“This overview of Guardini’s oeuvre [first published in 1970] grew out of a memorial lecture at the Catholic Academy in Munich that honored the first anniversary of his death [1969]. It is my intention to offer mere guidelines here, a kind of roadmap across the difficult landscape of his work, highlighting certain leitmotifs and referring to the larger contexts of intellectual history. This book will not include any personal or biographical references. It aims instead to inquire into the ultimate intention and the ordering principle according to which that intention was carried out. The book will not relieve the reader of the burden of coming to terms with Guardini’s work. Perhaps its succinct nature and simple format will challenge readers to pursue Guardini’s thought in more detail or even provoke their resistance. One thing is certain: Guardini did not erect any vain structures at the edge of history; rather, he built shelters for entire generations, indeed, bulwarks against the encroaching desert. This house stands firm on solid rock, whether or not his style suits us. Those who have truly recognized his spirit will owe him a debt of gratitude, again and again, even if they are preparing to continue on farther.”
