Jesus of Nazareth

The new book by Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedikt XVI (he published it as a private person, rather than as an official publication as Pope) is in every bookstore here, usually taking up a prominent position at the front of the store, where everyone can see it.

In his own words, it is his search "for the face of the Lord." The Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung published an excellent review by Christian Geyer. Here is an excerpt:

„Jesus von Nazareth“ ist ein Buch, dem man zweierlei wird nachsagen können: Es belebt die Auseinandersetzung um die Substanz einer Weltreligion, reisst diese Weltreligion aus den Verflachungen eines sich bloß humanitär und ethisch begreifenden Projekts heraus. Der metaphysische Ernst von Religion erhält wieder einen Bezugspunkt.

A rough paraphrase: Geyer writes that "Jesus of Nazareth" 1) revives the debate about the substance of a world religion and 2) pulls this world religion back from turning into nothing more than a "humanitarian and ethical project." He claims it revives the "metaphysical seriousness" of religion [i.e. takes the metaphysical aspects of religion seriously.]

I'm intrigued, but haven't had a chance to read the book yet. It's on my post-dissertation reading list; but I'll probably pick up a copy of the German edition here.

It is important to note, I think, that the U.S. editions (judging by how the book is described in Amazon, at least) trumpet the fact that this is Ratzinger's first book written as Pope, while the German editions note that he carefully tries to maintain that this was written by Joseph Ratzinger, the Theologian and Academic, not by Pope Benedikt XVI. It is an important distinction, because a theological and academic work is open to debate in a way a Papal Decree (or other official text) would not be, necessarily.

Germans, generally, believe strongly in the benefit of healthy debate, and in consensus reached by debate, in a way that I sometimes feel we as Americans shy away from. This is at least true for many of us from the south, where it is often felt that conflict should be avoided. I'm not saying we don't discuss and debate, but our "debates" often move away from rational discourse into the realm of ideological posturing, and shouting matches that will not and cannot lead to any meaningful consensus.