Covenant and Communion
The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI
by Scott W Hahn
Hardback
Price: £14.95
Publisher:DLT (Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd)
Published:27 October 2009
ISBN:978-0-232-52775-9
GoodBookStall Review:
Published in paperback Oct 2010, £12.99, ISBN 978-0-232-52835-0
The Catholic Church of the 20th Century was re-invigorated by the patristic, liturgical and biblical movements. It is the last which Josef Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, appropriates in his understanding that his and the Church's priority is ' "Leading men and women to God..." ' (p. 43); 'we must once more make Scripture the soul of a theology that is simultaneously biblical and systematic.' (p. 44). However, Benedict 'does not give us a theological system.' Rather, he gives us 'an illuminating pathway', which helps us to realise what theology is, and how it 'might better proceed...to be effective.' (p. 71).
The nine chapters are followed by scripture and subject indexes. The Pope's writings etc. quoted in the text form an introductory bibliography, while other authors are referenced in page notes. While this is an 'academic' book, Scott Hahn has an excellent style, which means that the general reader will not struggle. He modestly calls this 'essay' an introduction, 'an exercise in explanatory theology' (pp. 15-16) of a man whose thought patterns are more like those of the Church Fathers than of a mediaeval or modern theologian. Having read this book, one can better appreciate both what the Pope says, and why his teachings are pronounced as they are. The Pope's circle of former students is now widened, in a very effective way, to include all Christians for whom the Bible is the living Word of God.
Reviewer: J.Nicholas Latham (26/02/10)
Published in paperback Oct 2010, £12.99, ISBN 978-0-232-52835-0
The Catholic Church of the 20th Century was re-invigorated by the patristic, liturgical and biblical movements. It is the last which Josef Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, appropriates in his understanding that his and the Church's priority is ' "Leading men and women to God..." ' (p. 43); 'we must once more make Scripture the soul of a theology that is simultaneously biblical and systematic.' (p. 44). However, Benedict 'does not give us a theological system.' Rather, he gives us 'an illuminating pathway', which helps us to realise what theology is, and how it 'might better proceed...to be effective.' (p. 71).
The nine chapters are followed by scripture and subject indexes. The Pope's writings etc. quoted in the text form an introductory bibliography, while other authors are referenced in page notes. While this is an 'academic' book, Scott Hahn has an excellent style, which means that the general reader will not struggle. He modestly calls this 'essay' an introduction, 'an exercise in explanatory theology' (pp. 15-16) of a man whose thought patterns are more like those of the Church Fathers than of a mediaeval or modern theologian. Having read this book, one can better appreciate both what the Pope says, and why his teachings are pronounced as they are. The Pope's circle of former students is now widened, in a very effective way, to include all Christians for whom the Bible is the living Word of God.
Reviewer: J.Nicholas Latham (26/02/10)
| Reader review: - Johnny Douglas, TGBS Reviewer, 19/10/10 Like most of us, I'm too busy to read even a fraction of what Benedict XVI has written, before and after he became Pope, yet I'm very interested to know what he thinks and why. In this attractively crafted book, I not only learned what Benedict believes and why, but my own understanding of faith and scripture has been greatly enriched. This truly synthesizes Benedict's erudite and prayerful biblical theology into a lively, readable and intellectually reliable manner. Hahn's presentation will likely resonate with conservative Evangelicals and Protestants who have a love for Scripture. Hahn reveals Benedict as a biblical theologian par excellence. Hahn demonstrates the Holy Father's biblical theology in detail with seven academic essays collected together in this one volume. Hahn also quotes Benedict's writings frequently (several times per page) making this book a fine collection of Papal teaching in his own words. I have already collected more than a dozen priceless Benedict quotes from this book. I especially appreciated the chapter two and six in particular. If you're a fan of Pope Benedict or if you're a non-Catholic interested in how Roman Catholics do biblical theology, then this is the book for you. You will find in this book a rich theological method of Pope Benedict XVI as a canonical approach to theology, which locates theology within the history of salvation. If John Paul II will be remembered for his Theology of the Body, then I'll wager that Benedict XVI will be remembered for his profound biblical theology. Truly remarkable! |
