Apophatic Confrontation: von Balthasar’s Thought on Kenosis and Community as a Veiled Response to the “Trend” of Political Theology

Abstract

This article explores the potential theological–political discourse of Hans Urs von Balthasar, presenting the following arguments: (1) Despite its often-disregarded status, Balthasar’s thought contains a discernible thread of political theology; (2) His exploration of kenosis and community serves as a direct challenge to Schmittian concepts of sovereignty and representation. This challenge opens up new discourses of sovereignty, diverging from the conventional plenipotentiary paradigm and accentuating a vision of community rooted in shared gift; (3) Balthasar’s thought embodies a form of negative political theology, deconstructing and rectifying presupposed categories within the domain of political theology, as his theological principles do not merely establish a direct correspondence between theological concepts and the political realm; moreover, it rejects the analogical correlation drawn between the theological and the political. Lastly, the article concludes that Balthasar’s affirmative Christology offers profound insights into the intricate interplay between religion and politics, thereby catalyzing a reevaluation of contemporary theopolitical discourses.

Keywords

• hans urs von balthasar
• carl schmitt
• political theology
• sovereignty
• representation
• community
• kenosis
• modern theology