Of the 95 people who voted in the latest poll, 40% said they liked Hans Urs von Balthasar best, followed by 18% who preferred Hans Küng. Karl Rahner and the Pope were next with 16% each, while Yves Congar followed with 11%.I found these results very interesting—I assumed that Balthasar would win (who could be stony-hearted enough not to love Balthasar?), but I also thought that Rahner would be a close second.
In the next week or so I’ll run similar polls to find out who are your favourite Reformed and Lutheran theologians as well.
I must admitt my surprise that Küng did so well, even if I did vote for him.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering who will be on your Lutheran and Reformed lists!
I haven't read any Balthasar, so Rahner had to be my choice. I would have thought he'd do better. Is Metz not Catholic? I would have picked Metz simply because I've run into Metz more. You would think studying at a pontifical university I'd have read more Catholic theologians - but I am know that is not the case.
ReplyDeleteIt HAS to be von Balthasar. We are having a fabulous series of lectures on him at Oxford by Fr Aidan Nichols. He is a very protestant and Barthian of Catholics...
ReplyDeleteHis influence on JPII was apparently significant.