Overview

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988), long considered one of the most important Catholic theologians of the twentieth century, is a central figure in the field of theological aesthetics. His ""poetic"" reading of ancient and medieval texts was intended to retrieve the role of the aesthetic in discerning the Divine in a modern, technological world. Aesthetic Revelation re-examines von Balthasar's study of ancient and medieval theological aesthetics in his Glory of the Lord and confirms and critiques certain aspects of his analysis of traditional texts. Oleg Bychkov begins with a methodological introduction on the hermeneutics of traditional texts and addresses the question of whether it is feasible to examine ancient and medieval texts in contemporary terms. He then presents a critical outline of the history of the discipline of aesthetics, von Balthasar's idea of theological aesthetics, and a unique analysis of von Balthasar's hermeneutics of ancient and medieval texts. The second part of the book offers a ground-breaking study of several ancient and medieval authors and the traditions they inspired--Platonic, Stoic, Augustinian, and late medieval--with a view to confirming von Balthasar's insights in aesthetics and correcting his approaches to textual criticism. Besides contributing to a wide range of disciplines and areas, the book clarifies certain methodological issues concerning the hermeneutics of ancient and medieval texts--a theoretical area often neglected by classicists and medievalists. Oleg Bychkov's masterly exposition also shows how the texts analysed have significantly influenced the development of Western theological thought.

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Reviews

“Oleg Bychkov's creative, meticulously researched and lucidly written monograph makes a decisive contribution to a number of scholarly fields and will appeal to a wide array of readers, whether they are concerned primarily with the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar, antique or medieval aesthetic theory, contemporary aesthetics, hermeneutics, theological method, or opening up heretofore uncharted byways for thinking the beautiful.” – Christianity and Literature

Oleg Bychkov's creative, meticulously researched and lucidly written monograph makes a decisive contribution to a number of scholarly fields and will appeal to a wide array of readers, whether they are concerned primarily with the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar, antique or medieval aesthetic theory, contemporary aesthetics, hermeneutics, theological method, or opening up heretofore uncharted byways for thinking the beautiful. - Christianity and Literature

Author Information

Oleg V. Bychkov is professor of theology at St. Bonaventure University. Recognised for his expertise in aesthetic theory and late medieval thought, he has co-edited and co-translated the Greek and Roman Aesthetics and the first book of John Duns Scotus' Parisian Lectures. He has published many articles in journals specialising in ancient and medieval thought including Vivarium, Classical Quarterly, Cithara, and Classical Review.

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