From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
The Wisdom of Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI
This blog has already drawn attention to a very important work written by Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI), The Spirit of the Liturgy (Ignatius Press, 2000). Before moving on to other topics of interest, it is certainly worthwhile to highlight the aspects of the treasury of wisdom and knowledge left to us by the same man. Among the more than sixty books written by this prolific scholar, there are three books which explore “the figure and message of Jesus” by means of a careful exegesis (interpretation) of the Gospel texts. Astonishingly, these three books were written and published while he held the office of the successor of St. Peter, with all its demands. But, in truth, what could be more central to the papacy than the proclamation of Jesus as Lord and teaching His disciples how to know Him!
The first of these books, Jesus of Nazareth, was released in 2007. His stated goal was to provide an “expression of his personal search for the face of the Lord.” Deep devotion and outstanding scholarship have produced texts that will reward the careful reader with a deeper understanding of the Gospel texts that trace the public ministry of Jesus. The second volume, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week, which studies the Biblical testimony of the events from Palm Sunday through the resurrection, was published in 2011 (and is, sadly, currently out of print). The last volume of the trilogy, Jesus of Nazareth, the Infancy Narratives, a slenderer volume, was released in late 2012, only a few months before Pope Benedict’s historic resignation.
If you have ever been frustrated or even scandalized by a priest or deacon who preached in a manner that appeared to dismiss the truth of the miracles of Jesus as proclaimed in the Gospel, these books may be of great assistance. They are not, however, intended to be used as weapons against opponents. Pope Benedict was not only an excellent scholar, but also a most charitable one. He acknowledged the good fruits of the scholarship that is called “historical-critical”, and which have given us important insights into the sacred texts. But he also clearly explains the limits of a purely rational approach, which, when used as the exclusive exegetical tool, has so often led many to a dead end, spiritually speaking.
So, the pope advocated the use of a second way of engaging the text, “the hermeneutic of faith,” acknowledging the Divine authorship, and without abandoning the historical approach. He explores how some of the great pastors and teachers of the Church have understood the texts through the centuries and, even more centrally, he helps the reader to ask how they are relevant for us, here and now. Breathing a deep ecumenical spirit, as these books demonstrate, Pope Benedict was not at all hesitant to engage with Protestant and Jewish theologians and, ever charitably, with Catholic critics. Humbly, he insisted that these works of his extensive scholarship were not presented to the world as part of his papal magisterium, but rather as offerings for consideration, to better “see the face of the Lord.” In the end, these three books tell us much about the heart and mind of Joseph Ratzinger, and even more about heart and mind of Jesus Christ.
