Dag Tessore
An
Introduction to Ratzinger: The Ethical, Political, Religious Positions of Benedict XVI
Original in Italian.
Preface of Bartholomew I, Patriarch of Constantinople.
After
Ratzinger having become pope, many people have forgotten the role he had for
many years as Cardinal and theologian. His books, articles, decrees,
interviews, before papacy, are of extreme interest and also of great importance
in order to understand his politics and thought as pope, as well as the
post-Ratzinger Church situation. So this small book, easy to handle and easy to
read, but very packed with contents, is an exposition of Cardinal Ratzinger's
thought on all the issues that public opinion is interested in (his
"conservative" conception of the Church, his political ideas on
European Union, United States and Turkey, the question about the Mass in Latin,
the condemnation of homosexuality and feminism, the problems of contraceptives,
the papal primacy, the relation with the other Christian Churches and the other
religions, the fight against secularization and "laicism's
dictatorship", etc.), but all this through his own words, accurately
quoted from his books, his interviews and from the numerous other documents of
his cardinalate.
In
this way the reader will have at his disposal a "handbook", easy to
consult because of its being arranged in order of themes, so that he will be
able to know, in every situation, "what was Cardinal Ratzinger's true position regarding...".
A
Preface written by the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I
gives to this book an important ecumenical character.
INDEX
OF CHAPTERS
1. What the
Church is
2. The
courage of opposing3. Possessing the Truth
4. Bible and Tradition
5. The role of the Pope
6. Second Vatican Council and theologians’ ascent
7. Man’s existential restlessness and the choice of faith
8. Jesus Christ’s uniqueness and non-Christian religions
9. Oriental religions
10. Globalization
11. Islam and Judaism
12. Ecumenical dialogue
13. Liturgical reform
14. The use of Latin in the Church
15. Art and music
16. Science, technology, ecology
17. Biotechnologies and abortion
18. Sexual morality
19. Family, divorce, celibacy
20. Women
21. Women’s priesthood
22. Homosexuality
23. Democracy and it’s contradictions
24. The antireligious ideology of European Union
25. Secularization, Satanism, magics
26. Europe today and it’s aims
27. Turkey, Africa, United States
28. The Theology of Liberation and the new challenges for the Church
29. Joseph Ratzinger: the man and the pope
- Preface of Bartholomew I, Patriarch of Constantinople
- Bibliography of all the works of J. Ratzinger that have been used in this book
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