The Unity of the Nations (CUA Press)

I'm a sucker for anything that Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) has written. I don't own all of his books, but I am slowly getting there. And while, I haven't read half of what I own and understand less than that, I find myself fascinated every time I read his words. The man was truly brilliant, and it's a shame more Catholics, more of the world didn't realize that while he was still pope. Recently, I read The Unity of the Nations, which is an early work of Ratzinger's. Though it was only three chapters and 120 pages, it read like it was much thicker. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just letting you know it is dense, and if you are not familiar with the topic, you will find yourself re-reading the pages like I did.

The first chapter serves as background material as it relates to the question of where Early Christianity fits into the political world. In order to answer that question, Ratzinger looked at three components - 1. Biblical faith, 2. heritage of Antiquity, and 3. "the debate with so-called gnosis and its reception of the Christian message. According to Antiquity all the people were connected to each other, because they were part of Zeus' body. Augustus put great stock in the pantheon of gods and this came into direct opposition when Jesus was born, because Jesus was The Prince of Peace, a title which Augustus also claimed. Christianity and Gnosticism also came into direct contact with each other and were diametrically opposed to each other. However, some people, like Celsus, tried to lump them together.

In the final two chapters, Ratzinger calls on two Church Fathers, Origen and Augustine, to show the place of the Early Church in the political world. I found Origen's chapter absolutely fascinating, but I have always had an appreciation for him, and that is in part because I believe he didn't get a fair shake in Church History. In his chapter we learn that Origen mainly did battle with Celsus and Celsus' misunderstandings of Christianity. Oddly enough, Celsus defended Judaism but couldn't recognize that Christianity was the fulfillment of Judaism. We also learn that Origen identified the angels that ruled over the kings and kingdoms of the earth as fallen angels or demons. That is why Satan was so easily able to offer Jesus control of the whole world if Jesus would simply kneel before Satan. Very interesting!

This book was not an easy read, but it was an eye-opening one. The main message I believe (and someone correct me if I am wrong) is one we should already know. Christians are to be in the world, but not of the world. We may be Americans, Europeans, whatever, but that does not firstly define us. What firstly defines us is that we are Christians. Our home is Heaven, and our political loyalty is to  God and not some secular ruler. That's not to say that we neglect our duties on earth, but we should not let them shape us or give them priority over our heavenly duties. Our heavenly duties are to love and serve the Lord and bring all people to Him. Lastly, it is the Church, not any poltical entity down here where we can only ever find true unity of all mankind. So if you are a Ratzinger fan, like me, and want to read a book that "showcases the development of Ratzinger's theology," then this is the book for you.

This book was provided to me for free by Catholic University of America Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Early Syriac Theology (CUA Press)

When we think of the Church, we think of the Roman West and Greek East. While this is the majority of the Church, it also overlooks an important branch - the Syriac. In the recent book, Early Syriac Theology, Chorbishop Seely Joseph Beggiani draws on the words and writings of St. Ephrem the Syrian and Jacob of Serugh to explain a number of theological topics through the lens of Syriac Christianity. There are twelve chapters/topics total including Mary, The Church, Incarnation, and Revelation to name a few. To give you an idea of the Syriac viewpoint, I will be providing some small quotes from different chapters.

When looking at the Creation story, St. Ephrem the Syrian and Jacob of Serugh both speak about man being made in the Image of God. When speaking of this theological concept, they discuss the idea of Jesus' human form being created first. Therefore, Adam was created as Jesus was going to appear on this earth. The book goes on to say that "Jacob of Serugh concludes that humanity was created originally as a kind of double image - as an image of the Son, who is the image of the Father, but also as an image of the Son made man." In regards to sin, the Syriac Fathers don't seem to dwell on original sin. Instead, they say sin is a result of error and darkness. "It consists ultimately in a distortion of the image of God that human beings are, and in a loss of the harmony between the heavens and the earth."

The chapter on Redemption is pretty deep and awesome to read. In this chapter, Jesus is compared to the Passover lamb. No, this isn't groundbreaking, but the way it is spelled out makes you pause and think. "He is the lamb who is also the priest." That means Jesus offered himself as a self-sacrifice. No priest is able to accept Him as a sacrifice though, so he must be the one who is sacrificed (the lamb) and the one to accept the sacrifice (the priest). This chapter also develops on the theme of the Cross as both reconciling Heaven and Earth and as a Bridge. St. Ephrem builds upon the idea of Jesus being the son of a carpenter (Joseph), and Jesus using the Cross to build a bridge over Sheol. You might recognize the image from Protestant tracts, but the idea has been around longer than any Protestant denomination.

Reading through this book, one gains a basic understanding of Syriac theology. In it we see an emphasis on allegory and hidden meanings of Scriptural texts. The book also touches on the Maronite Church;s liturgical tradition and demonstrates how both St. Ephrem the Syrian and Jacob of Serugh influenced it. With the little amount of Syriac texts available in the English language, this is truly a one of a kind book. If you would like to learn more about this subject, then I can recommend no better place to start than this book.

This book was provided to me for free by Catholic University of America Press. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

A Reason Open to God and The Garden of God (CUA Press)

Education is something dear to my heart. Though I am not a formal teacher, I take pride in educating others. Whether it is Monday through Friday on the job site, Sunday morning catechesis, or instructing my son daily, I love to help others learn and learn as well. Our previous pope, Benedict XVI, also had a lifelong love of learning and education. This can be seen in his book A Reason Open to God, which is a collection of essays, speeches, homilies, etc. he gave on the subject of education. Sections in this book include: The Problem and the Urgent Task Ahead, Faith and Reason; Freedom and Truth; Education and Love; Pedagogy and Learning; The Church - Education in Faith and Community; Culture and University; Science, Technology, and Theology, and Caritas and Mission.

I particularly enjoyed the section entitled "The Church - Education in Faith and Community," which was actually the longest section in the book. In one 2011 address, Pope Benedict quotes Vatican II by saying that, "Christian education has as its principal purpose this goal: that the baptized, while they are gradually introduced the knowledge of the mystery of salvation, become ever more aware of the gift of the Faith they have received,...and be conformed in their personal lives according to the new man created in justice and holiness of truth." This seems like a deep statement to ponder, but put simply he is telling us that we must continue to learn and grow in the Faith and not stop once we have received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. Also in this section, Pope Benedict reminds parents that they are the first people responsible for teaching their children the Faith. That seems like a no-brainer, but as someone who has been a catechist for several years, it seems that more and more parents are calling on the Church to be the first, if not only, responsible party for teaching the Faith. The Church is most certainly there to assist in the matter, but parents and family have to put in the time as well.

This book will come off as intimidating to some people due to size (300+ pages) and subject matter. However, there is something in this book for all Catholics. Whether you are a priest, professor, teacher, catechist, parent, or just a lover of education, you will find something that will benefit and edify you in this book. The editor of this book did a masterful job gathering, compiling, and sorting each of these talks. He didn't shy away from anything Pope Benedict said either, as he also included the infamous Regensburg lecture. For those who don't remember or know, this was where Pope Benedict described Islam as violent and inhumane. My only complaint with the volume is that the index didn't have a list of every speech organized by date, in case one wanted to easily reference a particular speech. This complaint aside, this is a 5-star book and one that belongs on the desk of every priest and teacher.

The Garden of God resembles A Reason Open to God in presentation and format. It is another collection of addresses, speeches, homilies, etc. from Pope Benedict XVI, which Catholic University of America Press (CUA Press) has released. I'm not sure why, but I actually expected it to be a book he wrote and not a compilation of his words, so there was initial disappointment. However, that disappointment quickly dissipated when I started reading the book. The book is divided into three parts - Creation and Nature; The Environment, Science, and Technology; and Hunger, Poverty, and the Earth's Resources. CUA Press improved the Table of Contents (TOC), compared to the TOC of A Reason Open to God, by listing each address' title. This makes for easier navigation should you have a talk that you want to reference or read again.

Pope Benedict discusses many facets of ecology (like alternative energy), specific places (like the Amazon River or the Arctic) and events in history (like Chernobyl). I had a hard time picking a favorite section or address in this book. A lot of them spoke to me in different ways. In one homily, Pope Benedict discusses God as a "Creator Spirit." He says that "we cannot use and abuse the world and matter merely as material for our actions and desires; that we must consider creation as a gift that has not been given to us to be destroyed, but to become God's garden." In a 2010 message for the World Celebration of Peace, he references his encyclical Caritas in Veritate, he explains that, "The environment must be seen as God's gift to all people, and the use we make of it entails a shared responsibility for all humanity, especially the poor and future generations. The last bit I will share with you is too long to quote, but in it he says that Creation as a whole is not more important than humanity. However, that does not give us the right to use it as our dumpster and prevent future generations from reaping its benefits as well. I could list countless other quotes and information I gleaned from this book, but there is not enough room.

We are very blessed to have had Pope Benedict XVI leading our Church between the likes of other great popes, Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. One can tell from reading this book that Pope Benedict had a great interest in ecology, and more specifically human ecology. In fact, he was sometimes referred to as the "Green Pope." What is truly remarkable is that Benedict reigned during the same time as Ecumenical Bartholomew I, the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the "Green Patriarch." If ecology or environmentalism is an interest of yours, I recommend Pope Benedict's The Garden of God and Patriarch Bartholomew's books Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration and On Earth as in Heaven.

These books were provided to me for free by Catholic University of America Press. If you found these reviews helpful, click here and/or here and hit Yes!

Dark Passages of the Bible (CUA Press)

Dark Passages of the Bible begins by asking, "How can that be in the Bible?" This question, asked by many atheists, agnostics, and even some Christians, forms a brief introduction and starting point for this scholarly tome. We then dive into three problems in the Bible - 1. The Nature of God, 2. The Nature of Good and Evil, and 3. The Afterlife. Each problem or theme has ample Scripture passages that can be cited as evidence, and these passages read as troublesome for some. For example, regarding problem #2, "And that night the angel of the Lord went forth and slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the men arose early in the morning, behold these were all dead bodies (2 Kgs 19:35)."

When reading gruesome passages like these, people are often confused as to why God would condone such violence. Interpretation, which I will discuss in the next paragraph, is key here. We must read passages like this in their full context, both in Scripture and the time period. God's plan for man is slowly accomplished, sometimes in spite of man's resistance. God doesn't want man's death, but their salvation. Unfortunately, some pursue their own destruction so vehemently that God allows them to be destroyed so that extensive damage isn't done to the rest of the population. I'm sure I'm not explaining it as well as Dr. Ramage, so please read his book for better clarity.

Chapter Two, "Benedict's 'Method C' Proposal," was easily my favorite chapter. In this chapter, the reader receives an explanation on the two main methods for Biblical interpretation. Method A focuses on patristic-medieval exegesis. All Scripture is inspired by God and thus interpretation is viewed through the lens of faith. This is my preferred method of interpretation. Method B is better known as the historical-critical method. This method removes faith from interpretation and goes for cold, hard facts. Both have their merits, and both have their shortcomings. Pope Benedict's Method C draws upon the strength of both to create a fuller interpretation method. It seems so obvious, but it takes someone with a great mind to execute it. The rest of this book demonstrates how Method C exegesis would work, specifically as it relates to the Nature of God, the Nature of Good and Evil, and the Afterlife.

People often speak of the genius of Pope John Paul II and his Theology of the Body. I personally hope and pray it won't be long before more people realize the genius of Pope Benedict XVI.. Dark Passages of the Bible definitely serves as a demonstration of his brilliance. This scholarly tome is not for the casual reader, but for serious students of the Bible and biblical interpretation. However, to understand Pope Benedict's Method C, this book, and ultimately the Bible, you must be in communion with the Church, as it is "the primary setting for scriptural interpretation." And while this book is not an easy read, it is definitely a rewarding one. So if you fall into the category of serious Bible student, you will want a copy of this 5-star book.

This book was provided to me for free by Catholic University of America Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here! For an interview with Dr. Ramage, please click here. And for some interesting articles by Dr. Ramage, click here.

CUA Press: A Service of Love

Welcome back to Stuart's Study! I am very excited to announce that Catholic University of America Press has agreed to let me review one of their books. Those of you who love the Church Fathers should be very familiar with their Fathers of the Church series. It was this series, which I first discovered at Auburn University's Library, that kept calling my name as I made my first few tentative steps on my journey to Catholicism. While I only own a few books in this impressive collection, I have a goal to one day own them all. Today, I will be reviewing A Service of Love, which I hope will be the first of many reviews for this wonderful publisher!

Ecumenism, or perhaps one day even reunion, between the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church has long been hindered by a few sticky subjects in high theology. These issues serve as points of disagreement and contention between people on both sides. Some of the major issues that plague these two groups include the primacy and infallibility of the pope and the Filioque as it relates to Trinitarian procession. Rev. Msgr. Paul McPartlan, a professor of Systematic Theology and Ecumenism at the Catholic University of America, addresses some of these issues in his work A Service of Love.

With fewer than 100 pages and only three chapters in this book, one might infer that this is a quick read. Don't be fooled by the relatively small size, though. Rev. Msgr. McPartlan packs these pages with depth and insight. Throughout this book, we are shown the contrast between primacy and collegiality through the millennia. For example, Pope Innocent III was the first to use the papal title "Vicar of Christ." Before him, all other popes used the title "Vicar of Peter." The book also states that Pope Innocent III believed that all bishops were "the members of the body of which he was the head." This contrast of primacy and collegiality led to the issue of jurisdiction. Cardinal Ratzinger offered a possible solution to the issue of primacy; he suggested the use of papal titles from the patristic era, such as, "first in honor."

To me, the most fascinating section in this book was the discussion of the Council of Vatican I. The only thing people really remember about that council was that papal infallibility was established/defined at that time. However, since Vatican I was cut short for political reasons, the bishops never had a chance to read and debate Tametsi Deus, which dealt more fully with bishops and the Church at large and was supposed to complement Pastor Aeternus, the document that dealt with the primacy and infallibility of the Pope.

This is a superb book, which is easily worth 5 stars. I consider myself of average to above average knowledge with regard to the subjects of papacy, primacy, and ecumenism, but I learned a great deal from this little tome. What I most appreciated about this book was that it didn't just present problems. It also offered possible solutions. We must come to accept and embrace that the primary ministry of the Bishop of Rome is "a service to the Eucharist, and to the ecclesial communion that flows from it." If you would like to better understand the subjects in the above paragraphs, this is the book for you. In fact, I would recommend it to Catholics and Orthodox alike. May the Eucharist unite what has been separated, and may there be unity of East and West in our day.

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