Person and Mission in the Theological Anthropology of Hans Urs von Balthasar

Abstract

Jesus Christ is the only one in whom shines the perfection of personal being. According to Hans Urs von Balthasar’s conception every conscious subject, every human being in Christ can become a real and full person. God chooses everyone for a special mission, invites them at the appropriate time and sends them to follow Jesus Christ’s steps in a personalized way. In this process our most important ability is human freedom which exists in a constant dialogue with God. The chosen person is invited to live in Christ - in St. Paul’s words: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2,19–20) - as a member of the Church and society. In this study, I intend to highlight some aspects of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Christian anthropology from the perspective of the discovery and development of personal vocation.