The Essential Pope Benedict XVI - by John F Thornton & Susan B Varenne (Paperback)

About the Book

From the Back Cover

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.

First a brilliant peritus, or "expert advisor," to the Second Vatican Council and then archbishop of Munich, Joseph Ratzinger was appointed head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope John Paul II in 1981. As Cardinal Ratzinger, the ex officio defender of church doctrine, he gained a reputation as a heroic guardian of the faith for conservatives and was held in suspicion by church liberals.

We cannot yet know what issues and events will define the reign of Pope Benedict XVI, but by any measure he will be seen as one of the most important theological voices of our time. This one volume is the best source for understanding the heart, soul, and agenda of this twenty-first-century successor to St. Peter.

Review Quotes

"The idea behind this collection was brilliant; the selections are intelligent. On my shelf this book will become indispensable." - Michael Novak, American Enterprise Institute

"This is simply the best anthology of the work of one of the greatest living thinkers. In these pages we see how Benedict's favored phrase, the "hermeneutic of continuity," applies not only to the Church's teaching, but to his own thought over the course of decades. Now the task of assimilating and synthesizing that work can begin in earnest." - Scott Hahn, Ph.D., Pope Benedict XVI Chair of Biblical Theology, St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pa.

"Now that a leading Catholic theologian has assumed office as pope, many are eager to get an overview of his theology. The present selection, drawn largely from his shorter writings, gives an excellent sampling. It will provide a first orientation to beginners and will enable veterans to supplement their familiarity with this important thinker." - Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., author of Models of the Church

"A splendid compendium of writings on love, faith, and history; a book to gladden the soul." - Carol and Philip Zaleski, co-authors of Prayer: A History

"The Essential Pope Benedict XVI is an essential book for anyone seeking to understand a complex man of faith placed at the center of an ancient, battered, and complex institution." - Judge John T. Noonan, Jr., author of A Church That Can And Cannot Change: The Development of Catholic Moral Teaching

"An outstanding collection of texts which takes us straight to the heart of Benedict XVI's thought." - Alister McGrath, Professor of Historical Theology, Oxford University

"This book is an open door, inviting the reader into the mind and heart of a great teacher of eternal truth." - The Reverend Richard John Neuhaus, Editor-in-Chief of FIRST THINGS and author of The Naked Public Square and Catholic Matters

"What a wonderful collection from across the range of writings of Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. His clarity of expression is refreshing and his depth of thought is obvious, but the positions he takes are sometimes surprising. The selections chosen for this anthology are extremely apt and representative." - Father Joseph W. Koterski, S.J., Fordham University