 | Benedict XVI: His Life and Thought
by Elio Guerriero.
Ignatius Pr (November 6, 2018). 715 pgs.
In these pages Benedict XVI shares his story for the first time since his retirement from the papacy. Joseph Ratzinger is widely recognized as one of the most brilliant theologians and spiritual leaders of our time. Born in Germany in 1929, he lived through Nazism, war, and Communism, like John Paul II, who after his surprising election in 1978, insisted on having Ratzinger at his side for his whole twenty-seven-year pontificate.
When Ratzinger was elected Pope in 2005, he took the name Benedict XVI. He opened a path of purification for the Roman Catholic Church at a time when it was shaken by financial and sexual scandals. He has repeatedly said that Europe must return to its Christian roots and build a new humanism for the twenty-first century. Benedict XVI was misunderstood by many, and in 2013, he astonished the world by resigning from the papacy. Many saw this gesture as a sign of the decline of Catholicism, but it was the opposite: it was a seed sown in the hope of bringing the Church a younger, more vigorous leadership in the face of so many daunting challenges. Elio Guerriero, who for many years has had an ongoing relationship with the Pope Emeritus, presents a thorough, well-rounded portrait of the brilliant intellectual and humble man of the Church whom many more have come to love and respect since his resignation. This book includes a Foreword by Pope Francis, and contains the first interview of Benedict XVI since the end of his pontificate. Elio Guerriero, theologian, philosopher, and historian, is the longtime director of Communio, and editorial manager at Jaca Book and Edizioni San Paolo. He edited the Italian edition of the History of the Church directed by A. Jedin. His other books include Hans Urs von Balthasar, The Drama of God, and Saint Giana Molla: Wife, Mother, and Doctor. |
Benedict XVI: His Life and Thought
Called to Holiness: On Love, Vocation, and Formation
 | Called to Holiness: On Love, Vocation, and Formation
by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
The Catholic University of America Press (April 4, 2017). 272 pgs.
This edited collection is the first to gather in one volume the most relevant addresses, speeches, and homilies of His Holiness, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to seminarians and consecrated men and women into a single volume for the English-speaking world.
Called to Holiness is divided into three sections. The first section focuses on the mystery of vocation. The second section collects Benedict's writings around the crucial experience of Love. Finally, the third section covers Benedict's description of what a seminary should look like. Pope Benedict XVI's words remind us of the fundamental meaning of a life of total consecration to God in a time of history where God is very much rejected. Moreover, in times where young people seek words of wisdom and certainty, Benedict XVI's words give a fundamental aid to such direction not only for people already pondering a vocation to consecration but for all men and women open to God's voice. |
Joseph Ratzinger - Collected Works: Theology of the Liturgy
 | Joseph Ratzinger - Collected Works: Theology of the Liturgy by Joseph Ratzinger. Ignatius Press (May 5, 2014) 660 pgs.
This major volume is a collection of the writings of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) on the theology of the Liturgy of the Church, a subject of preeminence to him as a theologian, professor and spiritual writer. It brings together all his writings on the subject, short and long, giving his views on liturgical matters and questions over many years and from various perspectives.
He chose to have his writings on the Liturgy for the first volume published of his collected works (though listed as vol. 11) because, as he says in the Introduction: "The liturgy of the Church has been for me since my childhood the central reality of my life, and it became the center of my theological efforts. I chose fundamental theology as my field because I wanted first and foremost to examine thoroughly the question: Why do we believe? But also included from the beginning in this question was the other question of the right response to God and, thus, the question of the liturgy." By starting with the theme of liturgy in this volume, Ratzinger wants to highlight God's primacy, the absolute precedence of the theme of God. Beginning with a focus on the liturgy, he said, tells us that "God is first". He quotes from the Rule of St. Benedict, "Nothing is to be preferred to the liturgy", as a way of ordering priorities for the life of the Church and of every individual. He says that the fundamental question of the man who begins to understand himself correctly is: How must I encounter God? Thus learning the right way of worshipping is the gift par excellence that is given to us by the faith. The essential purpose of his writings on the liturgy is to place the liturgy in its larger context, which he presents in three concentric circles. First, the intrinsic interrelationship of Old and New Testament; without the connection to the Old Testament heritage, the Christian liturgy is incomprehensible. The second circle is the relationship to the religions of the world. The third circle is the cosmic character of the liturgy, which is more than the coming together of a circle of people: the liturgy is celebrated in the expanse of the cosmos, encompassing creation and history at the same time. |
Teaching and Learning the Love of God: Being a Priest Today
 | Teaching and Learning the Love of God: Being a Priest Today
by Joseph Ratzinger.
Introduction by Gerhard Cardinal Müller.
Forward by Pope Francis.
Ignatius Press (August 1, 2017). 392 pgs.
This inspiring collection of homilies delivered by Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) over six decades offers deep theological and historical insights on the meaning of the life and the witness of a Catholic priest.
When Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the Year for Priests in 2009, he did so in conjunction with celebrating the 150th anniversary of the death of John Vianney, the patron saint of all parish priests. Benedict's purpose for that special year is the same purpose of this book of homilies -- to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today's world. As St. John Vianney would often say, "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus." This touching expression makes us reflect on the immense gift that priests represent, not only for the Church but for all mankind. Contemporary men and women need priests to be distinguished by their determined witness to Christ. These homilies are meant to illuminate and to inspire priests to renew their commitment to "teaching and learning the love of God". The homilies cover a wide variety of important topics on the priesthood, all deeply rooted in Scripture, including acting in persona Christi, becoming an offering with Christ for the salvation of mankind, being there for God's mercy, and witnessing Christian joy. |
The Last Testament: In His Own Words
 | Last Testament: In His Own Words
by Pope Benedict XVI, Peter Seewald (interviewer)
Bloomsbury Continuum (November 15, 2016) 224pp.
Pope Benedict made history by being the first Pope in over 700 years to resign from office. The Catholic Church the world over was stunned. Worn out by corruption in the Church and by an endless series of clerical sex scandals, he decided that the resolution of all these problems was outside his power for a man of his age.
Last Testament is nearest to an autobiography from the shy and private man who has remained “hidden to the world” in a former convent in the Vatican gardens. He breaks his silence on issues such as:
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The Unity of the Nations: A Vision of the Church Fathers
 | The Unity of the Nations: A Vision of the Church Fathers
The Catholic University of America Press (March 16, 2015)
What did ancient Christians and pagans believe makes the unity of the nations? Just as he began serving as a major adviser at the Second Vatican Council in 1962, Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) studied this question in lectures delivered at Austria's University of Salzburg. These lectures, originally published in German, are now made available in English in this volume. According to Ratzinger, pagan Rome said the Empire was the "cosmopolis" which united the world. The church affirmed the goodness of the world, and acknowledged the proper role of the state. But Christian belief that Christ had given birth to the church, the eternal cosmopolis, present now, was revolutionary. Christ was the New Adam, who restores unity to a humanity scattered in the Fall and at Babel. For Origen, Israel was the true state that remained under the one God; other nations were under archons or dark angels, from which Christ came to liberate them. Christ instituted the eternal kingdom of peace, to which Christians belong now, living within and at the service of, their earthly nations. In Ratzinger's view, Origen thought peace between the church and world before the Eschaton - the eternal kingdom - was possible. Augustine responded in two ways to claims by pagans that the Christian God had not protected Rome from being sacked in 410. First, Rome's pagan civic religion was undermined in its function of aiding state security by the fact that it was not true. Second, Christianity, as the truth, was not subordinate to the state, but was a new community. In Ratzinger's view, Augustine saw the church, the City of God, as an alien citizen, but one very much within the City of Man and meant to renew, not take over, that earthly city, until Christ's Second Coming. This early work of Ratzinger's showcases the development of his theology, including themes that will inform his life's work, such as how God's transcendence and the doctrine of creation inform a Christian worldview, and the central role of the Incarnation in understanding how the church relates to the world.
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The Garden of God: Toward a Human Ecology
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The Garden of God: Toward a Human Ecology
The Catholic University of America Press (April 2014).
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, tells of the creation of the world and our dominion over it. But is this the whole storyfi The planet on which we live is ecologically fragile, and all people of good will have a respon- sibility to take care of this most precious gift. During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI repeatedly drew attention to the environment, whether in terms of preserving it -- such as his address concerning Amazonia and his letter regarding the Arctic -- or distributing its vital resources -- such as water -- more equitably. What is more, during Benedict’s papacy, the Vatican became the first, and remains the only, carbon-neutral country in the world. This book gathers together the audiences, addresses, letters, and homilies of Benedict on a wide-ranging set of topics that deal with the world about us. The major themes and connections he explores are cre- ation and the natural world; the environment, science, and technology; and hunger, poverty, and the earth’s resources. In these pages, Benedict insists that if we truly desire peace, we must be increasingly conscious of and nurture all of creation. Further- more, he argues convincingly that as our love of God should cause us to protect the environment, so should our heightened sense of appre- ciation of the natural world draw us closer to God. Benedict speaks out against the spread of nuclear weapons, threats to biodiversity, and in favor of alternative energy. He urges sustainable development, equita- ble distribution of food and water, and an end to hunger. This book is a valuable resource for all those who seek to under- stand more fully the relationships among the environment, Catholic social teaching, and theology. Whether speaking to a vast crowd, meet- ing with a small group of scientists, or writing letters to world leaders, Benedict has shown a clear path towards a theologically cogent con- cern for the planet on which we live.
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Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Vol. 2: Anthropology and Culture
 | Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Vol. 2: Anthropology and Culture (Ressourcement: Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought)
by Pope Benedict XVI. Edited by David Schindler and Nicholas J. Healy.
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 2013)
In this second volume of Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Pope Benedict XVI speaks to various issues relating to humanity today -- conscience, technological security, the origin of human life, the meaning of Sunday, Christian hope, and more.
As editor David L. Schindler notes, "Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) rarely writes on any churchly matter that does not manifest its implications for man and culture, and vice versa. Indeed, this indissoluble linking is one of the main distinguishing features of his theology." This is the second of three volumes; the first deals with themes relating to the Church, and the third volume is to focus on theological renewal. |
Pope Benedict XVI's Legal Thought: A Dialogue on the Foundation of Law
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Pope Benedict XVI's Legal Thought: A Dialogue on the Foundation of Law
by Marta Cartabia (Editor), Andrea Simoncini (Editor)
Cambridge University Press (March 5, 2015) 256 pages.
This book discusses the speeches in which the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reflected most explicitly on law, justice, democracy, and reason, along with the commentary from a number of distinguished legal scholars. Collectively, these addresses formulate a series of core ideas for a "public teaching" on the topic of justice and law.
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Liberating Logos: Pope Benedict XVI's September Speeches
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Liberating Logos: Pope Benedict XVI's September Speeches
St. Augustine's Press (15 Sep 2014). Liberating Logos: Pope Benedict XVI’s September Speeches brings together six important addresses in one volume. The themes of these remarkable speeches are wide ranging: Benedict comments on the denaturing effects of Dehellenization, the true grounds of religious dialogue, the transpolitical and timeless nature of Christianity’s message, the relation of moral and political freedom to truth, the self-limitation of modern reason, and Europe’s and the West’s enduring Christian roots. Each speech offers an unwavering defense of the splendor and majesty of created human reason’s ability to know—and to be liberated by—the uncreated Truth.
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The Logos as Reason, Word, and Love in the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger
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The Logos as Reason, Word, and Love in the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger
St. Augustine's Press (15 Sep 2014). The Logos as Reason, Word, and Love in the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger explores the doctrine of the Logos as it can be found in the varied writings of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). Specifically, it articulates that the Ratzingerian Logos-doctrine holds that the Divine Word is revealed to humanity through Reason, the Holy Scriptures and the life of Jesus, and through the love of God found reflected in the Christian Church and the beauty of human life and dialogue.
About the Author: John J. Lynch is an Episcopal (Anglican) priest, teacher, author, and translator. Born in North Carolina, he graduated from Wake Forest University, and then served seven years as an Episcopal missionary in Honduras, teaching at a bilingual school and the diocesan seminary. He earned a Ph.D. in Apologetics and Philosophy from Trinity Theological Seminary and currently serves as rector of Christ the King Episcopal Church (Charles Parish) in Tabb, Virginia. |
Pope Benedict XVI and the Politics of Modernity
| Pope Benedict XVI and the Politics of Modernity By Marc D. Guerra. Routledge, October 2013. 168 pages.
In Benedict XVI and the Politics of Modernity, distinguished scholars from North America and Europe examine Pope Benedict XVI’s searching reflections on the challenges and prospects facing modern Western society. For more than five decades, Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI has made the subject of the continued health and vitality of Western civilization a focal point of his reflections. From his early (1968) Introduction to Christianity to his later (2005) Values in a Time of Upheaval, the Pope has argued that the preservation of the social, political, scientific, and spiritual way of life that characterizes modern Western societies hinges upon our rediscovery of the unique roots and distinctive nature of Western civilization.
Focusing on Pope Benedict XVI’s nuanced account as to why the modern West cannot currently afford to forget or neglect its premodern Hellenic and Christian roots, this book will interest religious and nonreligious people who are concerned about the future of democracy and religion in contemporary Western societies. This book was based on a special issue of Perspectives on Political Science. Marc D. Guerra is associate professor and director of graduate programs in theology at Ave Maria University. He is the author of Christians as Political Animals (ISI Books, 2010) and editor of Reason, Revelation, and Human Affairs; Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome; and The Science of Modern Virtue: Essays on Descartes, Darwin, and Locke. |
The Liturgical Vision of Pope Benedict XVI: A Theological Inquiry
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The Liturgical Vision of Pope Benedict XVI: A Theological Inquiry
Peter Lang AG, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften (20 Feb 2013) This book presents and evaluates the liturgical vision of Pope Benedict XVI and the theological background underlying that vision. It describes the main features of Joseph Ratzinger's theology of the liturgy and analyses them within the context of his theology as a whole. Ratzinger's evaluation of the contemporary Roman Catholic liturgy is explored in relation to his overall assessment of the post-Vatican II era in the Church, alongside an examination of his project of liturgical renewal ('reform of the reform') and its practical implementation during his pontificate. The author discusses the various critical voices which have been raised against the Pope's liturgical agenda and against certain aspects of his general theology. Overall, the book offers an assessment of the importance of Ratzinger's vision for the Church at the threshold of the third millennium.
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Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives
Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy NarrativesImage Press, November 21, 2012.
In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.
Summary (Courtesy of the Vatican Information Service):
"The theme of chapter two is the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist and that of Jesus. Rereading the dialogue between Mary and the Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke, Joseph Ratzinger explains that, through a woman, God 'seeks to enter the world anew'. In order to liberate man from sin, he writes, quoting Bernard of Clairvaux, God needs 'free obedience' to his will. 'In creating freedom, he made himself in a certain sense dependent upon man. His power is tied to the unenforceable yes of a human being'. Thus, only thanks to Mary's assent can the history of salvation begin.
"Chapter three is centred on the event in Bethlehem and the historical context of the birth of Jesus, the Roman Empire under Augustus, which extends from East to West and whose universal dimension allows for the entry into the world of 'a universal Saviour'; 'it is indeed the fullness of time'. The single elements of the story of the birth are dense with meaning: the poverty in which 'he who is truly the first-born of all that is' chooses to reveal himself, and therefore 'the cosmic glory' that envelopes the manger; God's special love for the poor, which manifests itself in the annunciation to the shepherds; and the words of the Gloria, whose translation is controversial.
"The fourth chapter is dedicated to the three Magi, who saw the star of the 'King of the Jews' and who had come to adore the child, and to the flight into Egypt. Here the figures of the 'magoi', reconstructed through a rich range of historical, linguistic and scientific information, are outlined as a fascinating emblem of the inner unrest and search for truth of the human spirit.
"Finally, the Epilogue, with the story - according to the Gospel of Luke - of the last episode in the childhood of Jesus, the last account we have of him before the beginning of his public ministry with his baptism in the Jordan. It is the episode of the three days during the Passover pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, in which twelve-year-old Jesus leaves Mary and Joseph and stays in the Temple to discuss with the rabbis. Jesus, who was growing 'in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man', manifests himself in his nature as true God and, at the same time, true man, who 'thought and learned in human fashion'".
Reviews and Related Links
- Infancy Narratives Seals One of the Pope's Finest Gifts to the Church, by Kevin M. Clarke. (Zenit News Service):
Because of the timeless newness to these inimitable reflections, our coheirs to the kingdom will doubtless be reading these volumes long after we are in our tombs. With the second installment of the Jesus of Nazareth series, Pope Benedict gave Catholics plenty of food for thought for the Lenten season. His third installment similarly gives much for meditation for Advent.
- What the Pope Really Said About Christmas, by Kevin M. Clarke. First Things' "On The Square" 11/30/12. Clarke, adjunct professor of New Testament Greek at John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego, California, lays bare the media's bias and misreadings of the Pope's text.
- Being the Pope's Editor. Gary Jansen, editor of the book and of Image Catholic at Random House, talks to National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez about meeting the pope, reading the pope, editing the pope, and encountering the ghosts of Christmas past, among other things.
- Read all about it: Pope has not cancelled Christmas (Reuters 11/28/12). "The day after Benedict's latest book "The Infancy Narratives - Jesus of Nazareth" - was published on November 20, Vatican officials found some headlines they were not expecting. ..."
- A vaticanista reads the pope's book, by John Allen Jr. National Catholic Reporter 11/25/12.
- Vatican blasts media coverage of pope’s latest book, by Allesandro Speciale. Religion News Service 11/29/12.
- Pope calls the Infancy Narratives an "Antechamber" to Jesus of Nazareth Volumes I and II (Zenit News Service 11/21/12).
- “The Infancy Narratives”: Not myths, just plausible stories, by Andrea Tornielli. La Stampa "Vatican Insider" 11/20/12:
The stories about Jesus’ infancy in the first few chapters of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew are not legends or imaginative reconstructions. They are not “midrash” either, that is, interpretations of the Scriptures through narrations, typical of Hebrew literature. They are “history, history which really took place, history which was certainly interpreted and understood on the basis of the Word of God.”
Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection
Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: from the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection Pt. 2
Pope Benedict XVI. Ignatius Press (March 10, 2011).
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.
- 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
 | 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
 | 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:
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The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI: The Christocentric Shift
 | 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
 | 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. |
A Turning Point for Europe?: The Church in the Modern World
 | 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
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Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on the Holy Mass
 | 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
 | 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
 | 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
 | 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
 | The Social and Political Thought of Benedict XVI by 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. Related 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.
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Theological Highlights of Vatican II
 | Theological Highlights of Vatican II Paulist 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
 | 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
 | Maria: Pope Benedict XVI on the Mother of God Ignatius 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
 | Covenant and Communion By 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
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