Dia tou Hyiou and Filioque in the Christological-Trinitarian Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar
Maciej Raczyński-Rożek
mraczynskirozek@akademiakatolicka.plThe Catholic Academy in Warsaw, Poland (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4843-4743
Abstract
The article addresses the issue of the Filioque in light of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Christological-Trinitarian theology, situating it within the ecumenical context. The author presents the structure of the Swiss theologian’s reflections, which begin with the concept of the Father’s monarchy and the primacy of the Persons, and then develop into a consideration of the dynamic interplay of the Trinity in the key of love and perichoresis. The study explores the pneumatology of Christ and the idea of “Trinitarian inversion,” highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit both in the mission of the incarnate Son and in His relation to the Father. Subsequent sections discuss philological questions (the distinction between ekporeusis/proienai/procedere) as well as historical aspects of the Filioque controversy, pointing to the complementarity of Eastern and Western traditions. The research method involves an analysis of Balthasar’s writings juxtaposed with the 1995 document of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The conclusions emphasize that Balthasar’s conception - stressing the primacy of the Persons and the dynamic unity of love - harmonizes the formulations “through the Son” and “and the Son,” thus offering a valuable point of reference in the ecumenical dialogue.Keywords:
Balthasar, Filioque, dia tou Hyiou, Holy Spirit, ecumenismReferences
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3917/nrt.441.0105
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Authors
Maciej Raczyński-Rożekmraczynskirozek@akademiakatolicka.pl
The Catholic Academy in Warsaw, Poland Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4843-4743
Maciej Raczyński-Rożek is a priest of the Archdiocese of Warsaw, holds a postdoctoral degree in theology, and serves as Assistant Professor at the Catholic Academy in Warsaw, where he is also Director of the Doctoral School. He received his PhD in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2015. His research focuses on Trinitarian theology, sacramental theology, and eschatology, with particular interest in the thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Sergius Bulgakov. He is the author of, among others, The Eschatology of Hope: Hans Urs von Balthasar and Wacław Hryniewicz (2019) and The Two Hands of the Father: The Christology of the Spirit in Hans Urs von Balthasar and Sergius Bulgakov (2024).
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