The Christian State of Life

This book, one of von Balthasar's masterworks, is a profound meditation on the Christian's choice of a state of life according to God's will. It discusses the lay, religious, and priestly states of life, and examines the ways in which we recognize and respond to the call of God. Written in a deeply Ignatian spirit, the book provides a comprehensive meditation on Saint Ignatius' "Call of Christ" and demonstrates that we must answer Christ's call if we want "to give greater proof of our love".

The goal of this meditation is to understand why the act of choosing a state of life is possible and necessary-so that we can arrive at the perfection of Christian love in whatever state or way of life God may grant us to choose. It affirms that the act of choosing a Christian state of life is found in the Gospels and emanates from the personal meeting of the believer with Jesus Christ.

Among the topics in this book are the following: The Great Commandment, Creation and Service, Grace and Mission, Image and Truth, The Nature of the Call, and The Historical Actuality of the Call.