Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Jesus of Nazareth
Book Review: A Great Portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth
Summary: 5 Stars
A wonderful and prayerfully written book by Pope Benedict XVI. Jesus even shines brighter and his glory is magnificent. I recommend this without reservation.Crossing the Red SeaBook Review: A Letter to the Holy Father
Summary: 4 Stars
Holy Father,
I just finished your fine book, "Jesus of Nazareth". It was most detailed, enlightening, educational, well written, and inspiring. However, I do have a question or two. The questions came up due to some confusion on my part and I was wondering if you could unconfuse me?
You state on page 345, "The two most important expressions of this sort occur in Jesus' dispute with the Jews..." Who are the Jews? Since Jesus is Jewish, his mother is Jewish, his earthly father is Jewish, his neighbors are Jewish, his friends are Jewish, this brothers and sisters are Jewish, his working associates are all Jewish, his immediate followers are Jewish, and for the most part all that come to listen to the "word" are all Jewish. So who are these Jews that you speak of?
On page 349 you state, "...three thousand people are baptized and join the communion of the Apostles." You do not say three thousand Jews were baptized or that a majority were Jews that were baptized into the new faith, you only say people. Why? Can one not argue that since "Acts" was written between 60 A.D. and 70 A.D. when those that followed Christ were nearly all exclusively Jewish, and that the movement was a Jewish movement within Judaism, that the great majority that made up the new movement were Jewish? Why this omission.
Furthermore, you say on page 352, "The Jesus who walks upon the waters is not simply the familiar Jesus; in this new Jesus they suddenly recognize the presence of God himself." Now I know "they" are the disciples and you know "they" are the disciples, and that all the disciples are Jewish, and regardless of the number, why not refer to "they" as "the Jews"?
Why as a Church must we always separate ourselves from our Jewish brothers and sisters, brothers and sisters I might add with all humility gave us the faith we enjoy today; the Church we have today; the religion we celebrate today?
Please Holy Father help me to understand and as I said, unconfuse me.
Thank you for your time and patience.
Yours truly and in faith,
Michael Bussio
Book Review: A MAJOR THEOLOGICAL EVENT: "JESUS OF NAZARETH" BY THE POPE.
Summary: 5 Stars
Five INSPIRATIONAL Stars! Pope Benedict XVI has brought decades of scholarly examinations of and meditations on Jesus Christ to fruition with this incredible book. Under his pen, the Catholic faith opens like a flower which can be clearly understood by any Christian. This book is not written from the standpoint of 'Papal Infallibility' or in concert with "the magisterium", but is "an expression of my personal search for the face of the Lord", says the Pope.
This is volume one, with the Pope giving a detailed examination of the periods from the Baptism of the Lord to Peter's confession of faith and the Transfiguration: His public ministry. At last, we have Jesus Christ as the Pope sees Him and explains Him to us! What a wonderful gift to the world from the new Pontiff ! And you may encounter some fascinating insights and lower order revelations herein that you may never have heard before. This book shows the pontiff not as someone closed off in his own world as sometimes rumored, but a person who is scripturally grounded, widely-read, intellectually astute and agile. He quotes the Bible continuously, uses tradition, as well as other theological sources and authors. Working with both the historical Jesus, as well as the biblical Jesus, the Pope informs us that we can't have one viewpoint of Jesus without the other and the historical Jesus is very crucial to the faith, actually underpining our faith. Without the historical viewpoint, he says, the faith would become something other than what we have.
The Pope's initial consideration of the figure of Jesus begins with a discussion of Moses and the limitations of his very close relationship with God. Then he gets right to the main point: Jesus as the Son "lives before the face of God" and "in the most intimate unity with the Father". And, Benedict says, we who walk with Jesus are in communion with God the Father because of it. That is the capstone of everything a believer needs as a jumping off point to becoming a believer of Christ. The rest, from the genealogical breakdown of the "three groups of fourteen generations", the true meaning and place of Israel for the rest of us believers, the emergence of the Trinitarian God, 'refuting' the Baptism event as an "evocational experience" where Jesus suddenly realizes who He is, the true meaning of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus, why He was tempted, the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord's Prayer, the Synoptic Gospels and John's Gospel, are all beautifully examined and explained. And it does not end as a book drawing summary conclusions, but as a volume, with more to come. This is an essential book for all Catholics and a great resource for all who believe in Jesus. It's a wonderful read by a man who was the Church's leading theologian before he became Pope. My Highest Recommendation! Five EXCELLENT Stars!!
(This review is based on an unabridged digital download in secure eReader format. Save a tree, download your books.)
Book Review: A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE
Summary: 5 Stars
OUTSTANDING BOOK!!!! A MUST READ. POPE BENEDICT XVI DOES IT AGAIN, A TRULY WORK ABOUT GOD !!!!!Book Review: A Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
This work extends the themes of Benedict's first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love). The compassion and logic are impeccable. One does not have to be catholic, christian, or religous to benefit from the insights Benedict has to offer derived from the life of Jesus.
This is a sweet, poetical, and mystical meditation on life and how it can be lived in its fullest and most human dimension.