Jesus of Nazareth

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 400 pages
• Published by: Doubleday May 15, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0385523416
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0385523417
• Book Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 14.4 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
In this rich, sophisticated introduction to the life of Jesus, the pope argues that Jesus brought to the world neither universal prosperity nor peace, but God. Indeed, Jesus cannot be understood outside of his relationship with God the Father, "which is the true center of his personality." Ratzinger explores the meaning of key moments in the Gospels, such as the temptations of Jesus, the Transfiguration, and the Sermon on the Mount, and points to passages in which Jesus adumbrates Pauline theology. He underscores Jesus being rooted in the Old Testament, showing, for example, that the Beatitudes participate in a long tradition of blessings, exemplified in Psalms and Jeremiah. Ratzinger draws on historical-critical scholarship of the New Testament, but cautions that the usefulness of strictly historical readings of Scripture is limited: one must also read Scripture theologically, and view each passage of the Bible as part of a greater canonical whole. This learned book cannot be read casually-Ratzinger draws on a vast array of scholarship, and he assumes familiarity with theological categories such as "Christology." But for those who are willing to work through Ratzingers text slowly, virtually every page will yield fruitful insights.

From AudioFile
Who better to write a book about the proclaimed Son of God than the leader of His largest organized group of followers, the Catholic Church? And who could be a more intimidating author of such a tome? Listeners to Don Leslies presentation of the English translation find any trepidations soon quelled. Leslie reads the Pontiffs work as if he were an educated and caring priest delivering a homily to a beloved congregation. Pope Benedict refrains from unusual theological philosophy in favor of a clear examination of both biblical and scholarly writings on Christ. Together, Leslies sonorous yet personable tones and the Popes scholarly yet conversational writing style create an inviting study. R.L.L. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Reader Reviews
A few months ago someone asked me what book I would recommend that they give to their adult children who no longer practiced the faith, without hesitation I named this book as the one. At the time I had only read some excerpts available online from Germany and Italy. It was an act of faith then, now that I have the book I know that my recommendation was justified. This is a great book, magisterial (even though the pope doesn't want it thought of in that way). It is not just another book about Jesus, it a revolutionary book about Jesus...in that it recaptures why people have had their lives changed by their belief in Jesus for over 2,000 years. What makes this book so special? It is like a modern Summa (those who know St. Thomas Aquinas will understand me here) in that it answers modern questions of doubt, skepticism and even inquiry on not only who Jesus is, but why Jesus is the most important person anyone has ever or can ever know. The pope's methodology is to take a scene from the Bible, like the Lord's baptism and then to draw on that scene from the entire Bible, to show what modern scholarship has done to help us to understand the historical context of the scene, tell us how the early Church fathers interpreted the scene, how would it have been viewed in Judaism (he uses the reflections of a Rabbi when discussing the Sermon on the Mount) and then to give the reader the meaning of this event for them. Along the way he answers questions to the many objections modern people bring to their encounter with Jesus. As someone who has studied theology for a number of years and been exposed to every screwball theology out there, I found this book to be a corrective lens to refocus and correct my vision of who Jesus is and what following him means. What impresses me (and I'm not easily impressed) is that the Pope takes on the "screwball (my term, not his)" theologies in such a way as to making them seem silly (although he is incredibly charitable in his approach). This book will have a great effect on renewing the Church and centering it on an image of Christ that is Biblical and credible, erasing years of poor and faulty preaching and teaching. If you are not Catholic, but a Christian you will love this book too. In fact I predict you will be come a big fan of Joseph Ratzinger and will want to read his many published works to encounter someone rooted in Scripture and conversant with modern attacks on it. If you are a non Christian I think you will find in the book an excellent introduction to what Christians believe about the God-man from Nazareth. To all you parents out there who sent your kids to Catholic schools and now wish they would practice their faith, give them this book and reintroduce them to Jesus of Nazareth. Once you've read this, you'll want to check out the Pope's take on the Apostles, in an excellent follow-up to this book: The Apostles: The Origin of the Church and Their Co-Workers I am the author of The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You Comments (37) | | (Report this)