Reading Pope Benedict XVI in the UK

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection

2011-03-26T20:41:00.001-07:00

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: from the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection Pt. 2
Pope Benedict XVI. Ignatius Press (March 10, 2011).

For Christians, Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, and who rose from the dead in triumph over sin and death. For non-Christians, he is almost anything else-myth, a political revolutionary, a prophet whose teaching was misunderstood or distorted by his followers.

Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and no myth, revolutionary, or misunderstood prophet, insists Benedict XVI. He thinks that the best of historical scholarship, while it can't "prove" Jesus is the Son of God, certainly doesn't disprove it. Indeed, Benedict maintains that the evidence, fairly considered, brings us face-to-face with the challenge of Jesus-a real man who taught and acted in ways that were tantamount to claims of divine authority, claims not easily dismissed as lunacy or deception.

Benedict XVI presents this challenge in his new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, the sequel volume to Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.

Why was Jesus rejected by the religious leaders of his day? Who was responsible for his death? Did he establish a Church to carry on his work? How did Jesus view his suffering and death? How should we? And, most importantly, did Jesus really rise from the dead and what does his resurrection mean? The story of Jesus raises these and other crucial questions.

Benedict brings to his study the vast learning of a brilliant scholar, the passionate searching of a great mind, and the deep compassion of a pastor's heart. In the end, he dares readers to grapple with the meaning of Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection. Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection challenges both believers and unbelievers to decide who Jesus of Nazareth is and what he means for them.

From the Publishers

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week Publisher's Website Ignatius Press (US).
Presentation of Volume II, "Jesus of Nazareth" presented by Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and by Claudio Magris, a writer and German scholar. Vatican News Service.
Jesus of Nazareth Facebook Page.

Excerpts

Table of Contents
Excerpts from the Foreword to Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week.
Excerpts from Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week. Entire sections lifted from the chapters of the full book. The excerpts are: "The Mysery of the Betrayer", "The Dating of the Last Supper", and "Jesus Before Pilate".

Reviews

From professorial pope, a lengthy paper trail, by Francis X. Rocca. Religion News Service. March 15, 2011.
Jesus of Nazareth: First Impressions of a Scripture Scholar by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB. CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. March 10, 2011.
New book confirms: Benedict XVI is his own best spokesperson, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter March 10, 2011.
"An historic book, which inaugurates a new era of theological exegesis" by Cardinal Marc Oullet. Translation by L'Osservatore Romano. Rome, March 10, 2011
Pope Benedict and How to Read The Bible, by Fr. Robert Barron. The Word on Fire March 4, 2011.
Some thoughts about the Pope’s new book Part I | Part II, by Fr. John Zuhisdorf. What Does the Prayer Really Say? March 2/4, 2011.
Finding Christ in Pope's "Jesus of Nazareth": Book Speaks of Second Coming, Eating Salt, Space-Traveling Hearts, by Kevin M. Clarke. St. Joseph Academy in San Marcos, California.

Audio

Mark Brumley & Carl Olson Discuss Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week March 10, 2011 | Ignatius Insight.
Fr. Fessio SJ on Jesus of Nazareth Volume II Interview with Emer McCarthy, Vatican Radio. March 10, 2011.

News, Commentary, Discussion

Was Jesus a Political Activist?, by Kathryn Jean Lopez. Jesus of Nazareth Publisher's Blog. March 24, 2011.
"Present and Active Within World History": On Jesus of Nazareth, Part Two, by Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | March 10, 2011 | Ignatius Insight.
In book, pope presents Jesus as reconciler, not political revolutionary, by John Thavis. Catholic News Agency. March 11, 2011.
Pontiff's Book on Christ Marks Many Firsts: Scholars Discuss Novelties of "Jesus of Nazareth", by Anna Maria Basquez. (Zenit. March 11, 2011).
Pope Addresses 5 Disputed Questions in New Book: Cardinal Ouellet Presents Pontiff's "Jesus of Nazareth" (Zenit. March 11, 2011).
Cardinal Marc Ouellet affirms ecumenical nature of Pope's book (Zenit. March 11, 2011).
What Benedict XVI has written about the Jews is news—but not new news, by Carl Olson. Insight Scoop March 4, 2011.
Pope's New Book Notes Judas' 2nd Tragedy: Gospel Says Betrayer's Experience "Is Beyond Psychological Explanation" Zenit News Agency. March 3, 2011.
In book, pope says Jesus' death cannot be blamed on Jewish people, by John Thavis. Catholic News Agency. March 2, 2011.
Scholars see benefits for all faiths in pope's second 'Jesus' book, by Nancy Frazier O'Brien. Catholic News Service March 2, 2011.

Gained Horizons: Regensburg and the Enlargement of Reason

2011-02-23T22:24:00.000-08:00

Gained Horizons: Regensburg and the Enlargement of Reason
Edited by Bainard Cowan.
St. Augustines Press; 1 edition (February 10, 2011)

Gained Horizons takes up Pope Benedict XVI’s invitation, issued in his lecture at the University of Regensburg, to enter into the dialogue of cultures by “broadening our concept of reason” to “once more disclose its vast horizons.” Benedict placed in the foreground the notion of God as acting with reason, and said of “this great logos, this breadth of reason,” that “to rediscover it constantly is the great task of the university.”The contributors to Gained Horizons conduct their inquiries down the paths of their disciplines of thought – philosophy, theology, political thought and literary criticism – examining the broader nature of reason and the forces that oppose it today in politics, culture, and education.

Several of the most distinguished and most stimulating commentators on the public scene come together in Gained Horizons to focus on the challenges and hopes of reason. Jean Bethke Elshtain finds in the conception of a God Who is approachable by reason the root of the subjection of rulers to law, even laws that they themselves have made. To Peter Lawler, Pope Benedict articulates a science adequate to the achievement of the American Founders and thus urgent to recover, since American public opinion tends both to deny reason in the name of freedom and to rigidify reason in the name of democratic science. R. R. Reno looks at the contemporary university and finds not so much a relativism as a loss of intellectual ambition, of the confidence that the disciplines can help us understand how we can live our lives. As Reno points out the dangers of relying on theory without traditional wisdom to solve human problems, Glenn Arbery describes Dostoevsky’s vision of modern man imprisoned in theory and his rescue by reason and grace in the action of Crime and Punishment. Nalin Ranasinghe then sketches out some of the implications of the Regensburg Address for philosophers in particular and the university in general; Pope Benedict challenges the academy to recove the full richness of the gift of reason. These and other contributors combine to launch not only a critique of the contemporary scene but an envisioning of the ever-present sources of logos that stand ready to be regenerated in our time.

Bainard Cowan is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Louisiana State University. He is the author of Exiled Waters: Moby Dick and the Crisis of Allegory and editor of Poetics of the Americas and Uniting the Liberal Arts: Core and Context.

Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs of the Times

2010-10-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs of the Times
Pope Benedict XVI | Peter Seewald. Introduction by George Weigel.
Ignatius Press (November 24, 2010)

Never has a Pope, in a book-length interview, dealt so directly with such wide-ranging and controversial issues as Pope Benedict XVI does in Light of the World. Taken from a recent week-long series of interviews with veteran journalist Peter Seewald, this book tackles head-on some of the greatest issues facing the world of our time. Seewald poses such forthright questions to Pope Benedict as:

What caused the clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church?
Was there a "cover up"?
Have you considered resigning?
Does affirming the goodness of the human body mean a plea for "better sex"?
Can there be a genuine dialogue with Islam?
Should the Church rethink Catholic teaching on priestly celibacy, women priests, contraception, and same-sex relationships?
Holy Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics?
Is there a schism in the Catholic Church?
Should there be a Third Vatican Council?
Is there any hope for Christian unity?
Is Christianity the only truth?
Can the Pope really speak for Jesus Christ?
How can the Pope claim to be "infallible"?
Is there a "dictatorship of relativism" today?

Twice before these two men held wide-ranging discussions, which became the best-selling books Salt of the Earth and God and the World. Then, Seewald's discussion partner was Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's chief doctrinal office. Now, Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI, the spiritual leader of the world's over one billion Catholics. Though Seewald now interviews the Pope himself, the journalist "pulls no punches", posing some of the thorniest questions any Pope has had to address. Believers and unbelievers will be fascinated to hear Benedict's thoughtful, straightforward and thought-provoking replies. This is no stern preachment or ponderous theological tract, but a lively, fast-paced, challenging, even entertaining exchange.

The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI: The Christocentric Shift

2010-10-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI: The Christocentric Shift

by Father Emery de Gaál, Ph.D. Palgrave Macmillan (November 23, 2010)

Many refer to Pope Benedict XVI as “the Mozart of Theology.” Who are the personalities and thinkers who have informed his theology? What events, and which religious devotions, have shaped his personality? What are the central themes of his complex scholarship encompassing more than 1500 titles? This study attempts to shed light on the unifying melody of the policies and positions of a pontificate charged with spiritual and theological depth. Especially in the 1970s an anthropocentric shift had occurred. Emery de Gaál argues that, amid a general lack of original, secular ideas stirring public opinion, Benedict XVI inaugurates an epochal Christocentric shift; by rekindling the Patristic genius, he provides Christianity with both intellectual legitimacy and the scholarship needed to propel it into the twenty-first century.

About the Author

Fr. Emery de Gaál is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and located in Mundelein, Illinois. He studied theology in Munich and Pittsburgh and also published Theology: The Art of Equanimity. He is a Catholic priest of the diocese of Eichstätt, Bavaria, Germany.

Benedict XVI and Blessed John Henry Newman: The State Visit - September 2010 - The Official Record

2010-10-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Benedict XVI and Blessed John Henry Newman: The State Visit - September 2010 - The Official Record

Catholic Truth Society (30 Sep 2010)

This magnificent large-format book is the official record, in photographs, background information, speeches and addresses, of the state visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Britain in September 2010.

The colour photographs throughout capture the full train of events from the 16th to the 19th September, as recorded by the official photographers.

Here too you will find recorded the words of the addresses and homilies given by the Holy Father to the people of Britain during his visit

Readers will find the significance of the visit explained through commentaries on both the intentions of the Pope in making this visit - and especially his beatification of John Henry Cardinal Newman - and the historical importance of the venues he has chosen to visit.

SAMPLE SECTION

A Turning Point for Europe?: The Church in the Modern World

2010-06-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

A Turning Point for Europe?
Ignatius Press (2nd Edition. June 2010)

Cardinal Ratzinger addresses the challenges and responsibilities that both the Church and society in Europe face after the collapse of Marxism. Both liberalism and Marxism have denied religion the right to have any influence on public affairs and the common future of humanity. Since there is also a great spiritual emptiness growing in the West with the increased secularization, consumerism and hedonism, Ratzinger's comments apply as much, if not more, to the United States as well.

With the downfall of Marxism, religion has been discovered anew as an ineradicable force for both the individual and society. While there is renewed interest in religion, the dangers also exist to lay hold of religion as an instrument to serve various political ideas. Ratzinger, whose theological work has often dealt with the "reasons for our faith," reflects upon the various problems facing humanity at this turning point of our history and offers genuine hope based upon a deep Christian faith. He also addresses the critical role that the Church has in relationship to the world and the essential task of bringing Christ back into our culture.

Reviews

Reviewed by Thomas Molnar

Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on the Holy Mass

2010-06-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on the Holy Mass
Ignatius Press (June 2010)

The celebration of the Eucharist, in which Jesus Christ becomes present, is the center of the Catholic faith. This volume brings together substantive texts of the Holy Father on the many aspects and dimensions of the Mass and the Mystery of the Eucharist, a rich source for every Christian and a spur to reflection and personal prayer. Delivered in addresses and homilies to a wide variety of audiences , these reflections reveal the depth and breadth of Pope Benedict XVI’s profound and life-long love for the Holy Eucharist. A major theme throughout the works of Joseph Ratzinger, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is the Church’s source of life, unity and fruitfulness. This theme has been carried deeply into his pontificate, as can be seen in this collection, which challenges the faithful to believe that by receiving Christ in Holy Communion, they are drawn not only into the very life of God, but into the community that is Christ’s Body, the Church.

Church Fathers and Teachers: From Leo the Great to Peter Lombard

2010-06-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

Church Fathers and Teachers: From Leo the Great to Peter Lombard
Ignatius Press (June 2010)

After meditating on the Apostles and then on the Fathers of the early Church, as seen in his earlier works Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church and Church Fathers, Pope Benedict XVI devoted his attention to the most influential Christian men from the fifth through the twelfth centuries. In his first book, Church Fathers, Benedict began with Clement of Rome and ended with Saint Augustine. In this volume, the Holy Father reflects on some of the greatest theologians of the Middle Ages: Benedict, Anselm, Bernard, and Gregory the Great, to name just a few. By exploring both the lives and the ideas of the great popes, abbots, scholars and missionaries who lived during the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christendom, Pope Benedict XVI highlights the key elements of Catholic dogma and practice that remain the foundation stones not only of the Roman Catholic Church but of Christian society itself. This book is a wonderful way to get to know these later Church Fathers and Teachers and the tremendous spiritually rich patrimony they have bequeathed to us.

Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy

2010-05-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy (Fota Liturgy)
Four Courts Press Ltd (May 2010)

Benedict XVI and the Sacred Liturgy is the published proceedings of the first Fota International Liturgical Conference held in Cork, Ireland, in July 2008 and it aims to provide a general overview of some of the more important themes in Benedict XVI’s liturgical writings. It serves as a broad introduction to issues central to Benedict XVI's concern for authentic renewal of Catholic worship, according to the principles set out by the Second Vatican Council, and to his critique of liturgical innovations deviant from those principles. The book explores some of the formative influences on Joseph Ratzinger's liturgical vision and points to the consistent application of those critically assimilated influences over a spectrum of issues facing modern liturgical scholarship: the recovery of the sacred, the cosmic and eschatological dimensions of Christian worship, advocacy of continuity rather than rupture in the liturgical tradition; the need for historical and intellectual honesty in discerning development (as well as in areas such as vernacular translations of the core texts of the Roman Rite); and the renewal of genuine scientific exploration of the sources of the Roman Rite. The book is aimed at a professional and general audience. For the most part, it is easily accessible and plots the map for a series of more specific issues to be dealt with in the Fota Liturgical Conference Series.

Joseph Ratzinger in Communio: Vol. 1, The Unity of the Church

2010-03-01T04:19:00.000-08:00

Joseph Ratzinger in Communio: Unity of the Church v. 1: Pope Benedict XVI (Ressourcement: Retrieval & Renewal in Catholic Thought)
W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (March 2010)

The Unity of the Church brings together a captivating collection of articles — previously published in Communio — by Pope Benedict XVI. The essays deal with various issues facing the church in the world today, including what divides and unites denominations, the growing crisis facing peace and justice, technological security, and the necessity of ecumenism in the growth of the church. / “Pope Benedict XVI rarely writes on any churchly matter that does not manifest its implications for man and culture, and vice versa,” notes David Schindler in the introduction. This collection is a brilliant expression of that tendency toward interconnectivity. / Dwelling in Love is part of the Ressourcement: Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought series, edited by David L. Schindler.

The Social and Political Thought of Benedict XVI

2009-12-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

The Social and Political Thought of Benedict XVIby Thomas Rourke. Lexington Books (January 2010)

Covering the entire trajectory of his religious life, this meticulously researched book identifies the roots of political and social order in Pope Benedict XVI's philosophy and analyzes his views on the role of Christian faith in politics. Although not generally characterized as a political philosopher, the Benedict's writings shed significant and unique light on the world of politics today. In an age when modern politics has lost sight of its proper relationship within the larger scheme of human affairs and existence, Thomas R. Rourke shows that, as both Pope and the former Cardinal Ratzinger, Benedict has made a conscious effort to relate political issues to the broader dialogue on human endeavor, ethics, and culture.

Bringing to the fore Benedict's belief on the necessary place of the Christian tradition in a contemporary politics of reason, Rourke details the Pope's contribution to solving the deeper problems of politics today. A valuable study in political theory and religion, this book should be read by those interested in Catholic social and political thought.

Thomas R. Rourke is chair of the political science and philosophy department at Clarion University.

Related

The Political Side of Benedict XVI, by Father John Flynn, LC. Zenit News Service. March 28, 2010.

Theological Highlights of Vatican II

2009-12-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

Theological Highlights of Vatican IIPaulist Press (December 2009)

Here is a significant book comprising Joseph Ratzinger's report on the debates and struggles that made up each of the four sessions of Vatican II (1962-65), along with theological commentary by a noted scholar and professor.

At the council Ratzinger worked on the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei verbum), the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), and the Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church (Ad gentes). Topics he treats in detail in the book include the debate on the liturgy schema, the early debate on divine revelation, the questions of Mariology and ecumenism, the decree on the bishops office in the Church, religious liberty, the Church and the Jews, and the schemas on the missions and on priestly ministry and life. He gives special attention to the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church and to the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

Meeting Saint Paul with the Pope

2009-11-01T23:26:00.000-08:00

Meeting Saint Paul with the Pope: Wednesday Audiences During the Pauline Jubilee Year
Paulist Press (November 2009)

A series of twenty-one reflections of Pope Benedict XVI on one of the most influential persons in the history of Christianity, Saint Paul.

Maria: Pope Benedict XVI on the Mother of God

2009-10-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

Maria: Pope Benedict XVI on the Mother of GodIgnatius Press (November 2009)

This glorious volume is a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book with dozens of inspirational and famous color paintings, sculptures and artwork of the Blessed Virgin Mary from all over the world. The beautiful pictures are accompanied by the profound writings and homilies of Pope Benedict XVI on the person of Mary, and her unique role in human history and in the plan of God for salvation history.

The gorgeous paintings and artwork are from many different centuries, some very famous and others less well-known. Many of these artworks are located at popular Marian shrines that Pope Benedict has visited and honored with special events, prayers and homilies, depicted throughout this volume. Some of the famous Marian images include Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Czestochowa (the ''Black Madonna''), Queen of the Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Loreto, Queen of Carmel, and many others.

Pope Benedict offers in-depth, inspirational reflections on the unique spiritual role Mary as the Mother of the Savior, showing her to be the universal ''Woman'' that Jesus calls her in the Gospels, his mother that God made the spiritual mother of all mankind. Using Biblical references of Mary as ''full of grace'' and the ''woman clothed with the sun'', Pope Benedict emphasizes that Mary's main role is to lead us to union with Jesus, to help us know and love Him much better and to be his true followers.

Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI

2009-10-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Covenant and CommunionBy Scott Hahn. Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd (October 2009)

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's election as Pope Benedict XVI brought a world-class biblical theologian to the papacy. There is an intensely biblical quality to his pastoral teaching and he has demonstrated a keen concern for the authentic interpretation of sacred Scripture. Here a foremost interpreter of Catholic thought and life offers a probing look at Benedict's biblical theology and provides a clear and concise introduction to his life and work. Bestselling author and theologian Scott Hahn argues that the heart of Benedict's theology is salvation history and the Bible and shows how Benedict accepts historical criticism but recognizes its limits. The author also explains how Benedict reads the overall narrative of Scripture and how he puts it to work in theology, liturgy, and Christian discipleship.

Related

"Covenant and Communion" [On Pope Benedict XVI], by Dr. Scott Hahn. September 29, 2009.

Max and Benedict: A Bird's Eye View of the Pope's Daily Life

2009-10-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Max and Benedict: A Bird's Eye View of the Pope's Daily Lifeby Jeanne Perego (Author), Donata Casagrande (Illustrator). Ignatius Press (October 2009)

This lovely children's book is a sequel to Joseph and Chico, the international best seller that told the story of the life of Pope Benedict XVI from his youth to his election as the Pope. With the same award-winning author and illustrator, this lavishly illustrated book is aimed at children but in a way that even adults will enjoy. It takes up the story of Benedict XVI's new life as the Pope.

The narrator of this book is a blue rock-thrush that spends most of his time on the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica and in the Vatican gardens. The bird's scientific name is Monticola Solitarius, and it really lives in these places. His name is Max, and from his solitary perch, Max observes everything in the vicinity, and he is fascinated by one human in particular: the Pope.

Max tells readers what the Pope does on a typical day, and also about special moments in his life, such as the Pope's apostolic trips. The book provides a delicate portrait of the Holy Father's many responsibilities, and it helps us understand the Pope's important obligations that he always strives to carry out with love, faith and dedication.

Max talks about the Pope's private and public audiences, his meetings with heads of state, and with children, important liturgical moments, and the Angelus. He also describes more curious events, such as the blessing of the lambs and of a fire truck. He tells us about the moments that the Pope devotes to writing and prayer. Max flies to see the Pope at his Summer home, Castel Gandolfo, and is sorry he cannot accompany him on his important apostolic trips, but is happy each time the Pope returns to the Vatican. Max is also delighted when he sees the Pope relax a bit, playing the piano or strolling through the Vatican gardens. Max loves music, too, and many of his friends live in the Vatican garden.

Through this wonderful story, the author presents some of the fundamental ideas of Pope Benedict XVI, and the important daily life and activities of the successor of St. Peter, told in simple words that young readers can understand and enjoy.

The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth: Christ, Scripture and the Church

2009-09-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth: Christ, Scripture and the Church (Veritas)
SCM Press (September 1, 2009)

The Veritas Series offers original volumes engaging in critical questions of pressing concern to theologians, philosophers and scholars of other disciplines.

The publication of the book Jesus of Nazareth on 16 April 2007 was an unprecedented event: never before had a reigning Pope published personal reflections on Jesus. Benedict XVI’s book engages not just with New Testament scholarship but also with fundamental methodological questions related to historical criticism.

The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth provides essays by some of the leading scholars in Britain, continental Europe and the USA to highlight the insights and limits of the Pope’s reflection on Jesus. Specifically, it engages with the book from critical, cross-disciplinary and different faith perspectives.

Contributors include: John Milbank, Henri-Jérôme Gagey, Francisco Javier Martínez, Fergus Kerr OP, Richard B. Hays, Markus Bockmuehl, Adele Reinhartz, Mona Siddiqui.

Caritas in Veritate ("Charity in Truth")

2009-07-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Charity in Truth: Caritas in VeritateIgnatius Press (August 2009).

Pope Benedict’s third encyclical, Charity in Truth (Caritas in Veritate), applies the themes of his first two encyclicals —love and hope (God Is Love, Saved in Hope) — to the world’s major social issues. Drawing on moral truths open, in principle, to everyone (the natural law) as well as on the teachings of the gospel (revelation), Pope Benedict addresses Catholics and non-Catholics alike, challenging us all to recognize and then to confront the social evils of our day.

The first part of the encyclical examines the dynamic teaching of Benedict’s predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. Both men contributed greatly to the body of doctrine known as “Catholic social teaching”. Both men challenged the simplistic division of political perspectives into “conservative” and “liberal”, and “right” and “left”. Both men were convinced that the natural moral law and the teaching of the Gospel were indispensable for a world in desperate search of hope and meaning.

In the second part Benedict surveys the social issues that confront the human race today—assaults on the dignity of the human person such as the attack on human life, poverty, issues of war and peace, terrorism, globalization, and environmental concerns. Benedict provides sound moral principles to address these social and economic problems, and to promote a culture of life and genuine peace.

In this outstanding work, Pope Benedict shows us why so many observers regard him as the world’s leading moral voice, as well as one of the most insightful and profound social/political thinkers of our day.

Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to His Theological Vision

2009-05-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to His Theological VisionPaulist Press (May 2009)

From professor and scholar, to the Vatican’s enforcer of the faith and, finally, to the throne of St. Peter, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI has become for the world the public face of the Roman Catholic Church. Rev. Thomas P. Rausch, S.J.—the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles—tells us he has been reading and studying Ratzinger’s work since 1969. With this book, Rausch provides a clear and concise overview of the pope’s life and theological vision on several levels: his Eucharistic ecclesiology, his theology of liturgy, his Christology and “his relentless refusal to reduce Sacred Scripture to mere history or literature.”

As Benedict’s writings on contentious issues within the church (e.g. liberation theology, women, homosexuality et al.) and the world (human rights, solidarity, religious pluralism et al.) reflect, Rausch notes that “[Benedict’s] tendency is to speak the way a university professor does, isolating difficulties with a particular clarity and force.” The author expresses concern, though, on the pope’s ability to read the signs of the times, as it were, as he seeks to “rearticulate Catholic doctrine in the context of secular culture.” -- America

Reviews

Reviewed by Dorothy Jacko Seton Hill University.
Papal Review Robert B. Imbelli. America October 12, 2009.

Credo for Today: What Christians Believe

2009-02-26T19:07:00.000-08:00

Credo for Today: What Christians BelieveIgnatius Press (May 2009).

What do Christians believe? What gives meaning to our life? What is the purpose of life? The Christian answer to these questions is found in the Creed, in the profession of faith. But what do the articles of this confession actually mean? And how to they affect our lives?

Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, takes a fresh look at these timeless questions. This work is a reflection of the profound, personal insights of Benedict XVI, but also of the great foundations of Christianity: faith, hope, and charity.

Ratzinger writes eloquently and persuasively about the importance for followers of Christ to understand well what they believe so one can live as a serious Christian in today’s secular world. He talks in depth about the true meaning of faith, hope, and love—the love of God and the love of neighbor. He also discusses the crucial importance of a lived faith, for the believer himself as well as being a witness for our age, and striving to bring faith in line with the present age that has veered off into rampant secularism and materialism.

"In our generation the Christian Faith finds itself in a much deeper crisis than at any other time in the past. In this situation it is no solution to shut our eyes in fear in the face of pressing problems, or to simply pass over them. If faith is to survive this age, then it must be lived, and above all, lived in this age. And this is possible only if a manifestation of faith is shown to have value for our present day, by growing to knowledge and fulfillment." —Pope Benedict XVI

Faith and the Future

2009-02-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

Faith and the FutureIgnatius Press (March 2009).

Increasingly, the future is becoming a theme for theological reflection. In the background we can detect a growing concern among many people for the future of faith. Does faith have any future at all, and, if so, where in all the confusion of today's trends will we discover its embryo?

But the problem of the future assails not only the believer. In the ever more rapidly advancing process of historical evolution, man is confronted with enormous opportunities, but also with colossal perils. For him, the future is not only hope, but sorrow—a nightmare, indeed. He cannot avoid asking what part faith can play in building tomorrow's world.

Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, approaches this problem of universal concern from a variety of angles, bringing his deep personal faith and theological brilliance to bear on these serious questions.

Excerpts

"The basic form of Christian faith is not: I believe something, but I believe you."

Reviews

Benedict XVI, Modern Man, by Mike Potemra. NRO "The Corner" June 25, 2009.

Saint Paul

2009-02-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

Saint Paul
Ignatius Press (April 2009).

St. Paul is one of the most important figures in Christian history. As Saul of Tarsus he vigorously persecuted Christianity, even collaborating in the death of Christianity’s first martyr, Stephen. His encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus changed Paul’s life, the Christian Church, and world history. More than anyone else in the early Church, Paul saw the universal nature of the Christian message. He became the “Apostle to the Gentiles” and the “Teacher of the Nations”. As the human author of half of the New Testament, Paul is a figure who cannot be overlooked by anyone who wants to understand Jesus Christ and Christianity.

In this book, Pope Benedict XVI, a profound spiritual leader in his own right and a first-rate theologian and Bible commentator, explores the legacy of Paul. Pope Benedict follows the course of the Apostle’s life, including his missionary journeys and his relationship with the other apostles of Jesus such as St. Peter and St. James, and Paul’s martyrdom in Rome. Benedict also examines such questions as: Did Paul know Jesus during his earthly life and how much of Jesus’ teaching and ministry did he know of? Did Paul distort the teachings of Jesus? What role did Jesus’ death and resurrection play in Paul’s teaching? What are we to make of Paul’s teaching about the end of the world? What does Paul’s teaching say about the differences between Catholic and Protestant Christians over salvation and the roles of faith and works in the Christian life? How have modern Catholic and Protestant scholars come together in their understanding of Paul? What does Paul have to teach us today about living a spiritual life?

These and other important issues are addressed in this masterful, inspirational, and highly-readable presentation of St. Paul and his writings by one of today’s great spiritual teachers, Pope Benedict XVI.

The Ratzinger Reader

2008-12-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

The Ratzinger Reader: Mapping a Theological Journey
Lieven Boeve (Editor), Gerard Mannion (Editor). T.& T.Clark Ltd (December 2008)

A fascinating and insightful volume collecting together the key writings of Joseph Ratzinger, some of them yet untranslated, from his youthful and more progressive writings, to his ‘transition period’ following his disillusionment with the aftermath of Vatican II, to his time as Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith down to 2005. The emphasis will be upon Joseph Ratzinger as ‘private theologian’, his many writings released in a personal capacity for such will chart the formation of and comment upon the official statements and texts released under his name in a more informative fashion than the simple inclusion of the formulaic ‘official texts’ themselves.

Following a section providing insight into the fundamental and systematic theological background and development of Joseph Ratzinger’s thought, further thematic sections will also be included, for example, Joseph Ratzinger’s writings on Ecclesiology, on Theology and the Role of Theologians, on the Eucharist, on Religious Pluralism, on Sacramental Theology, Ecumenism, on Truth, on the Contemporary Historical Era, on Magisterium and on Faith Morals etc.

The volume will open with an introductory essay charting the life and career, the achievements of and the controversies surrounding the new pope. Each reading will be prefaced by a brief introduction to its context and themes and will be followed by recommended further reading on its respective subject matter.

Benedict XVI: An Intimate Portrait

2008-10-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

Benedict XVI: An Intimate Portraitby Peter Seewald. Ignatius Press (October 2008).

In the person of Pope Benedict XVI, one of the most significant of Europe's intellectuals is heading-up the Vatican. The journalist Peter Seewald, who has known Ratzinger since 1992, conducted the "longest interviews in church history" with him, for two books which were best-sellers world-wide, Salt of the Earth, God and the World.

Now he describes these intensive encounters in detail for the first time, and draws a portrait of this brilliant theologian who has put his life entirely at the service of the Catholic Church. Above and beyond that, this book is also the story of a long dialogue which changed Seewald's life.

Many people are trying to understand who Benedict XVI really is. On one point they are all agreed: in the person of Joseph Ratzinger, the chair of Peter is occupied by one of the most brilliant minds in the world. Peter Seewald's portrait of Benedict recounts details about the personality and life of Benedict which were hitherto completely unknown.

Excerpts

"A Revolutionary of the Christian Type" (Preface).

Reviews

"From Priest to Pontiff", by George Cardinal Pell. First Things October 2009.
Shelf Life, by Michael Potemra. National Review, Jan 26, 2009.

The Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine

2008-08-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to AugustineIgnatius Press (August 2008).

Following his best selling book, Jesus of Nazareth, and his talks published in Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church, Pope Benedict's Church Fathers presents these important figures of early Christianity in all their evangelical vitality, spiritual profundity, and uncompromising love of God. Benedict tells the true story of Christianity's against-all-odds triumph in the face of fierce pagan Roman hostility and persecution. He does this by exploring the lives and the ideas of the early Christian writers, pastors, and martyrs, the men so important to the spread of Christianity that history knows them as "the Fathers of the Church".

This rich and engrossing survey of the early Church includes those churchmen who immediately succeeded the Apostles, the "Apostolic Fathers": Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyon. Benedict also discusses such great Christian figures as Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian of Carthage, the Cappadocian Fathers, as well as the giants John Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, Leo the Great, and Benedict of Nursia, the Pope's namesake. This book is a wonderful way to get to know the Church Fathers and the tremendous spiritually rich patrimony they have bequeathed to us.

Pope Benedict in America: The Full Texts of Papal Talks Given During His Apostolic Visit to the United States

2008-08-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict in America: The Full Texts of Papal Talks Given During His Apostolic Visit to the United Stateswith introduction by Fr. James V. Schall. Ignatius Press (August 2008).

During his six-day apostolic visit to Washington and New York, Pope Benedict addressed millions of people--in person or via the media. He gave some fifteen major addresses, ranging from his remarks to the President of the United States, to his address to ecumenical leaders at St. Joseph Parish in New York, from his speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations, to his message to the Jewish community celebrating the feast of Passover. In all of his addresses, Benedict spoke as the Vicar of Christ, with the message of divine truth and love, of genuine faith and a well-founded, Christ-centered hope.

This book contains all of Benedict's major addresses in a handy slim size deluxe hardcover edition perfect for use to study and reflect on the Pope's profound and insightful words on a variety of important spiritual, moral and social issues.

Readers will readily see the truth of Jesuit Father James Schall's statement, from his introduction to this volume: "Benedict XVI is an amazingly learned man . . . There is no one else in any public office in the world that has ... his breadth of knowledge and scholarship. Though he speaks the learned German academic tongue with the best of them, his writings are strikingly straightforward and clear . . . One sensed that the media understood this somehow, that this man was on top of every subject and operated at a depth few could match. The papacy does have the duty of teaching and Benedict does teach. He also thinks and ponders. What is characteristic of him is that he not only speaks authoritatively when he must, but that he mostly offers what he says on the grounds of common sense and reason. He goes directly to the minds and hearts of his readers or listeners."

Creation and Evolution: A Conference With Pope Benedict XVI in Castel Gandolfo

2008-06-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

Creation and Evolution: A Conference with Pope Benedict XVI in Castel GandolfoStephan Otto Horn, S.D.S., and Siegfried Wiedenhofer | Translated by Michael J. Miller | Foreword by Christoph Cardinal Schönborn. Ignatius Press (June 2008).

In 2005 the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn wrote a guest editorial in The New York Times that sparked a worldwide debate about "Creation and Evolution". Pope Benedict XVI instructed the Cardinal to study more closely this problem and the current debate between "evolutionism" and "creationism," and asked the yearly gathering of his former students to address these questions.

Even after Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI, he has continued to maintain close contact with the circle of his former students. The "study circle" (Schulerkrers) meets once a year with Pope Benedict XVI for a conference. Many of these former Ratzinger students have gone on to become acclaimed scholars, professors and writers, as well as high ranking Church prelates.

This book documents the proceedings of the remarkable conference on the topic of "Creation and Evolution" hosted by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 at the papal summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. It includes papers that were presented from the fields of natural science, philosophy and theology, and records the subsequent discussion, in which Pope Benedict XVI himself participated.

"Ultimately it comes down to the alternative: What came first? Creative Reason, the Creator Spirit who makes all things and gives them growth, or Unreason, which, lacking any meaning, strangely enough brings forth a mathematically ordered cosmos, as well as man and his reason. The latter, however, would then be nothing more than a chance result of evolution and thus, in the end, equally meaningless. As Christians, we say: I believe in God the Father, the Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in the Creator Spirit. We believe that at the beginning of everything is the eternal Word, with Reason and not Unreason."

-- Pope Benedict XVI

"Creation and Evolution is an extraordinary opportunity for the public to listen in on the conversation as some of the greatest minds in the Catholic Church -- theologians, philosophers, scientists, and Pope Benedict himself -- wrestle with one of the most thorny and far-reaching of topics. Participants clash repeatedly over what we really know about the forces that shaped life on earth, over what is data and what is hype, over what certain scenarios might mean even if they were true. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know where we might have come from and where we might be headed.

-- Michael J. Behe, Lehigh University, Author of The Edge of Evolution.

Christ, Our Joy: The Theological Vision of Pope Benedict XVI

2008-05-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

Christ Our Joy: The Theological Vision of Pope Benedict XVI
by Joseph Murphy. Ignatius Press (May 2008).

Noticing how often the new Pope had the topic of "joy" as the central theme of his many addresses, Murphy delved into the vast writings of the Pope, before and after his election to the papacy, and found that the theme of joy has pervaded all of his theology. Recognizing the Pope's invitation to joy as a key to understanding his basic theological vision, Murphy develops those ideas and writings in a creative way, and helps the reader to engage personally with the original and pastoral mind of Joseph Ratzinger, professor, pastor, and now Pope Benedict XVI.

This joy is nothing other than the joy of the Christian faith. Indeed, the "first word of the New Testament", says Pope Benedict XVI, "is an invitation to joy". The Gospel of Jesus Christ, he insists, is not a burdensome imposition but is truly "glad tidings" for mankind. Christianity is the key to true and lasting joy, the only joy that abides in the midst of life's anxieties and difficulties.

Written in a clear and engaging style, this book argues that joy is central to all of Pope Benedict's thought. All the other great themes of the Christian faith are intimately connected with it and radiate out from it. The world is in need of hearing once again the message of joy which Jesus Christ makes known.

Related

Pope Benedict XVI, Theologian of Joy: An Interview with Monsignor Joseph Murphy, author of Christ Our Joy: The Theological Vision of Pope Benedict XVI | Carl E. Olson. Ignatius Insight
Benedict XVI's Theological Vision: An Introduction | Monsignor Joseph Murphy
The Imprimatur of Happiness: In Pope Benedict's hands, Christian joy becomes the antidote to modern meaninglessness. Review by Ryan T. Anderson. Christianity Today October 10, 2008.

The Church, Ecumenism and Politics: New Endeavors in Ecclesiology

2008-04-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Church, Ecumenism and Politics: New Endeavors in EcclesiologyIgnatius Press (April 2008).

This work features the most discussed topics of the life of the Church, treated with unique frankness and depth by the Church's spiritual and theological leader. In this collection of essays, theologian Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, tackles three major issues in the Church today--the nature of the Church, the pursuit of Christian unity, and the relationship of Christianity to the secular/political power.

The first part of the book explores Vatican II's teaching on the Church, what it means to call the Church "the People of God", the role of the Pope, and the Synod of Bishops. In part two, Ratzinger frankly assesses the ecumenical movement--its achievements, problems, and principles for authentic progress toward Christian unity. In the third part of the work, Ratzinger discusses both fundamental questions and particular issues concerning the Church, the state and human fulfillment in the Age to come. What does the Bible say about faith and politics? How should the Church work in pluralistics societies? What are the problems with Liberation Theology? How should we understand freedom in the Church and in society?

Beneath a penetrating analysis on these important topics by this brilliant teacher and writer, both concise and also surprising, is revealed the passion of a great spiritual leader.

Related

Biblical Aspects of the Theme of Faith and Politics | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Excerpt)

God's Word: Scripture - Tradition - Office

2008-04-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

God's Word: Scripture, Tradition, OfficeIgnatius Press (April 2008).

In this book Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, presents the Word of God as a living reality in the Church. God's Word, according to Ratzinger, is encountered in the Bible, in Tradition, and through the teaching Office of the Bishop, who, through apostolic succession, is to be the servant of and witness to the divine Word. Ratzinger examines as well the relationship between the Episcopacy and the Papacy. He also considers the nature of Apostolic Succession, and he responds to Reformed objections to the Catholic view of the subject. His treatment is sympathetic to the concerns of non-Catholic Christians while remaining faithful to Catholic teaching and practice.

This book also includes the famous Erasmus Lecture of Cardinal Ratzinger, which assesses the strengths and weaknesses of modern critical approaches to biblical interpretation. Ratzinger proposes a new approach that avoids the pitfalls of a narrowly critical outlook on the Bible without succumbing to fundamentalism.

God's Word provides profound insights into Pope Benedict XVI's efforts to renew the Church's participation in God's Truth through the divine Word, as well as the Church's mission to proclaim the Word to all people.

Excerpts

Introduction to God's Word: Scripture - Tradition - Office, by Peter Hünermann and Thomas Södin.

Benedict of Bavaria An Intimate Portrait of the Pope and His Homeland

2008-04-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

Benedict of Bavaria: An Intimate Portrait of the Pope and His Homeland
Ignatius Press (April 2008).

An Intimate Portrait of the Pope and His Homeland Highlighting a little-known personal side of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, this book places him in the context of his homeland, Bavaria a place which the author, Brennan Pursell, has come to know well through extensive travel and study over the last twelve years. Explore the extraordinary brilliance of Pope Benedict's mind and the universality of his vocation within the context of his identity as a simple son of his beloved homeland, Bavaria. Includes color photos and a rare look at a day in the life of the Pope.

"Joseph and Chico"

2008-03-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat
Ignatius Press (March 2008)

In this beautifully illustrated book for children, Chico the cat describes the life of his "best friend", Pope Benedict, in this authorised biography of the Pope for young people approved by the Vatican. 

"Dear Children, here you will find a biography that is different than others because it is told by a cat and it is not every day a cat can consider the Holy Father his friend and sit down to write his life story," the Pope's personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Ganswein, says in the foreword.

The Pope is known for his fondness of animals, especially cats, and Joseph and Chico is narrated by Chico, a real cat who took up with the Pope in his native Germany long before he became the Pope. Chico tells the story of the life of "my best friend" from his birth in Germany in 1927, through his days as a young man, priest, bishop and cardinal. With a colorful and sometimes amusing language, the author makes this funny cat tell us about the life of the young Joseph all the way up to his election as Pontiff on April 19, 2005. It recounts the Nazi era in Germany when the Pope was a teenager, calling the war years "one of the most dramatic and shameful times in the history of man". Later when he became Cardinal Ratzinger, Chico recounts how each time when the Cardinal returned to Germany from Rome for a vacation, the cat would run into his house and sit on his lap as he played the piano.

Related

Images from "Joseph and Chico"
Sample Pages from "Joseph and Chico"
Chico is one of the most famous cats in the world. He is 9 years old and famous for being one of Benedict XVI’s best friends… in fact the only friend to have slept on the papal piano. (ROMEreports TV 10/19/07).
Cat Lovers Appreciate Soul Mate in Vatican, by Andy Newman New York Times April 21, 2008.

Ratzinger's Faith: The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI, by Tracy Rowland

2008-03-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

Ratzinger's Faith: The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI
by Tracy Rowland. OUP Oxford (6 Mar 2008).

A popular reading of Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) is that he started out as a progressive but had second thoughts after the cultural revolution of the late 1960s. A more negative portrait is that of an ambitious and intellectually precocious young man who changed theological allegiances for the sake of promotion within the Catholic hierarchy. Now, in this probing book, Tracey Rowland offers a third reading, one that situates the thought of Pope Benedict within the intellectual history and academic circles of his time. The first serious assessment of the new Pope's theological vision, this thoughtful volume covers topics such as the interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Benedict's relations with other important scholars and theologians, and his attitudes on moral and political theology, western culture, the structure of the Catholic Church, liturgy, and love. It has become a commonplace observation that Pope Benedict has been influenced by the thought of St. Augustine in contrast to many of his predecessors in the papacy who were much more strongly influenced by St. Thomas Aquinas. This work therefore addresses the topic of in what way Benedict is an Augustinian. The volume also includes a bibliography arranged thematically for those who want to explore his thought more deeply in a particular area. A penetrating account of the thought of the reigning pontiff, this volume offers a wealth of insight for everyone interested in Pope Benedict and the direction of the modern Catholic Church.

Reviews

Review by Edward T. Oakes, SJ Theological Studies, Sept, 2009.
Review by Thaddeus J. Kozinski The Catholic Social Science Review 14 (2009).
Review by Lawrence Cunningham Commonweal March 13, 2009.
The shy professor bringing Benedict to the masses, by Anna Arco. Catholic Herald July 4, 2008.
Theologian of the Heart, by David G. Bonagura, Jr. The University Bookman (Russell Kirk Center)
Emerging from the shadow of the ‘Panzerkardinal’ The Catholic Herald April 18, 2008.
An assault upon relativism, by Edward Norman. Spectator Book Club. April 8, 2008.
Ratzinger's Faith and Reason, by Fr. James V. Schall. Ignatius Insight May 2008.
"Gardener with a thirst for beauty", by Fergus Kerr. The Tablet March 20, 2008.

The God of Jesus Christ: Meditations on the Triune God

2008-02-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

The God of Jesus Christ: Meditations on the Triune God
Ignatius Press (March 2008).

In this book of meditations, based on a series of homilies and meditations presented and compiled by the author shortly before he became Archbishop of Munich-Freising, in 1977, theologian Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) presents his profound thoughts on the nature and person of God, building a bridge between theology and spirituality as he makes wide use of the Sacred Scriptures to reveal the beauty and mystery of who God is. He writes about each of the three persons in the Holy Trinity, showing the different attributes of each person, and that "God is three and God is one."

God is--and the Christian faith adds: God is as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three and one. This is the very heart of Christianity, but it is so often shrouded in a silence born of perplexity. Has the Church perhaps gone one step too far here? Ought we not rather leave something so great and inaccessible as God in his inaccessibility? Can something like the Trinity have any real meaning for us? It is certainly true that the proposition that "God is three and God is one" is and remains the expression of his otherness, which is infinitely greater than us and transcends all our thinking and our existence. But, as Joseph Ratzinger shows, if this proposition meant nothing to us, it would not have been revealed! And as a matter of fact, it could be clothed in human language only because it had already penetrated human thinking and living to some extent.

"Without Jesus, we do not know what 'Father' truly is. This becomes visible in his prayer, which is the foundation of his being. A Jesus who was not continuously absorbed in the Father, and was not in continuous intimate communication with him, would be a completely different being from the Jesus of the Bible, the real Jesus of history... In Jesus' prayer, the Father becomes visible and Jesus makes himself known as the Son. The unity which this reveals is the Trinity. Accordingly, becoming a Christian means sharing in Jesus' prayer, entering into the model provided by his life, i.e. the model of prayer. Becomng a Christian means saying 'Father' with Jesus, and thus becoming a child, God's son--God--in the unity of the Spirit, who allows us to be ourselves and precisely in this way draws us into the unity of God. Being a Christian means looking at the world from this central point, which gives us freedom, hope, decisiveness, and consolation."

Saved in Hope ("Spe Salvi")

2008-02-01T00:26:00.000-08:00

Saved in Hope: Spe SalveIgnatius Press (February 2008)

Pope Benedict XVI’s second encyclical, Saved In Hope, (“Spe Salvi” in Latin) takes its title from St. Paul, who wrote, “In hope we have been saved”. In this special deluxe hardcover edition of the work, the Holy Father continues a line of thought he began with his first encyclical, God is Love.

Love and Hope are closely related in the spiritual life. Love of God involves hope or trust in God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man”. Hope enables us to look to the next life, but it also inspires and purifies our actions in this life. Pope Benedict considers modern philosophies and the challenges of faith today in light of the virtue of hope.

“Confronted by today’s changing and complex panorama, the virtue of hope is subject to harsh trials in the community of believers. For this very reason, we must be apostles who are filled with hope and joyful trust in God’s promises. In contemporary society, which shows such visible signs of secularism, we must not give in to despair.” — Pope Benedict XVI

Questions and Answers

2008-01-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Questions and AnswersOur Sunday Visitor (January 2008).

Life can be successful only if we have the courage to be adventurous ... Pope Benedict XVI

Discover the Pope s insightful, personable, and refreshingly accessible responses to the questions we all want to ask.

Live audiences of children, clergy, young adults, and others gain unprecedented access to ask the Pope about everything from divorce and remarriage to the Mass, consumerism, relativism, sacraments, Scripture, music, sex, vocations, and more.

Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church

2007-11-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

Jesus, the Apostles and the Early ChurchIgnatius Press (October 2007).

Based on Pope Benedict XVI's weekly teaching on the relationship between Christ and the Church, this book tells the drama of Jesus' first disciples -- his Apostles and their associates -- and how they spread Jesus' message throughout the ancient world. Far from distorting the truth about Jesus of Nazareth, insists Pope Benedict, the early disciples remained faithful to it, even at the cost of their lives.

Beginning with the Twelve as the foundation of Jesus' re-establishment of the Holy People of God, Pope Benedict examines the story of the early followers of Christ. He draws on Scripture and early tradition to consider such important figures as Peter, Andrew, James and John, and even Judas Iscariot. Benedict moves beyond the original Twelve to discuss Paul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christianity who became one of Jesus' greatest disciples. Also considered are Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, the wife and husband "team" of Priscilla and Aquila, and such key women figures as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Phoebe.

Excerpts

Selections from Jesus, The Apostles, and the Early Church | Pope Benedict XVI

Joseph Ratzinger - Life in the Church and Living Theology: Fundamentals of Ecclesiology

2007-10-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

Joseph Ratzinger: Life in the Church and Living Theology: Fundamentals of Ecclesiology
by Maximilian Heinrich Heim. (Ignatius Press, October 2007). 500pp.

This is a major work on the theology of Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, by a highly regarded German theologian, priest and writer. Since his election to the Papacy, Ratzinger's theology, and in particular his ecclesiology (theology of the Church), has been in the limelight of theological and ecumenical discussions.

This important work studies in detail Ratzinger's ecclesiology in the light of Vatican II, against the ongoing debate about what Vatican II really meant to say about the life of the Church, its liturgy, its worship, its doctrine, its pastoral mission, and more. Has his theology of the Church changed since Vatican II, or has it continued to develop consistently? Is the Catholic Church one church among many churches? Is she the object of hope or a historical reality?

Ratzinger the theologian figures centrally in this investigation, not as the former Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, but as a thinker and as a writer

Related

Vatican II and the Ecclesiology of Joseph Ratzinger | The Introduction to Joseph Ratzinger: Life in the Church and Living Theology—Fundamentals of Ecclesiology with Reference to Lumen Gentium | Fr. Maximilian Heinrich Heim

New Outpourings of the Spirit: Movements in the Church

2007-10-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

New Outpourings of the Spirit
Ignatius Press (October 2007).

The volume consists of two fundamental texts by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, on the ecclesial movements and new communities within the Church since the Second Vatican Council. These writings are particularly meaningful with regard to the intense spiritual journey which the ecclesial movements and the new communities are experiencing in view of their meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Pentecost 2006.

These writings are a precious guide for the entire Church, leaders and laity alike, who are invited to welcome the new "outpourings of the Spirit". The first part of the book presents in an articulate and exhaustive way the theological vision of the Pope on these ecclesial movements and the new communities. It is his talk titled Church Movements and their Place in Theology which he gave at the beginning of the World Congress of the Ecclesial Movements in Rome in Ma, 1998. It combines extraordinary theological depth with a warm pastoral tone.

The second part of the book is very different from the first, but complements the first part. It contains the dialogue of Cardinal Ratzinger with a large group of Bishops from all continents, convened together for a seminar on the topic, The Ecclesial Movements in the Pastoral Concern of the Bishops held in Rome in 1999.This dialogue format was very favorably received by the Bishops, and it is quite wide-ranging, touching on topics such as the relation between the old and the new charisms, the institutional dimension and the charismatic dimension of the Church, and the Church's mission in a non-Christian society and more.

An Invitation to Faith: An a to Z Primer on the Thought of Pope Benedict XVI

2007-09-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

An Invitation to Faith: An A to Z Primer on the Thought of Pope Benedict XVI
Edited by Jean-michel Coulet. Ignatius Press (September 2007).

As soon as he was elected to the Papacy, Benedict XVI immediately challenged the relativism of our times that rejects God, that sees noting as definitive, and that, according to the Pope, sets as the ultimate yardstick the individual's own ego and desires alone. The Pope offers instead an opposing standard: Christ, the Son of God, the true man. The Pope's words are rousing and demand an examination of conscience. His words are meant for all.

With strong words, Benedict XVI invites us to place God at the center of our lives. Thus, this book is a selection of key words from the teachings of the Holy Father since he began his Pontificate, presented in alphabetical order. Each key word leads to an inspiring and insightful meditation from the Pope on various important spiritual themes and topics. Benedict XVI invites us in these words to become daily actors in the real revolution that comes from God and is called Love.

This volume is a handy little primer on the thought of the beloved Pontiff in which the reader can pick out any key word or topic form the alphabetical order of meditations throughout the book to meditate and focus on.

Seek That Which Is Above: Meditations Through the Year

2007-09-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

Seek That Which is Above: Meditations Through the Year
Ignatius Press (2nd Edition. September 2007).

In this beautifully illustrated book, Cardinal Ratzinger gives us meditations on various Liturgical Seasons and Feasts throughout the year, as well as other interesting spiritual and secular themes. These profound and inspiring thoughts bring his broad theological experience as well as his wide literary interests to his people. Here is a shepherd nourishing spiritually the faithful addressed to his care.

Themes the Cardinal covers include Advent, Candlemas, Mardi Gras, Easter, Corpus Christi, Marian Devotion, Vacation & Rest, Peace and Creation.

The Apostles

2007-07-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

The Apostles: The Origin of the Church and Their Co-Workers
Our Sunday Visitor; First edition (July 2007).

“This book is… my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” —Benedict XVI

Through the Apostles, we come to Jesus himself---Pope Benedict XVI

In this fascinating and inspirational journey with the friends of Jesus, Pope Benedict XVI demonstrates a profound, unbreakable continuity--built upon the foundation of the Apostles and alive in the succession of the Apostles---by which Christ is present today in His people and His church.

Let Pope Benedict be your guide as the distance of centuries is overcome and he reveals the impact of Christ s vision through the calling and works of the Apostles. Ignite your faith with this timeless connection between Jesus, His Apostles, the Church, and you.

As Jesus said to his first two future Apostles, Come and see. Come so that you will be able to see.

The Essential Pope Benedict XVI: His Central Writings and Speeches

2007-06-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Essential Pope Benedict XVI: His Central Writings and Speeches
HarperCollins; annotated edition edition (28 Jun 2007).

On April 24, 2005, Cardinal Joseph Alois Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI, the twenty-first-century successor of the Apostle Peter and the spiritual leader of more than one billion Roman Catholics. Who is this complex man whose office grants him sole charge of the world's largest religion? How will his tenure influence the future? The Essential Pope Benedict XVI answers these questions through carefully chosen selections from his homilies, interviews, theological essays, and articles on the crises facing the church today. This collection lays out Benedict's thinking and relates it to a variety of contemporary issues, including modern culture's abandonment of traditional religious values, social mores regarding conception and the sanctity of life, current challenges to the priesthood, and the Catholic Church's tenuous relations with other world religions.

The Regensburg Lecture

2007-05-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

The Regensburg Lecture
by James V. Schall, SJ St. Augustines Press (Reprint Edition. May 2007)

Overshadowed by the violent reaction and rioting throughout the world, the September 12, 2006, lecture by Pope Benedict XVI at Regensburg, Germany, at the university where he once taught, is a multifaceted and brilliant speech that addresses the very nature of man’s understanding of a free conscience, his thirst for knowledge in both reason and revelation, his understanding of the limitations of the will, and the nature of his ability to understand his neighbor. It explains the Church’s historical claims that Christ himself is Logos (as the opening of John’s Gospel proclaims), a term meaning “word,” “logic,” and “speech.” One’s faith is to be grounded in a self-limiting God, Who does not capriciously change the rules on humans but Who reveals himself to our reason as well as our hearts. A God Who respects His own creation enough to give man free will, and thus a free conscience and an ability to fail; Who leads man, through both reason and revelation, to Himself, always in peace and never in violence; Who is a God of Life, not Death.

The lecture is a mere eight single-spaced pages of text, but it encapsulates not only theoretical history of the Church, but touches on the most poignant current problems the world witnesses, namely, the rise of terrorism and the confrontation between reason and will, between the Word and the Sword. Though incredibly timely, it is as timeless as the Gettysburg Address, Pericles’ Funeral Oration, Plato’s Apology, and Henry V’s Speech on St. Crispin’s Day. No doubt it will be studied and read for generations to come, not only by Catholics, not only by Christians, but by men of good will the world over.

So it is fitting that our world’s modern G.K. Chesterton – James Schall – has chosen to explicate this most-important work by the world’s premier theologian on the thorniest, most divisive questions of our day. Jim Schall, throughout the hundreds upon hundreds of books, articles, and reviews he has written, has always, like Chesterton, maintained a graceful and accessible touch, a clear and memorable style, that makes light work from heavy sources. He is the perfect person to explain both the central concepts and the importance of this amazing speech.

Reviews

Early critical response to The Regensburg Lecture From the Publishers
"A University Lecture", by Christopher O. Blum. The University Bookman (Russell Kirk Center)

Jesus of Nazareth

2007-05-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Jesus of Nazareth
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (May 2007)

“This book is… my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” —Benedict XVI

In this bold, momentous work, the pope—in his first book written as Benedict XVI—seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from recent “popular” depictions and to restore Jesus’ true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the pope shares a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of Jesus and incites us to encounter, face-to-face, the central figure of the Christian faith.

Reviews & Commentary

No Friend in Jesus, by Meir Soloveichik. First Things January 2008 [Discussion of Rabbi Jacob Neusner's A Rabbi Talks to Jesus and Pope Benedict's appraisal of the same in Jesus of Nazareth].
Benedict and the Biblical Jesus, by Richard B. Hays. First Things August/September 2007.
A Pope’s Love of Writing, by Fr. Raymond De Souza. National Post, (Canada) May 17, 2007.
Jesus of Nazareth: Review by Geza Vermes The Times May 19, 2007.
The Face of God: What Benedict's Jesus Offers, by Peter Steinfels. Commonweal August 17, 2007 / Volume CXXXIV, Number 14.
Jesus of Nazareth - review by Craig Blomberg, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor of New Testament Denver Evangelical Seminary.
"Jesus of Nazareth" Gets a Special Reviewer: The Vicar of the Man Who Wrote It, by Sandro Magister. (www.chiesa)
Pope's new book addresses key concerns for this pontificate: Christ is key, by John Allen, Jr. National Catholic Reporter April 27, 2007.
Theme of papal book may also be hallmark of his papacy, panelists say, by Nancy Frazier O'Brien. Catholic News Service. May 17, 2007.
My argument with the pope, by Rabbi Jacob Neusner. Jerusalem Post May 19, 2007.
Franz Michel Willam, the Theologian the Pope Has Rescued from Oblivion, by Sandro Magister. Author in 1932 of a famous life of Christ, he had been forgotten by everyone. Benedict XVI cites him in "Jesus of Nazareth," and an Austrian scholar explains why.
God Made Visible: On the Foreword to Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | June 18, 2007.
"God Is The Issue" | The Temptation in the Desert and the Kingdoms of This World, by Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. Ignatius Insight June 29, 2007.

Pope Benedict XVI: The Conscience of Our Age

2007-04-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI: The Conscience of Our Age
by Fr. Vincent Twomey. Ignatius Press (April 2007)

Fr. Vincent Twomey, a former doctoral student of Joseph Ratzinger, and a long time friend of the Pope's, felt the need to respond to the common question he read and heard often after Ratzinger's papal election, "What kind of person is the new Pope?"

Twomey offers here a unique double-presentation of the man, Pope Benedict XVI -- a "theological portrait" that encompasses both an overview of the writings, teachings and thought of the brilliant theologian and spiritual writer, as well as the man himself, and his personality traits and how he communicates with others.

Since Ratzinger came in to the papacy already well known and highly regarded as one of the greatest theologians of our age, and having written so much on almost every theological subject touching on the faith, morality, the Church and State, it is important to know his mind on these topics and how he approaches the major spiritual and social issues of our times. Twomey shows his style is really the opposite of how he has been depicted in the past -- that he is indeed very pastoral and will first win the hearts of people who will then read for themselves his writings. His very first encyclical, God Is Love, underscores that approach.

Twomey shows that the secret to the serene dignified behavior of Benedict is that, as a man who is an accomplished pianist, he is open to beauty as much as truth, that he lives outside himself, and is not preoccupied with his own self. He also is a man that Twomey says "has the courage to be imperfect", showing he has a deep humility and strives for teaching the truth even when misunderstood or not presented as well as he would like.

Excerpts / Related Links

Reviews

Emerging from the shadow of the ‘Panzerkardinal’ The Catholic Herald April 18, 2008.

Europe: Today and Tomorrow

2007-03-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

Europe: Today and Tomorrow
Ignatius Press (March 2007).

Written in late 2004 shortly before his election as Pope Benedict XVI, Ratzinger raises serious questions about the issues facing Europe amidst the new European Union and forming of a European Constitution.

Some of the main issues he raises include: How did Europe originate and what are its boundaries? Who has the right to call himself European and be admitted into the new Europe? What about the spiritual roots of Europe and the moral foundation she is founded on?

Ratzinger sees the lack of focus on these fundamental questions in the forming of a new Europe as a very serious dilemma for the future of Europe, and the world. The ties that Europe has to the USA, and the rest of the world make these questions and reflections by the current Pontiff of critical importance for facing the future together.

Excerpts

Faith in the Triune God, and Peace in the World

On Conscience (Bioethics & Culture)

2007-01-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

On Conscience (Bioethics & Culture)Ignatius Press (January 2007).

Prepared and co-published by the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, this book is a combination of two lengthy essays written by Cardinal Ratzinger and delivered in talks when he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ["Conscience and Truth" (1984) and "Bishops, Theologians and Morality" (1991)]. Both talks deal with the importance of conscience and its exercise in particular circumstances.

Ratzinger's reflections show that contemporary debates over the nature of conscience have deep historical and philosophical roots. He says that a person is bound to act in accord with his conscience, but he makes it clear that there must be reliable, proven sources for the judgment of conscience in moral issues, other than the subjective reflections of each individual.

The Dialectics of Secularization: On Reason and Religion

2007-01-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Dialectics of Secularization: On Reason and Religion
Ignatius Press (February 2007).

Two of the worlds great contemporary thinkers--theologian and churchman Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, and Jurgen Habermas, philosopher and Neo-Marxist social critic--discuss and debate aspects of secularization, and the role of reason and religion in a free society. These insightful essays are the result of a remarkable dialogue between the two men, sponsored by the Catholic Academy of Bavaria, a little over a year before Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope.

Jurgen Habermas has surprised many observers with his call for "the secular society to acquire a new understanding of religious convictions", as Florian Schuller, director of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria, describes it his foreword. Habermas discusses whether secular reason provides sufficient grounds for a democratic constitutional state. Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI argues for the necessity of certain moral principles for maintaining a free state, and for the importance of genuine reason and authentic religion, rather than what he calls "pathologies of reason and religion", in order to uphold the states moral foundations. Both men insist that proponents of secular reason and religious conviction should learn from each other, even as they differ over the particular ways that mutual learning should occur.

Related

A warning against a misquote about Habermas and Christianity - A serious misquote is circulating on the internet about Jürgen Habermas and Christianity. The Habermas Forum March 5, 2009.

The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est

2006-12-30T23:49:00.000-08:00

The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est
Ignatius Press (December 2006)

In response to Benedict XVI's first encyclical, the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies and Marriage and Family reflects, together with the Holy Father, on love. From the very beginning, the fundamental work of the Institute has been pursuing a deeper understanding of God's plan for marriage and family. In these twenty-five years various generations of students and professors, following the legacy of John Paul II, have been able to discover and communicate the beauty of the vocation for which all men have been created: the call to love.

Twenty-six professors from the Institute's various sessions express what in their understanding are the main themes of the document, approaching the topics raised by the Holy Father with different theological and philosophical perspectives; by so doing they have highlighted the significance and fecundity of the lines of thought suggested by the Pope. This book is offered as a path towards a fuller understanding of the profundity and richness of the love with which God fills us and wants us to communicate in our turn.

Images of Hope: Meditations on Major Feasts

2006-10-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

Images of Hope: Meditations on Major FeastsIgnatius Press (October 2006).

In Images of Hope: Meditations on Major Feasts, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) masterfully weaves together Scripture, history, literature and theology as he reflects on major feasts of the liturgical calendar. In each chapter, he examines works of sacred art that illustrate the hope we celebrate in our most important Christian holy days.

What do the humble ox and ass at the manger of the Christ Child tell us about Christmas? In an icon of Christ's Ascension, what do the Savior's hands held in blessing promise us? What is the meaning of the sword held by the great statue of Saint Paul before the Roman church that bears his name?

These and many other questions are explored with depth and sensitivity in this collection of meditations by the man who became Pope Benedict XVI. Several beautiful colored images of the relevant paintings, mosaics and sculptures accompany the rich and detailed text.

Excerpts

"Primacy in Love": The Chair Altar of Saint Peter's in Rome

Values in a Time of Upheaval

2006-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Values in a Time of Upheaval
The Crossroad Publishing Company (September 2006)

First published in April 2005 in Germany, Values in a Time of Upheaval instantly became a bestseller. The critique of relativism Ratzinger offered as the world mourned Pope John Paul II is here presented in richer detail. In chapters on the history and destiny of human life, Benedict XVI covers such topics as the dangers of secularism, the meaning of truth in a pluralistic world, morality, and the Christian basis for hope.

Without Roots: Europe, Relativism, Christianity, Islam

2006-08-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity and IslamBasic Boos (August 2006).

Pope Benedict XVI joins the President of the Italian Senate to offer a provocative critique of the spiritual, cultural, and political crisis afflicting the West.

On May 12, 2004, Pope Benedict XVI--then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger--addressed the Italian Senate on the state of the West; the very same day, Marcello Pera, President of the Italian Senate, spoke before the Lateran College of the Papal University. Together they called upon the West to confront the spiritual, cultural, and political malaise that have afflicted it in the earliest years of the 21st century. In the months that ensued, before Cardinal Ratzinger's election to the papacy, they developed their ideas into the eloquent dialogue that is Without Roots -- a book that quickly became an Italian bestseller and is even more timely today than ever.

With Europe shaken by the war in Iraq, terrorism, security, Israel, relations with the U.S., immigration, and the rejection of the EU constitution in both France and the Netherlands, the issue of European identity has profound implications for the rest of the world. Bringing together their unique vantage points as leaders of Church and State, Pope Benedict XVI and Pera challenge us to imagine what can be the future of a civilization that has abandoned its history for a relativist secularism. They call on the West to embrace a spiritual rather than political renewal-and to accept the moral beliefs that alone can help us to make sense of changes in technology, economics, and society.

Reviews

Ratzinger and Pera warn of the new dogma of relativism, by Jon Jay Hughes. National Catholic Reporter Oct. 6, 2006.
Review: Without Roots, by Jay. Living Catholicism [blog]. March 4, 2006.
Roots: Europe's Salvation National Review March 2, 2006.
The Politician and the Pope, by Pranay Gupte. The New York Sun February 8, 2006.

What It Means To Be A Christian

2006-06-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

What It Means to Be a Christian
Ignatius Press (June 2006).

Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, writes eloquently and persuasively about how one can live as a serious Christian in today’s secular world. He talks in depth about the true meaning of faith, hope, and love--the love of God and the love of neighbor. He also discusses at length the crucial importance of a lived faith, for the believer himself as well as being a witness for our age, and striving to bring faith in line with the present age that has veered off into rampant secularism and materialism. He passionately encourages the reader to practice a deep, abiding Christian faith that seeks to be at the service of humanity.

As Joseph Ratzinger mentions in the preface, "the book presents in written form three sermons that the author preached in the Cathedral at Muenster to a congregation from the Catholic Student Chaplaincy, December 13-15, 1964."

In other words, these are essays derived from sermons preached to college students toward the end of Vatican II. They are remarkable, among other reasons, for their insights into the ongoing Christian struggle to understand and realize in action "what it means to be a Christian".

Excerpts

Why do we need faith?

Deus Caritas Est [God is Love]

2006-05-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

God Is Love: Deus Caritas EstIgnatius Press (May 2006).

Everyone needs love. Everyone desires love. But not everyone understands love. In fact, love is probably the most misunderstood subject in history.

In his first Encyclical, Pope Benedict helps to clarify the meaning of love. He examines the nature of various kinds of love—human love and divine love, eros, friendship, and charity. He writes beautifully and inspirationally of how man was made for love by the God who is love, the God who became one of us out of love—Jesus Christ.

In the second part of the Encyclical, Benedict addresses the Church's practice of love. He examines the relationship between justice and charity, as well as the call of every Catholic to serve others in love. The Pope's "love letter" to mankind is remarkably accessible and timely.

God's Revolution: World Youth Day and other Cologne Talks

2006-02-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

God's Revolution: World Youth Day and Other Cologne Talks
Ignatius Press (February 2006).

The theme of the World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany August 2005 was "We Have Come to Worship Him." Throughout these talks and encounters with the youth, Benedict reinforced the meaning of this theme by leading us to adore the Child who is God, whose love renews and transforms the whole world. Radiating from this book, as from World Youth Day, is a sheer joy over the beauty of faith, the beauty of Christ and of our life in Christ. Reading this book reinforces the conviction that, in the person of Pope Benedict XVI, God has given the Church a great Teacher of the faith, and also a great Pastor who knows the way that can lead us to intimacy with God. His special charism seems to be his ability to combine universal openness with Catholic identity, clear and comprehensive witness to the truth of Christ with the gentleness of fraternal charity.

The Journey to Easter: Spiritual Reflections for the Lenten Season

2006-02-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Journey to Easter: Spiritual Reflections for the Lenten Season
The Crossroad Publishing Company, Inc. (Reprint Edition. February 2006).

Pope Benedict XVI offers us a great Lenten blessing in Journey to Easter. This book is rich meditation on the meaning of Lent, the significance of the birth and death of Jesus Christ, and the meaning of Jesus in the life of Christians everywhere.

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures

2006-02-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures
Ignatius Press (February 2006)

Written by Joseph Ratzinger shortly before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures looks at the growing conflict of cultures evident in the Western world.

The West faces a deadly contradiction of its own making, he contends. Terrorism is on the rise. Technological advances of the West, employed by people who have cut themselves off from the moral wisdom of the past, threaten to abolish man (as C.S. Lewis put it)—whether through genetic manipulation or physical annihilation.

In short, the West is at war—with itself. Its scientific outlook has brought material progress. The Enlightenment’s appeal to reason has achieved a measure of freedom. But contrary to what many people suppose, both of these accomplishments depend on Judeo-Christian foundations, including the moral worldview that created Western culture.

More than anything else, argues Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, the important contributions of the West are threatened today by an exaggerated scientific outlook and by moral relativism—what Benedict XVI calls "the dictatorship of relativism"—in the name of freedom.

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures is no mere tirade against the moral decline of the West. Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI challenges the West to return to its roots by finding a place for God in modern culture. He argues that both Christian culture and the Enlightenment formed the West, and that both hold the keys to human life and freedom as well as to domination and destruction.

Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI challenges non-believer and believer alike. "Both parties," he writes, "must reflect on their own selves and be ready to accept correction." He challenges secularized, unbelieving people to open themselves to God as the ground of true rationality and freedom. He calls on believers to "make God credible in this world by means of the enlightened faith they live."

Excerpts

Why We Must Not Give Up The Fight | Joseph Ratzinger on why there are no "small murders"

Pilgrim Fellowship Of Faith: The Church As Communion

2005-12-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith: The Church as Communion
Ignatius Press (December 2005)

On the occasion of the Cardinal's seventy-fifth birthay, his former students have selected essays, lectures, letters, and conferences that Ratzinger has written in recent years-writing that they feel best represents the position of the Cardinal on issues of theology, the modern world, secularism, non-Christian religions, and other key topics of the Catholic Church. This book, characterized by Ratzinger's concisely reasoned style, is an invaluable resource to those who wish to understand the modern Church, as well as a treasured volume for those who are students of Ratzinger's theology.

"Cardinal Ratzinger is one of the great spirits and most distinguished theologians of contemporary Catholicism. This tribute is a living testimony to Cardinal Ratzinger's lifelong labors on behalf of the communion of the Church, which is rooted in the love of Christ. No one demonstrates better than Cardinal Ratzinger that the Church's tradition is a living and dynamic reality, born of a truth that everyone can know and love -- and, in so doing, be transformed." -- George Weigel

Excerpts

"What, in fact, is theology?" (Ignatius Insight)

God's Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church

2005-11-30T23:56:00.000-08:00

Gods Choice: Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church
by George Weigel. Harper Collins (November 2005).

George Weigel's bestselling biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope, set the standard by which all portraits of the modern papacy are now measured. With God's Choice, he gives us an extraordinary chronicle of the rise of Pope Benedict XVI as well as an unflinching view of the Catholic Church at the dawn of a new era.

When John Paul II lapsed into illness for the last time, people flocked from all over the world to pray outside his apartment. He had become a father figure to millions in a world bereft of strong paternal examples, and those millions now felt orphaned. After more than twenty-six years of John Paul II's guidance, the Catholic Church is entering a new age, with its bedrock traditions intact but with pressing questions to address in a rapidly changing world. Beginning with the story of John Paul's final months, God's Choice offers a remarkable inside account of the conclave that produced Benedict XVI as the next pope, drawing on George Weigel's unrivaled access to this complex event.

Weigel also incisively surveys the current state of the Church around the world: its thriving populations in Africa, Latin America, and parts of the post-communist world; its collapse in western Europe; its continued struggles in Asia; and the vibrancy of many aspects of Catholic life in the United States, even as the Church in America struggles to overcome its recent experience of scandal.

Reviews

Brief Comments by Fr. Richard J. Neuhaus [First Things: "On The Square"]. Nov. 5, 2005.
Review: God's Choice, by Stephen Riddle. Flos Carmeli [blog]. Nov. 29, 2005.

Mary: The Church at the Source

2005-10-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

Mary: The Church at the Source(Co-authored with Hans Urs von Balthasar). Ignatius Press (October 2005)

Two great theologians offer a spiritually rich approach to Mariology that brings into new relief the Marian contours of ecclesial faith. Ratzinger and Balthasar show that Mary embodies the Church and co-operates in giving birth to the Church in the souls of believers. At once profound and accessible, Mary offers a theologically balanced and biblically grounded presentation of traditional and contemporary thought on Marian doctrine and spirituality.

"This book contains a treasury of reflections on the meaning of Mary for the Church, theology, and indeed for anthropology generally. An indispensable source for anyone who would understand the Marian doctrine intended by the Council and in the pontificate of John Paul II—and now Benedict XVI."

—David Schindler, Ph.D. Dean, John Paul II Institute

"This marvelous book of theological meditations on Mary by the two most important Catholic theologians of the 20th century explains why Mary is such a peerless jewel set inside that wretched frame called human history. Because Mary is the very birthplace of the Church and thus the locus of all that gives us hope, our tainted and fallen race itself has hope."

—Fr. Edward Oakes, S.J.

The Way of the Cross

2005-09-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Way of the Cross
Pauline Books & Media (September 2005)

Pray through the mystery of salvation with our new pope, Benedict XVI! Experience for yourself the Way of the Cross that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote for this time-honored devotion held on Good Friday at Rome's Colosseum.

Thought of Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger

2005-06-01T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Thought of Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to the Theology of Joseph Ratzingerby Fr. Aidan Nichols. Continuum International Publishing Group (May 2005)

Aidan Nichols' timely book is the first full-scale investigation of Joseph Ratzinger's theology in its development from the 1950s to the present day.

It presents a chronological account of the development of Ratzinger's writing which reflects a wide range of historical and theoretical interests such as: Augustine's ecclesiology; early Franciscanism and the idea of salvation history; Christian brotherhood; the unfolding of the Second Vatican Council; commenting on the Apostles' Creed; explorations of the concept of the Church; preaching, liturgy and Church music; eschatology; the foundations of dogmatic and moral theology; the Church and politics; ecumenism, and the problem of pluralism. This book is a comprehensive introduction to a figure who is in his own right, quite apart from his significance in the politics of the Church, a major German Catholic theologian of the twentieth century.

This new edition provides an amplification of the existing chapters by reference to books and articles produced by Joseph Ratzinger between 1986/1987 and his election as Pope in 2005. This is especially important in the area of the Liturgy, where his 1999 study 'The Spirit of the Liturgy' takes further his critique of contemporary Western Catholic worship and his call for a new liturgical movement which would aim to 'reform the Reform'.

Nichols also includes two wholly new chapters devoted to (a) Ratzinger's writings on Judaism, Islam and other religions, as well as (b) secularization and the future of Europe.

The End of Time?: The Provocation of Talking about God

2004-12-01T23:16:00.000-08:00

The End of Time?: The Provocation of Talking About God
# Paulist Press International,U.S.; English Ed edition (December 2004)

On the occasion of his seventieth birthday Professor Johann Baptist Metz was joined by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Defense of the Faith, as well as by Eveline Goodman-Thau, a Jewish philosopher of religion, and Protestant theologian Jürgen Moltmann, for a meeting at Ahaus Palace on the subject of God and the end of time.

This work, translated for the first time from German, now makes available the proceedings from this significant meeting. Of particular interest for readers is the joint appearance here of Metz and Ratzinger, two theologians who had clashed in the past and who are, theologically, poles apart. It is remarkable here that the participants were able to put aside personal differences and church politics to "do theology." Readers will read with appreciation this thought-provoking work that offers them the unique opportunity to listen in on what was an important forum for theological discussion and an experiment in church politics.

Introduction to Christianity

2004-12-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

Introduction to Christianity
Ignatius Press (December 2004) [Reprint, with new introduction by Cardinal Ratzinger].

Revised Edition. One of Cardinal Ratzinger's most important and widely read books, this volume is a newly revised second edition with an improved translation and an in-depth 20 page preface by the Cardinal. As he states in the preface, since this book was first published over 30 years ago, many changes and significant events have occurred in the world, and in the Church. But even so, he says he is firmly convinced that his fundamental approach in this book is still very timely and crucial for the spiritual needs of modern man. That approach puts the question of God and the question about Christ in the very center, which leads to a "narrative Christology" and demonstrates that the place for faith is in the Church. ' Thus, this remarkable elucidation of the Apostle's Creed gives an excellent, modern interpretation of the foundations of Christianity. Ratzinger's profound treatment of Christianity's basic truths combines a spiritual outlook with a deep knowledge of Scripture and the history of theology.

Excerpts

The Truth of the Resurrection

Truth And Tolerance: Christian Belief And World Religions

2004-10-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions
Ignatius Press (October 2004)

Is truth knowable? If we know the truth, must we hide it in the name of tolerance? Cardinal Ratzinger engages the problem of truth, tolerance, religion and culture in the modern world. Describing the vast array of world religions, Ratzinger embraces the difficult challenge of meeting diverse understandings of spiritual truth while defending the Catholic teaching of salvation through Jesus Christ. "But what if it is true?" is the question that he poses to cultures that decry the Christian position on man's redemption. Upholding the notion of religious truth while asserting the right of religious freedom, Cardinal Ratzinger outlines the timeless teaching of the Magisterium in language that resonates with our embattled culture. A work of extreme sensitivity, understanding, and spiritual maturity, this book is an invaluable asset to those who struggle hear the voice of truth in the modern religious world.

"Beyond all particular questions, the real problem lies in the question about truth. Can truth be recognized? Or, is the question about truth simply inappropriate in the realm of religion and belief? But what meaning does belief then have, what positive meaning does religion have, if it cannot be connected with truth?"

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (From the Preface)

Excerpts

"Whether Truth, Faith, and Tolerance Are Compatible" (Ignatius Insight)

Looking again at the Question of the Liturgy with Cardinal Ratzinger

2003-11-01T00:16:00.000-08:00

Looking Again at the Question of the Liturgy with Cardinal Ratzinger: Proceedings of the July 2001 Fontgombault Liturgical Conference
Edited by Alcuin Reid OSB. St Michael's Abbey Press; illustrated edition edition (November 2003)

"What we previously knew only in theory has become for us a practical experience: the Church stands and falls with the Liturgy. When the adoration of the divine Trinity declines, when the faith is no longer appears in its fullness in the Liturgy of the Church, when man's words, his thoughts, his intentions are suffocating him, then faith will have lost the place where it is expressed and where it dwells. For that reason, the true celebration of the Sacred Liturgy is the centre of any renewal of the Church whatever." -- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

But how, today, at the beginning of the third millennium, do we achieve "the true celebration of the Liturgy"? Is the answer a wholesale return to the traditional rites? Is it in accepting a wide diversity of divergent uses -- new, old and inculturated -- in the Roman rite? Or is it in seeking an official reform of the liturgical reform that followed the Second Vatican Council?

These are the issues that were discussed under the presidency of Cardinal Ratzinger at the conference held at the Abbey of Notre-Dame at Fontgombault from July 22-24 2001. This volume makes available in English translation the papers from that conference -- papers which inform and challenge, and which make a significant contribution to the consideration of the question of the Liturgy in our day.

Reviews

Review Latin Mass Society August 2004 Newsletter.
Review by Jeremy de Satge. The Catholic Herald May 7, 2004.

God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life

2003-09-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

God is Near Us: The Eucharist, The Heart of Life
Ignatius Press (September 2003)

The Second Vatican Council says, "We ought to try to discover a new reverence for the Eucharistic mystery. Something is happening that is greater than anything we can do. The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is the font from which all her power flows."

This profound statement about the Eucharist stands at the center of this book by Cardinal Ratzinger. He compellingly shows us the biblical, historical, and theological dimensions of the Eucharist. The Cardinal draws far-reaching conclusions, focusing on the importance of one's personal devotion to and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, for the personal reception of Communion by the individual Christian, as well as for the life of the Church. For Ratzinger, any transformation of the world on the social plane grows out of the celebration of the Eucharist. He beautifully illustrates how the omnipotent God comes intimately close to us in the Holy Eucharist, the Heart of Life.

"Not only does the Cardinal shed his customary theological light on many subjects, but as he does in other books, he applies his insights very directly to Catholic life and devotion. Coming at this time, this book is part of the effort of many to see the Eucharist restored to the center of Catholic piety and devotion."

-- Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., Author, The Rosary: Chain of Hope

Excerpts

For "Many" or For "All"?

God and the World: A Conversation With Peter Seewald

2002-08-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

God and the World: A Conversation with Peter SeewaldIgnatius Press (August 2002)

During his years as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, well-known Vatican prelate Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has given three in-depth interviews. The first two interviews have become best selling books: The Ratzinger Report and Salt of the Earth. Because of the tremendous reception those books received, the Cardinal agreed to do another interview with journalist Peter Seewald, who had done the very popular Salt of the Earth interview. This third in-depth interview addresses deep questions of faith and the living of that faith in the modern world.

The interview took place over three full days spent at the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino in a setting of the silence, prayer, and hospitality of the monks. For this meeting with the highly regarded Churchman, theologian, and author, the seasoned journalist, who had fallen away from the faith but eventually returned to the Church, once again provided a very stimulating, well-prepared series of wide-ranging questions on profound issues. The Cardinal responds with candor, frankness and deep insight, giving answers that are sometimes surprising and always thought provoking.

"When Cardinal Ratzinger, one of the Church's great wise men, sat opposite me in the Abbey and patiently recounted to me the Gospel and the belief of Christendom from the beginning of the world to its end, something of the mystery that holds the world together became more tangible. 'Creation itself', he said, 'bears within itself an ordered pattern from which we can understand the ideas of God -- and even the right way to live.'"

--- Peter Seewald

Excerpts

Spirit of the Liturgy

2000-09-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

The Spirit of the Liturgy
Ignatius Press (September 2000)

Cardinal Ratzinger compares this work to a much earlier classic of the same title by Romano Guardini because Ratzinger feels that his insights here are similar with what Guardini achieved in his time regarding a renewed understanding of the Liturgy.

"My purpose here is to assist this renewal of understanding of the Liturgy. Its basic intentions coincide with what Guardini wanted to achieve. The only difference is that I have had to translate what Guardini did at the end of the First World War, in a totally different historical situation, into the context of our present-day questions, hopes and dangers. Like Guardini, I am not attempting to involve myself with scholarly discussion and research. I am simply offering an aid to the understanding of the faith and to the right way to give the faith its central form of expression in the Liturgy."

Reviews

In Form and Expression, by John F. Baldovin. America. May 7, 2001.
A Tale of Two Cardinals, by Garry Wills. Book review of Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith, by John Allen, Jr., and The Spirit of the Liturgy. New York Review of Books April 26, 2001.
Book Review: The Spirit of the Liturgy. Living Tradition, No. 92 (March 2001).
The Scandal of the Liturgy, by Fr. Paul Scalia. Adoremus Bulletin. Online Edition - Vol. VI, No. 9: December 2000 - January 2001.

Excerpts

Gospel, Catechism and Catechesis: Sidelights on the Catechism of the Catholic Church

1999-12-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Gospel, Catechesis, Catechism
Ignatius Press (December 1999)

Ratzinger, one of the key persons responsible for the compilation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, offers new insights on the catechetical character and Biblical foundation of the worldwide bestselling Catechism that has had such a positive response from ordinary Catholics across the globe. But he acknowledges that the response of many theologians and "professional religionists" has been negative toward the Catechism.

He says that if theologians don't want to be "shut out" of this worldwide development of sensus fidei and lose touch with the common Catholic, they will have to engage the Catechism positively. The main purpose of this book is to offer an invitation to this changed approach to the Catechism. He wants people to see, as he shows here, how the Catechism is an excellent teaching tool that responds to man's deepest questions about the meaning of life, how to live a good life, and how to attain happiness in this life and in eternal life. He shows how the Catechism affirms that man's happiness is love, and that the essence of true love has been manifested in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Co-Workers of the Truth: Meditations for Every Day of the Year

1999-12-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Co-workers of the TruthIgnatius Press (December 1999)

Cardinal Ratzinger offers selected passages from his profound spiritual and theological writings as meditations for each day of the year. He picked the title of this book from verse 8 in the third letter of St. John, which he also adapted for his coat of arms: ``Co-Workers of the Truth." Just as these words signify for St. John the participation of all the faithful in the service of the Gospel, which includes the faithful extending hospitality to all who come as messengers of faith, so too Ratzinger shows the importance of our uniting charity with truth to make possible the proclamation of the Gospel. Through his meditations here, he hopes to help awaken in each reader the courage and generosity to become co-workers with the Gospel, which is the truth of Jesus Christ.

The Cardinal picked the title of this book from the passage in the third letter of Saint John, verse 8, which he also adapted for his coat of arms: "Co-Workers of the Truth." Just as these words signify for Saint John the participation of all the faithful in the service of the Gospel, which includes the faithful extending hospitality to all who come as messengers of faith, so too Ratzinger shows the importance of our uniting charity with truth to make possible the proclamation of the Gospel. Through his meditations here, he hopes to help awaken in each reader the courage and generosity to become co-workers with the Gospel, which is the truth of Jesus Christ.

Many Religions, One Covenant: Israel, The Church and The World

1999-09-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

Many Religions - One Covenant: Israel, the Church and the WorldIgnatius Press (September 1999)

In Many Religions, One Covenant, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger spans the deep divides in modern Catholic scholarship to present a compelling biblical theology, modern in its concerns yet classical in its breadth. It is his classical mastery, his ressourcement, that enables the Cardinal to build a bridge.

Cardinal Ratzinger seeks to deepen our understanding of the Bible's most fundamental principle. The covenant defines religion for Christians and Jews. We cannot discern God's design or his will if we do not meditate upon his covenant.

The covenant, then, is the principle that unites the New Testament with the Old, the Scriptures with Tradition, and each of the various branches of theology with all the others. The covenant does more than bridge the gaps between these elements; it fills in the gaps, so that biblical scholarship, dogmatic theology, and magesterial authority all stand on common ground and solid ground.

"A book we have long awaited. By renewing the Church's appreciation of the new covenant, Cardinal Ratzinger proposes a fully integrated Christian life, with Christ at the center of the Scriptures, but also at the center of the Church today. For in the Eucharist he is still, as ever, fulfilling the old covenant and ratifying the new."

-- Scott Hahn, Author, Rome Sweet Home

Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977

1998-10-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977
Ignatius Press (October 1998)

"Here is Cardinal Ratzinger at his most surprising. Who imagines him a teenager risking his life escaping a Nazi forced-labor camp? Or a doctoral candidate shattered by rejection of his dissertation? Or a priest telling of 'the sufferings necessary for the priestly ministry . . . those dark nights that alone can give full shape to the radical assent a priest must give'? Milestones , rich with theological insights as are all his works, gives us finally Ratzinger the person. He is a joy to meet." - Cardinal John O'Connor, Archbishop of New York.

Excerpts

"Pope Benedict XVI's Rookie Year as a Priest" (Ignatius Insight)

Salt of the Earth: The Church at the End of the Millennium: An Interview With Peter Seewald

1997-09-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

Salt of the Earth
Ignatius Press (September 1997)

A full-length interview with a secular journalist on a host of controversial and difficult issues facing Catholicism and Christianity at the end of the millennium. Similar to his best-selling book interview in 1985, The Ratzinger Report, Ratzinger responds with candor and insight, giving answers that are often surprising and always thought-provoking on a series of wide-ranging topics regarding the present and future state of Christianity. Ratzinger begins by discussing his own life, including his family life, being a theology professor and writer, becoming a Bishop, Cardinal and the Pope's top authority on doctrine. He then discusses the problems of the Catholic Church today and talks about the challenges and hopes of the future of Church and the world at the beginning of the Third Millennium.

"This is Cardinal Ratzinger at his free-wheeling best, virtually roving the world with theological and cultural analyses as pungent as they are dazzling. His candor is breathtaking." -Cardinal John O'Connor

"One of the most arresting, enjoyable books I've read in years. The Joseph Ratzinger who emerges from these pages is amazingly frank and engaging-a man with a superb intellect but also with a simple, humble, generosity of spirit. He offers us tremendous encouragement." -Archbishop Charles Chaput

"An absolutely fascinating book, like a personal visit with the Cardinal. It not only reveals much of the mind and personality of one of the key figures in modern Catholic history, but it clarifies better than anything I have read the origin of the present crisis in western civilization and in the Church." -Fr. Benedict Groeschel

Reviews

"Seasoned Fare" (Book Review), by Thomas D. Williams. First Things, 80 (February 1998].
Salt of the Earth: Review by James Likoudis. Catholics United For the Faith. Lay Witness Dec. 1997.
A Chat with Ratzinger, review of Salt of the Earth, by Roland Hill. The Tablet, April 19, 1997.

Excerpts

The Pope's Childhood: In His Own Words

In the Beginning...: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall

1996-12-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

In the Beginning: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall (Ressourcement - retrieval & renewal in Catholic thought)
William B Eerdmans Publishing Co; Reprint edition (December 1996)

Ratzinger discusses God as creator, the meaning of the biblical creation accounts, the creation of human beings, sin and salvation, and the consequences of faith in creation.

Related

"Reading Genesis with Cardinal Ratzinger", by Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco. Homiletic and Pastoral Review December 2003.

Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today

1996-05-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today
Ignatius Press (May 1996)

Cardinal Ratzinger examines the need of the Papal Primacy to ensure Christian unity; the true meaning of the Priesthood as a sacrament and not a mere ministry; the necessity of the Eucharist as the Sacrifice of the Savior now offering Himself on our altars; the role of the Bishops as successors of the Apostles; the value of suffering in union with Christ crucified and the indispensable service of the laity in the apostolate.

See Also:

Joseph Ratzinger's Primer on Ecclesiology - Zenit Interviews Ave Maria University's Father Matthew Lamb on the theme of Cardinal Ratzinger's Called to Communion. June 23/24, 2005.

Excerpts

Peter and Succession (Ignatius Insight)

The Nature and Mission of Theology: Essays to Orient Theology in Today's Debates

1995-12-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

The Nature and Mission of Theology: Approaches to Understanding Its Role in the Light of Present ControversyIgnatius Press (December 1995)

Cardinal Ratzinger wrote this book in response to the dialogue going on today concerning theology and the clarification of its methods, its mission and its limits which he thinks has become urgent. Ratzinger states: "To do theology-as the Magisterium understands theology-it is not sufficient merely to calculate how much religion can reasonably be expected of man and to utilize bits and pieces of the Christian tradition accordingly. Theology is born when the arbitrary judgment of reason encounters a limit, in that we discover something which we have not excogitated ourselves but which has been revealed to us. For this reason, not every religious theory has the right to label itself as Christian or Catholic theology simply because it wishes to do so; whoever would lay claim to this title is obligated to accept as meaningful the prior given which goes along with it."

The Meaning of Christian Brotherhood

1993-06-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

Meaning of Christian Brotherhood: 17Ignatius Press; 2 edition (June 1993)

Written over three decades ago, Cardinal Ratzinger's profound treatise on the true meaning of Christian brotherhood is perhaps even more timely and important now as a clear statement on the biblical grounds for cooperation among believing Christians. In treating Christian brotherhood from the perspective of salvation history, Ratzinger opens up the meaning of both the Old and New Testament in this most essential area. After establishing the distinctively Christian sense of brotherhood (vis-'-vis Judaism, Hellenism, Stoicism, the Enlightenment, and Marxism), he shows how fraternal charity can only be perfected through God's fatherhood, Christ's divine sonship, and our brotherhood in Christ.

The Ratzinger Report: An Exclusive Interview on the State of the Church

1992-09-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Ratzinger Report: An Exclusive Interview on the State of the Catholic Church
Ignatius Press; New edition edition (September 1992)

Cardinal Ratzinger speaks candidly and forcefully about the state of the Church in the Post-Vatican II era. Here is the comlete text of a meeting many have called a "historical turnabout" in the Church. The roots of the crisis that has troubled Catholics in the twenty years since the Council are analyzed with forthright clarity by one of the most authritative voices in the Vatican. Here is a clear and uncompromising report on the dangers that threaten the Faith, fom one who every day receives the most reliable information from every continent. Yet Ratzinger's observations are as hopeful and balanced as they are clear-sighted, forcefully re-affirming the immense and positive work of Vatican II, whose genuine fruits this book provides a guideline for achieving.

Eschatology, Death and Eternal Life

1987-10-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

Eschatology: Death and Eternal LifeCatholic University of America Press; 2 edition (October 7, 2007)

Originally published in English in 1988, Joseph Ratzinger's Eschatology remains internationally recognized as a leading text on the "last things"--heaven and hell, purgatory and judgment, death and the immortality of the soul. This highly anticipated second edition includes a new preface by Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI and a supplement to the bibliography by theologian Peter A. Casarella.

Eschatology presents a balanced perspective of the doctrine at the center of Christian belief--the Church's faith in eternal life. Recognizing the task of contemporary eschatology as "to marry perspectives, so that person and community, present and future, are seen in their unity," Joseph Ratzinger brings together recent emphasis on the theology of hope for the future with the more traditional elements of the doctrine. His book has proven to be as timeless as it is timely.

Behold The Pierced One

1987-02-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

Behold the Pierced OneIgnatius Press Ignatius Press (February 1987)

In this profound and illuminating work, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger turns the gaze of an accomplished theologian upon the crucified Savior. This synthetic and meditative work is theological without being abstract or dry, and spiritual without being sentimental. The pierced heart of Christ must be the heart of theology and Christian life as well.

Proceeding from the prayerful dialogue between the Incarnate Son and his Eternal Father, Joseph Ratzinger shows how one can approach the mystery of the Heart of Christ only through the imitation of this prayer. To know and understand Jesus we must participate in his prayer. The prayer of Christ must be the interior life of all who are joined to him in his Body, the Church. Using the Old and New Testaments and the Church Fathers, Ratzinger shows that the ecclesial community (the Church) was born from the pierced Heart of Christ on the Cross.

Principles of Catholic Theology

1987-01-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

Principles of Catholic Theology: Building Stones for a Fundamental TheologyIgnatius Press (January 1987)

A collection of articles and talks written around a central theme the fundamental structure of Christianity: Catholicism, the inter-relationship of other forms of Christianity, the features that distinguish Catholicism from other Christian theologies. Ratzinger outlines the fundamental principles of theology and the proper relationship of theology to Church teaching and authority.

Principles of Christian Morality

1986-06-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Principles of Christian Morality
Ignatius Press (June 1986)

A collection of essays by three giants of twentieth-cenutry theology: Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Heinz Schurmann. Balthasar's and Schurmann's essays were written for the International Theological Commission. Schurmann examines how the New Testament's teaching provides enduring moral norms for Christian conduct. Balthasar presents nine basic principles of the Christian moral life. Ratzinger, who originally wrote this essay as a series of articles for L'Osservatore Romano, addresses the relationship between faith and morality, and the place of the Church's teaching authority with regard to moral issues.

Feast of Faith: Approaches to a Theology of the Liturgy

1986-04-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

Feast of Faith: Approaches to the Theology of the LiturgyIgnatius Press (April 1986)

Are liturgy and prayer important in an age of political crisis and the technological manipulation of human life? Yes, declares Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. Genuine worship of God involves the sacred liturgy and prayer. Only if man authentically worships God will true human dignity be protected, and the principles and the power to resolve the crises of our age be found.

The Feast of Faith sets our to answer one basic question: How can we pray and praise God as we should? Written before Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope, this timeless book reflects enduring and inspirational insights regarding divine worship and the sacred liturgy.

Daughter Zion: Meditations on the Church's Marian Belief

1984-05-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

Daughter Zion(Ignatius Press, May 1984)

Daughter Zion explores the biblical witness to the Church's Marian dogmas- Mary's role as Mother of God, her virginity, the Immaculate Conception, and her Assumption into heaven. Cardinal Ratzinger examines how these beliefs are linked to the Church’s faith in Jesus Christ. Far from competing with the truth about Christ, the Church’s Marian beliefs uphold and underscore that truth.

Mary’s role in salvation, according to Cardinal Ratzinger, was anticipated in the Old Testament. She was prefigured in Eve, the Mother of the Living; in the holy women of the Old Testament, such as Sarah, Hannah, Deborah, Esther, and Judith; and in the prophetic image of the daughter Zion. Cardinal Ratzinger also considers Mary’s place as the embodiment of created wisdom, who faithfully received the Uncreated Wisdom of the World of God in the Incarnation.

Daughter Zion avoids the extremes of denying any biblical foundation for Marian doctrine on the one hand and fundamentalistic proof-texting on the other. Instead, the author beautifully and lucidly develops key biblical themes to help readers understand and appreciate the Mother of God.