Communio sanctorum communio bonorum von Balthasar and Luther

Abstract

I have chosen not to look at the issue of sainthood and the veneration of the saints, nor at Luther’s arguments concerning indulgences and Purgatory, or the theological concepts of satisfaction, and of merit, or the question of personal sanctification, which are among the more controversial issues between Catholics and Protestants to this day. I have, instead, decided to examine the concept of the Communio Sanctorum itself, convinced that delving into the former topics often serves as an avoidance tactic by theologians, and that, before one delves into the many controversial issues associated with the theme, one ought to try and clarify the concept itself, since it will have to act as the grounding for all further discussion. In carrying out this hermeneutical exercise, I wish to compare the writings of the two great theologians: Martin Luther and Hans Urs von Balthasar. Considering that this paper is being written on the anniversary of the Reformation, Martin Luther was a compulsory choice. However, Luther was not just a central figure in the Reformation, he is also one of the more important theologians where the communio sanctorum is concerned. I chose von Balthasar not only because I am familiar with his writings on the communio sanctorum and on the saints, but also because the communio sanctorum was a very important theological concept for him too.