Church, Ecumenism, and Politics: New Endeavors in Ecclesiology

by Pope Benedict XVI

This work features the most discussed topics of the life of the Church, treated with unique frankness and depth by the Church's spiritual and theological leader. In this collection of essays, theologian Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, tackles three major issues in the Church today?the nature of the Church, the pursuit of Christian unity, and the relationship of Christianity to the secular/political power. The first part of the book explores Vatican II's teaching on the Church, what it means to call the Church "the People of God", the role of the Pope, and the Synod of Bishops. In part two, Ratzinger frankly assesses the ecumenical movement?its achievements, problems, and principles for authentic progress toward Christian unity. In the third part of the work, Ratzinger discusses both fundamental questions and particular issues concerning the Church, the state and human fulfillment in the Age to come. What does the Bible say about faith and politics? How should the Church work in pluralistics societies? What are the problems with Liberation Theology? How should we understand freedom in the Church and in society? Beneath a penetrating analysis on these important topics by this brilliant teacher and writer, both concise and also surprising, is revealed the passion of a great spiritual leader. The result is an exciting and stimulating work, which can be provoking, but never boring.

Genres: Theology, Catholic, Christianity, Ecclesiology

250 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Originally Joseph Ratzinger , a noted conservative theologian before his election in 2005, Benedict XVI strove against the influence of secularism during his papacy to defend traditional Catholic teachings but since medieval times first resigned in 2013.

After Joseph Ratzinger served a long career as an academic and a professor at the University of Regensburg, Pope Paul VI appointed him as archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome as prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, one most important office of the Roman curia. He also served as dean of the college of cardinals.

Benedict XVI reigned 265th in virtue of his office of bishop of Rome, the sovereign of the state of Vatican City and the head of the Church. A conclave named him on 19 April 2005; he celebrated his inaugural Mass on 24 April 2005 and took possession of his Lateran cathedral basilica of Saint John on 7 May 2005.

Benedict XVI succeeded Saint John Paul II, predecessor and his prolific writings on doctrine and values. Benedict XVI advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increase of many developed countries. Relativism denied objective truth and moral truths in particular; he viewed this central problem of the 21st century. With the importance of the Church, he understood redemptive love of God. He reaffirmed the "importance of prayer in the face of the activism" "of many Christians engaged in charitable work." Benedict also revived a number and elevated the Tridentine Mass to a more prominent position.

Benedict founded and patronized of the Ratzinger foundation, a charitable organization, which from the sale of books and essays makes money to fund scholarships and bursaries for students across the world.

Due to advanced age on 11 February 2013, Benedict announced in a speech in Latin and cited a "lack of strength of mind and body" before the cardinals. He effectively left on 28 February 2013.As emeritus, Benedict retained the style of His Holiness, and the title and continued to dress in the color of white. He moved into the newly renovated monastery of Mater Ecclesiae for his retirement. Pope Francis succeeded him on 13 March 2013.

(more info on Ratzinger Foundation: https://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology...)

Reviews

[Jorge Criado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una interesante colección de ensayos de un gigante de la talla de Joseph Ratzinger. Eso sí, conviene tener algo de familiaridad con la terminología filosófica y teológica, ya que son densos y pueden hacerse difíciles de seguir si no se tienen claros algunos conceptos.

[graceofgod · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.
I have mixed feelings about this book/collection of essays. On the one hand, I greatly admire Ratzinger/BXVI's way of thinking--I admire the role he played during the council, and I admire his willingness to pursue a "middle path" (even if I, at times, disagree with it.) Moreover, the fact that he, in some sense, not a "traditionalist" in the strict sense of the term, but rather a product Ressourcement Theology makes him good in my book. Likewise, I think the essays on ecumenism in this collection were very enlightening as well. They recognize the real distinctions between Lutheranism, Anglicanism, and Catholicism--while doing so in a constructive and charitable manner. On the other hand, I find that the essays on Catholic Social Teaching, Eschatology, Liberation (theology), and Utopia were lacking (though interesting in their own way, especially in their critical appropriation of the Enlightenment) because they, at least in my opinion, construct a caricature of what they are arguing against (Marxism, certain forms of liberation theology, etc.) And as a result of this, it makes it quite hard to read, especially if you are sympathetic to _both_ Ratzinger and the things he is criticizing.

[Christopher Blosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with anything of Ratzinger's, I'm impressed by the clarity and precision with which he writes and develops his train of thought. (Compare/contrast Ratzinger with, oh, say John Milbank and you can understand what a pleasure it is to read somebody with such lucid prose). In this case I admittedly had a greater interest in the latter half of the book -- on the relationship between Christianity and politics -- than matters of ecclesiology and ecumenism, though "Luther and the Unity of the Churches" is a must-read for Lutheran-Catholic dialogue.

Where this book shines for me is Ratzinger's various meditations on conscience, freedom and the state -- in particular Chapter 10, "Freedom and Constraint in the Church" with its presentation of an intellectual history of freedom in the Enlightenment and in the life of the Church; Chapter 11: "A Christian Orientation in a Pluralistic Democracy"; 13: "Eschatology and Utopia".

A few choice nuggets of insight from the text ...

"The first service to politics rendered by the Christian faith is that it liberates man from the irrationality of political myths, which are the real threat of our time."

"The attempt to graft so-called Western standards, apart from their Christian basis, onto Islamic societies ignores the inner logic of Islam as well as the historical logic to which those Western Standards belong; therefore the attempt, in that form, was doomed to failure. The blueprint for society in Islam is theocratic and thus, monistic, not dualistic; the dualism that is the prerequisite for freedom presupposes in turn the logic of Christianity. Practically speaking, this means that only in those places where the duality of the state and church, of sacral and political authority, is maintained in some form or another do we find the fundamental prerequisite for freedom. Where the church ITSELF becomes the state, freedom is gone."

"The ideological state is totalitarian; it necessarily becomes ideological when there is no free but publicly recognized authority of conscience in opposition to it."

"In his saying that we must give Caesar what is his and God what is his, Jesus separates imperial power and divine power. He takes the ius sacrum [sacred law] out of the ius publicum [public law] and thereby cuts in two the fundamental constitution of the world of antiquity, indeed, of the pre-Christian world in general. In separating the ius sacrum from the emperor's ius publicum, he created a space for freedom of conscience, at the edge of which every power ends, even that of the Roman god-emperor and is transformed into the apocalyptic beast when he nevertheless tries to remain a god and denies the inviolable space of conscience. hence with this saying a limit is set for every earthly power and the freedom of the human person is proclaimed, which transcends all political systems. For this limit Jesus went to his death: he witnessed in suffering to the limit of power. Christianity begins, not with a revolutionary, but a martyr. The increase in freedom that mankind owes to the martyrs is infinitely greater than the one that revolutionaries could obtain for it."

[Santiago Iturbide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der Unterschied zwischen der Struktur einer ideologisch verfaßte Partie und der Kirche liegt nämlich genau in der Wahrheit frage. Der Materialismus setzt voraus dass am Anfang nicht die Vernunft, sondern die Unvernuftige-die Materie-steht. Folglich ist die Vernunft das Produkt des Unvernüftigen. Die Grundüberzeugung des christlichen Glaubens hingegen ist es, daß am Anfang, die Vernunft steht und damit die Wahrheit. Sie bringt überhaupt des Menschen und die Menschliche Vernunft als wahrheitsfähige hervor. Zur Wahrheit verhält sich der Mensch zunächst wesentlich rezeptive und nicht produktiv.

Den Freiheit ist vor allem Freiheit von Willkür. Freiheit von Beliebigkeit.

Biblisch betrachtet, Freiheit ist etwas anderes als Indeterminierheit. Sie ist Partizipation und zwar nicht bloß Partizipation an einem bestimmtes Sozialgebilde sondern Partizipation am Sein selbst. Sie bedeutet: Selbsteigentümer des Seins und nicht und nicht Unterworfener des Seins sein. Nur von da aus kann ja auch Gott als die Freiheit in Person definiert werden: weil er Totalität des Seinbesitzes ist.

Freit is darum, wer mir seinem Wesen eins geworden ist, eins mit der Wahrheit selbst. Denn wer eins ist mit der Wahrheit handelt nicht mehr nach äußeren Notwendigkeiten un zwängen; in ihm sind Wesen, Wollen und tun zur Deckung gelangt. Auf diese Weise kann der Mensch ein Endlichen im Endlichen das Unendlichen, berühren, sich ihm verbinden und so, gerade in der Annerkenung der Grenze, selbst unendlich werden. So wird am Schluß noch einmal sichtbar, daß christliche Freiheitslehre nicht ein kleinlicher Moralismus ist. Sie ist geleitet von einer umfassenden Vision der Menschen, sie sieht den Menschen in einer geschichtlichen und zugleich alle Geschichte überschreitende Perspectiv.

[Fr. Daniel Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please see my review for Truth and Tolerance by Ratzinger. I put most of my thoughts in there because I can’t keep track of what I’ve read by him anymore. All I can remember is that I liked Truth and Tolerance a bit more but not really why. And I’m not repeating that review again.

Ratzinger’s great. Read it because he’s great.