ABSTRACT
Jesus Christ is about to suffer at the hands of a living and wrathful God; he is about to enter into hell'. This description marks the beginning of Hans Urs von Balthasar's consistent and recurring articulation of a theology of Holy Saturday. Mindful of Adrienne von Speyr's influence on Balthasar's theology, this chapter examines Balthasar's constructive theology of the descent into hell with a treatment of Speyr's mystical experiences. It analyses the extent of Speyr's influence on Balthasar. The chapter explores the function of the descent into hell in Balthasar's treatment of the atonement and in his theology as a whole. It overviews the confession of the descent into hell functions in Balthasar's soteriology and in his complete theological vision. Balthasar locates the descent into hell at centre stage in his dramatic soteriology because it logically follows within his vision of the pattern of redemption.
