Hans Urs von Balthasar

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988) was a Swiss Catholic priest and theologian. Ordained in 1936, he became known for wide-ranging work in theology and spirituality and for close engagement with literature and the Church Fathers. He is especially associated with major multi-volume projects in theological aesthetics and dramatic theology, including *The Glory of the Lord* and *Theo-Drama*. In 1945 he helped found the secular institute the Community of Saint John with Adrienne von Speyr, whose writings he edited and promoted. He also co-founded the journal *Communio* (1972). Pope John Paul II named him a cardinal in 1988; he died before the consistory.