Compassionate Presence: The Trinitarian Spirituality of Adrienne von Speyr (Paperback)

Jesus Christ "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he went down to the dead (ad inferno-to hell)," according to the fourth line of the ancient Christian Apostles' Creed. Adrienne von Speyr, a Swiss laywoman, physician, wife, mother, and spiritual writer, developed a deep mystic spirituality as a result of this enigmatic thread of Christ's descent into hell (d. 1967). Hans Urs von Balthasar, a Catholic theologian who had a significant impact on Catholic theology in the late 20th century and even now, was influenced by the comprehensive, theoretical mysticism of this woman in his critical work. A powerful contact with Adrienne's mystical encounter with the inner life and passionate love of the Trinity is provided in this book by Matthew Lewis Sutton. This mystical spirituality of Holy Saturday, which falls on the day in between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, directs us away from our current era of loneliness, alienation, and loneliness and toward a fresh restoration of compassion, love, and harmony. The old Christian belief that Christ went to hell can help us find God's incredible compassion for wanting to bring us back into his loving presence.

About the Author

At St. John's University in Queens, New York, Matthew Lewis Sutton (Ph.D., Marquette University) teaches systematic theology as an associate professor. He is the author of Heaven Opens: Adrienne von Speyr's Trinitarian Mysticism (Fortress, 2014).