Covenant and Communion - by Scott W Hahn (Paperback)

About the Book

Bestselling author and theologian Scott Hahn shows that Pope Benedict is one of the most biblically centered of all living theologians.

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

"Leading men and women to God, to the God who speaks in the Bible: this is the supreme and fundamental priority of the Church and of the Successor of Peter at the present time."--Pope Benedict XVI

"A superb introduction to the way in which the theology of Pope Benedict XVI has been shaped by the Bible. Scott Hahn's crisp and clear analysis puts the reader at the very center of this remarkable pope's thought."--Gary Anderson, University of Notre Dame

"The increasingly painful bankruptcy of the historical-critical method in our time has created a vacuum precisely at the point where the living Church requires substantial nurture. Pope Benedict XVI has spoken into this crisis like no one else, and his best expositor, Scott Hahn, has done us a tremendous service by synthesizing Benedict's erudite and prayerful biblical theology into a lively, readable, and intellectually reliable conspectus. This excellent volume will be indispensable for all Christians who seek to be more maturely grounded in Scripture."--David Lyle Jeffrey, Baylor University

"A lucidly written and trenchant study of the biblical theology of Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict. Hahn shows how one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century gently but firmly corrected the historical critics who dominate much of contemporary academic Scripture study. Hahn further demonstrates how, in making this correction, Ratzinger / Benedict allowed for the recovery of much of the richness of patristic biblical interpretation. This is a beautiful and thought-provoking text, one that will prove helpful to any serious student of the sacred page."--Robert Barron, Mundelein Seminary, University of St. Mary of the Lake

"In the growing body of literature on the theology of Benedict XVI, there is a conspicuously missing theme: the consciously biblical character of the pontiff's theology. Hahn places Ratzinger / Benedict's concern for theology as a scriptural--and hence a liturgical--activity center stage with the verve and clarity we have come to expect from him. Hahn uses his encyclopedic knowledge of Ratzinger / Benedict's corpus to tease out many threads, weaving them into a compelling account of the new hermeneutic at the heart of Benedict's vision. Not only students of the pope but also all of us who desire the revitalization of theology and exegesis should welcome the passion and insight that Hahn has brought to bear on his subject."--Lewis Ayres, Durham University

About the Author

Scott W. Hahn, PhD, holds the Pope Benedict XVI Chair of Biblical Theology at St. Vincent Seminary and is professor of theology and Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, he is the author of over twenty books, including The Lamb's Supper, Reasons to Believe, and Kinship by Covenant, and coauthor of Rome Sweet Home. Hahn is also the general editor of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, The Catholic Bible Dictionary, and Letter and Spirit: A Journal of Catholic Biblical Theology.