Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church
by Pope Benedict XVI
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Book Summary Information
Author: Pope Benedict XVIBrand: Ignatius Press
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-08
ISBN: 1586172204
Number of pages: 163
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Book Reviews of Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church
Book Review: Meditative Talks
Summary: 4 Stars
For persons who want to encounter Benedict 16 in an accessible vein, this might be a good place to start. These are more or less straight transcriptions of a series of his Wednesday public talks in the big Paul 6 Auditorium at the Vatican. There has been no effort to enhance them or make them more literary. Even a few awkward phrases are preserved -- or perhaps poorly translated -- although this oddly contributes to an air of spontaneous freshnesss.
The talks were not aimed at giving an in depth look at what is known about the 12 apostles and the other 1st generation disciples treated. The purpose was to pick out an aspect or two of each figure from scripture, and develop it into a short meditation on aspects of Christian life in particular, and the infant Church in general.
While the pope thus aims to stay relatively light and aim for a broad audience, the depth of his penetration -- largely derived from a lifetime of vast reading and study -- is nonetheless evident. This pope is an academic and he simply can't hide it, and the reader is occasionally hit over the head by the scope and breadth of his background in this regard. It is obvious he has simply read everything. This comes across more not in what he says, but in what he chooses not to say.
Benedict also basically hones pretty close to scripture in defining the nugget for each of these meditations. He delves very little into reports on the original 12 by the post-apostolic Church fathers, or much extra-testamental early Christian literature. While obviously not intimidated by modern theology of an historicist bent, he nevertheless stays clear of any controversies with that school. The overall effect is of having particularly Catholic points, theologically speaking, being made in the style of high modern Protestantism, such as the homilies of John Henry Newman as Oxford don before his conversion. In his written work, Benedict only goes farther down that road, such as in the recently published Jesus of Nazareth wherein a whole familiarity with modern theology and its critiques is pre-supposed.
I thus hope that transcriptions of talks like these continue to be published, for the paradox of Benedict is that while there is a plethora of books by him out there, most necessite a degree of specialized study in the post-high school academic sense. He always requires a careful and very very attentive translation -- as unfortunately his most famous talk, in Regensburg about Islam, did not receive from hurried media outlets. He is fascinating to hear, and cozy despite his learning, giving the reader or hearer a privileged feeling like studying under a master teacher.
I have the gut sense -- however generally pleasant in tone -- that these transcriptions could have used another sandblast of polish from the translater. I have heard the 81 year old pope speak in person, and have heard good translations on EWTN of some sermons, and the man is simply transfixing and you know he never misses a beat. He is about as consciously subtle as they come for a modern. These deceptively "lite" chats still pack enough wallup that I really don't think the final dimension in nuance was lacking from Benedict. I am happy that Ignatius is getting his stuff out, and doing it timely, and its hard to criticize them. Readers simply need to be aware that world class communicators demand world class translaters, and that the latter are always a very scarce commodity. Thus 4 stars for what were likely 5 star performances.
Summary of Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church
Based on Pope Benedict XVI's weekly teaching on the relationship between Christ and the Church, this book tells the drama of Jesus' first disciples -- his Apostles and their associates -- and how they spread Jesus' message throughout the ancient world. Far from distorting the truth about Jesus of Nazareth, insists Pope Benedict, the early disciples remained faithful to it, even at the cost of their lives.Beginning with the Twelve as the foundation of Jesus' re-establishment of the Holy People of God, Pope Benedict examines the story of the early followers of Christ. He draws on Scripture and early tradition to consider such important figures as Peter, Andrew, James and John, and even Judas Iscariot. Benedict moves beyond the original Twelve to discuss Paul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christianity who became one of Jesus' greatest disciples. Also considered are Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, the wife and husband "team" of Priscilla and Aquila, and such key women figures as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Phoebe.
Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church is a fascinating journey back to the origins of Christianity. It reveals how Jesus' earliest disciples faithfully conveyed the truth about the "Jesus of history" and how they laid the foundations for the Church, through whom people today can know the same Jesus.
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