“Return to the center”: Hans Urs von Balthasar's theology of history

The article deals with the works on theology of history by one of the most prominent Catholic theologians of the 20th century, H. U. von Balthasar, in particular “A Theology of History” and “Man in History: a Theological Study”. In these texts the studied author distanced himself from the opposition of “eschatology” and “incarnationism” typical for his colleagues, by proposing the idea of “return to the center”, by which he meant the mystery and event of the Incarnation - the Person of Jesus Christ Himself. This concept is considered as a specific Christocentric methodology, an interpretative key both for theological reflection and for understanding the events of world history, which allowed the theologian to overcome the existing antagonism between them and make a theological synthesis between historical facts and metaphysical universals. The article presents an analysis of the implications of such a synthesis for Christian theology as well as for the church's reflection on its mission in the contemporary world, leading to its more proactive stance without losing its metaphysical dimension.