This book is a double treat it combines the genius of the towering theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar and his ability to make his subject come alive before the reader along with the focus of that genius on someone with the spiritual depth and creative stature of Georges Bernanos considered by many to be the greatest Catholic creative writer of the twentieth century The goal of this book is to simply convey what Bernanos wanted to say as the devout Christian that he was Bernanos was a deeply prayerful practicing sacramental Catholic whose profound love for the Church made everything he created or wrote an ecclesial existence that has been given form existence derived not merely from an abstract individual faith but from the faith of the Church With judicious quoting of the primary source and careful juxtaposing of texts and commentary Balthasar provides a unique forum from which Bernanos can speak to the reader in a way that he can be clearly heard and genuinely understood