Explorations in Theology II: Spouse of the Word

The second volume of Skizzen zur Theologie, published by Johannes Verlag in 1961 (525 pages). Balthasar wrote that it asks explicitly: 'Who is the Church?' His answer is that the Church in her deepest reality is the unity of those who, formed by Mary's limitless assent, let God's saving will take place in themselves and for others; where that hearing of the word is lacking, the Church becomes the 'whore Jerusalem', the subject of the long essay 'Casta Meretrix'. Other essays include 'Fides Christi', 'Discipleship and Office', 'Who Is the Church?', 'The Root of Jesse', 'Charis and Charisma', 'The Layman and the Church', 'Priestly Existence', 'On the Theology of Secular Institutes' and 'Seeing, Believing, Eating'. An English selection appeared as Church and World (1967); Ignatius Press published a full translation as Spouse of the Word in 1991.