Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict XVI Collection Upgrade (7 vols.)

by Jürgen Habermas; Benedict XVI

Publishers:

Ignatius; Crossroad

, 1998–2013

Overview

Expand your understanding of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, with this diverse collection of his writings, dialogues, meditations, and memories. As one of the most revered Catholic scholars, theologians, teachers, and authors of our time, Ratzinger’s profound treatment of Christianity combines a spiritual outlook with a deep knowledge of Scripture, history, and theology. This collection integrates moving biographical materials with his more traditional theological works.

Study his papal catechesis for the Year of Faith, follow his debates with philosopher Jürgen Habermas, and enjoy poignant photographs of his close relationship with John Paul II and their travels during that pontificate. This well-rounded collection gives you greater insight on the man who has so greatly impacted the theology of the modern Catholic Church.

Key Features

• Collects diverse volumes by Ratzinger on theology, faith, and his relationship to John Paul II
• Includes Ratzinger’s autobiography
• Offers many moving photographs and other illustrations

Product Details

• Title: Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict XVI Collection Upgrade
• Author: Pope Benedict XVI Joseph Ratzinger
• Publisher: Ignatius
• Volumes: 7
• Pages: 984
• Christian Group: Catholic
• Resource Type: Collected Works
• Topic: Roman Catholicism

Dialectics of Secularization

• Authors: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and Jurgen Habermas
• Publisher: Ignatius
• Publication Date: 2007
• Pages: 92

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Theologian Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) and Jürgen Habermas—philosopher and Neo-Marxist social critic—discuss and debate aspects of secularization, and the role of reason and religion in a free society. Both men insist that proponents of secular reason and religious conviction should learn from each other, even as they differ over the particular ways that mutual learning should occur. These insightful essays are the result of a remarkable dialogue between the two men, sponsored by the Catholic Academy of Bavaria, the year before Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope.

Jürgen Habermas (b. June 18, 1929) is a philosopher and sociologist. He was professor of philosophy at the universities of Heidelberg and Johann Wolfgang Goethe in Frankfurt. He was director of the Max Planck Institute for the study of the Scientific-Technological World. Habermas has written numerous books in the field of philosophy and social theory, the best known of which is The Theory of Communicative Action.

Fundamental Speeches from Five Decades

• Author: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Publisher: Ignatius
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 220

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Over the course of five decades—while a professor of theology and throughout his rise in the Roman Catholic hierarchy—Joseph Ratzinger delivered many important speeches at the Catholic Academy of Bavaria. From 1963 to 2004 the broad spectrum of his topics ranged from the primacy of the papacy to the moral foundations of western society. The fundamental speeches in this volume are arranged thematically. And before each one is a brief introduction written by Dr. Florian Schuller, the director of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria in Munich, who also contributed the foreword.

These speeches demonstrate not only Ratzinger’s breadth of knowledge, but also his prescience. The issues he addresses remain important to the Church and mankind today.

When we read through [these speeches] again, we were surprised by their lasting relevance. . .

—Florian Schuller, director, Catholic Academy of Bavaria

Images of Hope: Meditations on Major Feasts

• Author: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Publisher: Ignatius
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 109

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

In Images of Hope: Meditations on Major Feasts, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger masterfully weaves together Scripture, history, literature, and theology as he reflects on major feasts of the liturgical calendar. In each chapter, he examines works of sacred art that illustrate the hope we celebrate in our most important Christian holy days.

This collection of meditations includes several beautiful colored images of the relevant paintings, mosaics, and sculptures that accompany the rich and detailed text.

Legacy of John Paul II: Images and Memories

• Author: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Publisher: Ignatius
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 120

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Joseph Ratzinger pays tribute to his predecessor, mentor, and close friend, Pope John Paul II. As a cardinal, Ratzinger was the closest Vatican prelate to John Paul II, working together with him for almost 25 years in the Vatican.

Cardinal Ratzinger spoke beautifully and eloquently at Pope John Paul II’s funeral, and at the Mass preceding the Papal Conclave. Soon afterwards, the College of Cardinals elected Ratzinger as John Paul’s successor. This book unites these two great spiritual leaders in one powerful, deeply moving volume. Ratzinger shares his many personal experiences and insights about this pontificate that changed the world. With over 100 pages of unique photos by Vatican photographer Giancarlo Giuliani—many never before published—this volume depicts many striking and poignant moments of John Paul II’s pontificate as he traveled around the world.

. . . one looks hard in the history of the Catholic Church to find a partnership so consequential for the faith and for the world as the partnership of Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II, and Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. . . . Pope Benedict’s tribute to his extraordinary predecessor is both testimony and pledge: a testimony to the depth of human brotherhood that friendship with Christ makes possible, and a pledge to continue, extend, and deepen the witness of the Office of Peter.

—George Weigel, author, Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II

Milestones: Memoirs; 1927–1977

• Author: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Publisher: Ignatius
• Publication Date: 1998
• Pages: 156

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Rich in humor and culture, as well as passion and love for the cause of God and of man, Milestones is the early autobiography of Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI. It tells the fascinating and inspiring story of his early family life, the years under Nazi oppression in Germany, and his part in World War II—including how as a teenager he was forced to join the Hitler Youth and the German army, from which he risked his life to flee.

This book also recounts Joseph Ratzinger’s calling and ordination to the priesthood, the intellectual and spiritual formation he received, his early days as a parish priest, his role as an expert at the Second Vatican Council, his experience as a popular university professor and theologian, and his appointment as archbishop of Munich-Freising in Germany. Joseph Ratzinger would go on to serve for over two decades as the prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith under John Paul II, before being elected pope himself in 2005.

Written before Ratzinger became pope, Milestones remains a valuable road map to the man’s mind and heart. It dispels the media myths and legends, and it reveals the real Benedict XVI—a man of the Church who loves God and humanity, a scholar, a theologian, a teacher, and a humble pastor with deep compassion and profound spiritual insight.

Milestones, rich with theological insights as are all his works, gives us finally Ratzinger the person. He is a joy to meet.

—Cardinal John O’Connor, archbishop, New York

A very personal, compelling narrative of a life that continues to have inestimable influence in shaping the mission of the Catholic Church. A rare mix of candor and charity, this book is an opportunity to know personally one of the truly great figures of our time. It should not be missed.

—Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, editor, First Things

A masterpiece of simplicity and clarity! It tells of the events of a life of inner depth and spiritual passion in the service of the Divine Truth.

—Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, author, Loving the Church

The Transforming Power of Faith

• Author: Pope Benedict XVI
• Publisher: Ignatius
• Publication Date: 2013
• Pages: 112

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

“Having faith in the Lord is not something that involves solely our intelligence, the area of intellectual knowledge; rather, it is a change that involves our life, our whole self: feelings, heart, intelligence, will, corporeity, emotions, and human relationships. With faith everything truly changes.”

So Pope Benedict XVI introduced his catechesis for the Year of Faith, a series of 16 talks given at his weekly audience from October 2012 to the end of his papacy in February 2013. This volume collects these talks as they explore how and why faith is relevant in the contemporary world. Offering the guidance of biblical exegesis, pastoral exhortation, and brotherly encouragement, Pope Benedict XVI seeks to answer questions of faith that arise in twenty-first century culture.

Values in a Time of Upheaval

• Author: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
• Publisher: Ignatius
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 175

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

In the worldwide best-seller Values in a Time of Upheaval, Joseph Ratzinger passionately defends the role traditional Judeo-Christian values play in a pluralistic society and a multicultural world. He examines such crucial contemporary issues as the moral foundations of a free society, the role of spiritual values in promoting human rights, current challenges to Western culture, and the place of faith and love of God in finding true peace. Joseph Ratzinger proposes a balance of faith and reason that avoids the extremes of fundamentalist theocracies and secular, relativist states.

Topics include:

• Politics and morality
• Peace
• The meaning of history
• Truth in a pluralistic world
• The moral basis of democratic states
• Relativism
• Human dignity
• The Christian basis for hope
• Bioethics
• Freedom
• Human rights and responsibilities
• Marriage and family
• Tradition and progress

About Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI

Joseph Ratzinger took the name Benedict XVI upon becoming pope in 2005. He retired from the papacy in 2013 and is now referred to as pope emeritus.

Joseph Ratzinger was ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1951, and earned his PhD in theology in 1953 from University of Munich. He began teaching theology at the University of Bonn in 1959. At age 35, Ratzinger was appointed chief theological advisor for the archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joseph Frings, for four years. After many years of teaching at several German universities, Ratzinger was appointed archbishop of Munich and Freising in March 1977, and was elevated to cardinal in June 1977. In 1981, Ratzinger was named prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, president of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and president of the International Theological Commission. On April 19, 2005, Joseph Ratzinger was elected to be the 265th pope.

Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, is one of the most revered Catholic prelates, scholars, theologians, teachers, and authors of our time. He has spoken on many crucial subjects, including sexual consumerism, roles of men and women today, marriage, the priesthood, and the future of the world. Some of his works include Jesus of Nazareth, Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today, and What It Means to Be a Christian.