Jesus of Nazareth
by Pope Benedict XVI
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Book Reviews of Jesus of Nazareth
Book Review: A excellent reading of the Gospel message
Summary: 5 Stars
One expects the Pope to know the Gospels, the question becomes whether he can write about the Gospels in an involving way, making it seem intrigubning even though you know most of the stories by heart.
After reading this the skills of Benedict at writing(as well as the translator) is methodical, crisp, and efficient. There's little dallying with meaningless words, Benedict making his point clearly and succinctly. He goes over the primary concern of each of the gospels and gives the various interpretations involved with each of the passages. This is really where the book shines, in that he gives interpretations others gives and then states his own and how he came ot his conclusion. You never get the feeling he's attacking a straw man and always states a conflicting stance fairly. He's a lot like Aquinas in this regard, which is one of the highest compliments I can give.
There is some pretty heavy material in here to ponder, as another commendation is that it never feels he's talking down to you. This isn't a book you bring for light leisure reading.
Note that this is the first part of what Benedict hopes to write, so there's little about the end of Jesus's life. Here's hoping the aging pontiff can get that written also.
Book Review: Helpful in answering the question: Who is Jesus?
Summary: 5 Stars
I agree that Pope Benedict's "Jesus of Nazareth" is a lucid and scholarly work as one reviewer has stated. But I feel it is a mistaken understanding of the text to cast the Pope's theology up against the so-called "deconstructions of Liberal Theologians."
In Benedict's explicit expression of "profound gratitude for all that [modern exegesis] has given and continues to give to us" ... that "it has opened up to us a wealth of material and an abundance of findings that enable the figure of Jesus to become present to us with a vitality and depth that we could not have imagined even just a few decades ago."
The fact is that this scholarship, whether in agreement or disagreement with post-modern or "liberal" theology, is the baseline of the entire, richly rewarding book.
The viewpoint from which Pope Benedict wrote this reflection is one of Unity. The union of the two natures of Jesus and the unity of theolgical exegesis in comprehending the Jesus of History and Christ of Faith. The uniting of the liberal historical-critical study of Jesus with the Biblical perspective is where Joseph Ratzinger has grown as a theologian into Pope Benedict theologian and best-selling author.
Congratulations to him and good for those of us who study Jesus of Nazareth.
Book Review: Will Still be in print in year 4000
Summary: 5 Stars
This excellent book is hard to pigeonhole. It is somewhat akin to reflections on the Life of Christ which have come from Sheed, Sheen, and others. But there is an extra dimension to this work. Although the author took pains to remind the reader that the book is not "an exercise of the magesterium", the fact remains that the book was written by a Pope while in office. I don't think that Benedict XVI writes books just for the fun of it; there was a purpose for him to write this book at this time, and I think that purpose is simply to share his understanding of Jesus with the faithful and indeed with the whole human family.
No one can deny the Pope's erudition, but in this book he seems to "step down" not only from his chair of authority, but also from the specialized language of one who has been doing Theology for over a half-century. Not that he has "dumbed down" the message; it still has depth. Reading it requires more attentiveness than it does to peruse TV Guide or the New York Times, but the text is accessible to practically anyone.
This book is written by someone who loves his Lord, who has thought deeply about the Person of Jesus, and who wants to share his thoughts with many. I think it will be reckoned a classic.
Book Review: This is comfortable territory. It's home.
Summary: 4 Stars
I just read a book which told me that baptism was originally Hindu, that the sermon on the mount was essentially Buddhist, that Jesus did not die on the cross and that the resurrection actually referred to a "spiritual resurrection" and not a "physical one" (The Rozabal Line). Imagine my relief when I started reading Jesus of Nazareth which takes a position that I am familiar and comfortable with... Jesus' baptism, his temptation, the kingdom of God, the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord's Prayer, the disciples, the parables, John's Gospel etc. I think that, more than anything else, this book brought me back "home" to a comfortable position that I am familiar with- I know that there may be inconsistencies or errors or that much of it may be open to alternative interpretation. It's just that it is familiar territory i.e. the living room couch, the TV and the dog. It's the most comfortable place on earth and there are just too many books out there providing the alternatives that we desperately need a book to tell us that our beliefs are fine. This does precisely that.Book Review: Worthy of the Price Tag
Summary: 5 Stars
This book invites people of faith to view the historical Jesus without fear. If you haven't noticed the field of history isn't a great place to make money, unless you decide to write a book that goes against the grain. As a result it has become much more profitable to scandalize the traditional view of Christ than to uphold it. It is a common refrain from so-called historians that, "There were many different figures named Jesus that were melded into the Jesus we know now." One could find enough evidence to make the same claim about George Washington and use it to deny his existence. The issue is that you must ignore as much, or more, evidence as you use.
On to the book. The Holy Father opens the book with a sharp rebuttal against many "historical" books about Jesus, pointing out that the Jesus depicted in these books is remarkably similar to the authors who have penned them. He goes on to bring to life the earthly mission of Christ through reading scripture as a whole. I have referred numerous people to the chapter on the temptations of Christ. In my opinion, that chapter alone makes the book worth the price tag. There is no doubt something in this book for all believers, Catholic and nonCatholic alike.