THEODRAMA Volume IV THEODRAMA Volumes of the Complete Work: I: Prolegomena II: The Dramatis Personae: Man in God III: The Dramatis Personae: The Person in Christ IV: The Action V: The Last Act HANS URS VON BALTHASAR THEODRAMA THEOLOGICAL DRAMATIC THEORY VOLUME IV THE ACTION Translated by Graham Harrison IGNATIUS PRESS SAN FRANCISCO Title of the German original: Theodramatik: Dritte Band: Die Handlung © 1980 Johannes Verlag, Einsiedeln With ecclesiastical approval Cover by Roxanne Mei Lum © 1994 Ignatius Press, San Francisco All rights reserved ISBN 978-0-89870-471-6 Library of Congress catalogue number 88-80725 Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS Preface I. UNDER THE SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE A. The Book of Revelation: Outline 1. The Perspective 2. The Place 3. The Time 4. The Sequence of Events 5. The Framework B. The Book of Revelation: Reflection 1. The Dramatic Form 2. The Dramatic Motif 3. The Dramatic Rhythm C. The Confrontation 1. Fire 2. The Race II. THE PATHOS OF THE WORLD STAGE A. Horizontal World History B. The Claim of Finitude 1. The “Relative Absolute” 2. The Mirage of Progress C. Time and Death 1. My Time; Our Time 2. Gestures of Existence 3. Death a. The Search for a Starting Point b. My Death; Our Death D. Freedom, Power and Evil 1. Freedom 2. Power 3. Evil a. The Power of Evil b. The Analogy of Sin c. “Original Sin” d. Guilt and the World’s Suffering III. ACTING FROM WITHIN GOD’S PATHOS A. The Long Patience of God 1. Fundamental Considerations 2. Israel as the Model 3. Pre-Christian Religion 4. Transition to Soteriology B. Soteriology: A Historical Outline 1. Scripture a. The Life of Jesus and the “Hour” b. The Main Features of Atonement in the New Testament 2. Models in the History of Theology a. The Fathers “Admirabile Commercium” Limiting the Theme b. The Medieval Model Anselm Thomas c. Contemporary Models Solidarity Excursus: The Soteriology of Karl Rahner Substitution The Radicalism of Luther Vicarious Punishment The “Scapegoat” Mechanism Final Approaches C. Dramatic Soteriology 1. The Cross and the Trinity a. The Immanent and the Economic Trinity b. The Creation, the Covenant, and the Cross-Eucharist 2. Sin and the Crucified a. On the Nature of “Representation” b. The Cup of Wrath c. The Church’s Mediation 3. Resurrection, Spirit and Life in God a. The Risen and Crucified One b. Freedom Liberated c. The Paradox of Christian Discipleship 4. The Church and the Paschal Mystery a. The Dramatic Dimensions of the Eucharist b. The Dramatic Dimension of the Communion of Saints IV. THE BATTLE OF THE LOGOS A. Elements of a Christological Theology of History B. The Provocation Offered by Jesus 1. Gathering, Separating 2. Gathering and Sifting 3. Mysterium Iniquitatis C. The Church’s Form: Beautiful and Marred 1. Polarities and Dissensions 2. The Domestication of Faith 3. Fruitfulness from the Desert D. Slain and Victorious 1. The Two Adams 2. Theodramatic Dimensions of Liberation 3. A Duel between Two Deaths Notes