Light in Darkness: Hans Urs Von Balthasar and the Catholic Doctrine of Christ's Descent Into Hell

He descended into hell. Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth-century, placed this affirmation of the Nicene Creed at the heart of his reflection on the world-altering events of Holy Week, asserting that this identification of God with the human experience is at the ‘absolute center' of the Christian faith.

In the first comprehensive treatment of von Balthasar's theology of Holy Saturday, Alyssa Pitstick draws on the multiple yet unified resources of authoritative Catholic thinking on Christ's descent to challenge von Balthasar's influential conclusions. Light in Darkness will spur debate across the theological spectrum, as scholars and students explore the implications of this careful, contrarian book.