Hans Urs von Balthasar's Theology of Representation

This penetrating study makes a case for the centrality of the concept of representation (Stellvertretung) in Hans Urs von Balthasars theological project. How is it possible for Christ to act in the place of humanity? In Hans Urs von Balthasars Theology of Representation, Jacob Lett broaches this perplexing soteriological question and offers the first book-length analysis of Balthasars theology of representation (Stellvertretung). Letts study shows how Balthasar rehabilitates the category of representation by developing it in relationship to the central mysteries of the Christian faith: concerned by the lack of metaphysical and theological foundations for understanding the question above, Balthasar ultimately grounds representation in the trinitarian life of God, making action in the place of the other central to divine and creaturely being. Lett not only articulates the centrality of representation to Balthasars theological project but also demonstrates that Balthasars theology of representation has the potential to reshape discussions in the fields of soteriology, Christology, trinitarian theology, anthropology, and ecclesiology. This work covers a wide range of themes in Balthasars theology, including placial and spatial metaphors, a post-Chalcedonian Christology of Christs two wills, and theories of drama. This book is also a text of significant comparative range: Lett considers Balthasars key interlocutors (Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus, Aquinas, Przywara, Ulrich, Barth) and expands this base to include voices beyond those typically found in Balthasarian scholarship, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Dorothee Slle. The overall result is a deeply probing presentation of one of Balthasars most significant contributions to contemporary theology.