«The Eschatology of Hope» by H. U. von Balthazar: Between Infernalism and Universalism

Abstract

This is the second article by the author dedicated to the eschatological concept of H. U. von Balthasar. In this article, the author examines the response to the criticism of the concept of Balthasar by the adherents of universalist and infernalist views. The first part of the article provides a description of Balthazar’s interpretation of the eschatological passages of the New Testament. In the second part, the author points out the main difference between Balthasar’s «eschatology of hope» and the doctrine of apocatastasis. The third part of the article reproduces ideas about God in infernalism. Further, the author gives Balthazar’s answer to the question: what does a Christian dare to hope for? In the next part, Balthazar’s arguments on the topic are considered: how is the bliss of the righteous in Paradise possible, contemplating the torments of sinners in hell? Further, the focus of the author's attention is the question of the relationship between the hope for the salvation of all and the problem of freedom. The article also discusses Balthazar’s views on the theme of the Last Judgment, hell and the final fate of the devil. In the last part of the article, the author gives assessments of the eschatological concept of Balthasar by various researchers and concludes that it raises a number of questions.