion of Biblical references throughout the script compounds the difficulty of following his line of reasoning. Even those attracted by the rather intriguing title can't help but find themselves bogged down in what is a thesis for scholars at best. Actually it would seem the title would be more appropriate if it could be turned around to read The History of Theology. At any rate the book deals with the God-Man Incarnate and His impact on the world. But the framework of Von Balthasar's exposition will be lost on all except the select few who appreciate his detailed exploration of the subject. He sees Jesus Christ -- God-become-Man -- as a center-point of history. This unique focus by an acknowledged scholar is enough to command it to the attention of serious historians.