Synopsis
In JESUS OF NAZARETH, Pope Benedict XVI tells us that his study of Jesus has had a "long gestation," and that he is publishing the first part of it because he is concerned that the many representations and misrepresentations of Jesus' life stand in the way of our truly understanding him. (It is translated from German.)
Writing as both a scholar and a pastor to his loyal flock, Benedict searches for the true Jesus in the many writings about him. He says that historical-critical scholarship has value but is flawed, giving us too many images that reflect what the scholars want to see. One must, says Benedict, read "all the biblical writings as a corpus," and take into consideration "the proper interplay of Old and New Testaments." Benedict's ultimate purpose for studying the life of Jesus is that brings us closer to God. One of the best sections of JESUS OF NAZARETH is Benedict's phrase-by-phrase explication of "The Lord's Prayer." Benedict goes on to explain the many stories of Jesus in the writings of his disciples, and he is a good guide to things we may have missed. In these chapters, Benedict is like a priest speaking to his congregation, as he illuminates the vision of God revealed in the mystery that is Jesus.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2007-05-15 |
| Size | | Length: | 374 pages | | Height: | 7.8 in | | Width: | 5.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 16.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
In his first book written as pope, offers a portrait of Jesus based on the Gospels and encourages Christians to better understand the central figure of their faith.
Industry Reviews
"From the supposed 'Rottweiler Pope' comes this gentle exposition of a simple idea: namely, that the Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith are one and the same, and that faith in Jesus Christ is reasonable..... [T]here is a dogged impressiveness about the Pope's exposition of scene after scene from the Gospel, a reading that finds it more logical to worship the Christ of Faith in the Gospels than to invent the vestiges of some Jewish prophet who had his words distorted by some later theological genius. Jesus was the genius. That is Ratzinger's message, and the luminous intelligence of the exegesis will prompt many to respond with an Alleluia. Wordy as the old German can be, this reader at least felt that he had repeatedly identified what was haunting, indeed frightening about the Gospels."
(05/20/2007)
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