Dimensions
218 x 297 x 36mm
In this rich, sophisticated introduction to the life of Jesus, the pope explores the meaning of key moments in the Gospels, such as the temptations of Jesus, the Transfiguration, and the Sermon on the Mount. Ratzinger draws on historical-critical scholarship of the New Testament, but cautions that the usefulness of strictly historical readings of Scripture is limited: one must also read Scripture theologically, and view each passage of the Bible as part of a larger canonical whole. Ratzinger draws on a vast array of scholarship and underscores Jesus' being rooted in the Old Testament, showing, for example, that the Beatitudes participate in a long tradition of blessings, exemplified in Psalms and Jeremiah. Begun before his election to the papacy, this is the first volume of a work to which Joseph admitted he may not live long enough to complete. As tender as it is erudite and brilliant, this edition of Ratzinger's first book published after his election to the papacy is lavishly illustrated with handsome reproductions of classical depictions of Jesus by a roster of eminent artists including Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Veronese, Bellini, Kandinsky, Gauguin, Chagall, Matisse, Van Gogh and many others.
