Gospel, Catechesis, Catechism: Sidelights on the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Product Description
Ratzinger, one of the key persons responsible for the compilation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, offers new insights on the catechetical character and Biblical foundation of the worldwide bestselling Catechism that has had such a positive response from ordinary Catholics across the globe. But he acknowledges that the response of many theologians and “professional religionists” has been negative toward the Catechism.
He says that if theologians don’t want to be “shut out” of this worldwide development of sensus fidei and lose touch with the common Catholic, they will have to engage the Catechism positively. The main purpose of this book is to offer an invitation to this changed approach to the Catechism. He wants people to see, as he shows here, how the Catechism is an excellent teaching tool that responds to man’s deepest questions about the meaning of life, how to live a good life, and how to attain happiness in this life and in eternal life. He shows how the Catechism affirms that man’s happiness is love, and that the essence of true love has been manifested in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German
- Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism of Catholic Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism of Catholic Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: A Compendium of Texts Referred to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Cardinal Ratzinger has produced a small and worthwhile book consisting of short lectures and articles presenting his insight into the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In the preface, he notes with satisfaction that the Catechism has been enthusiastically adopted by the Christian public although some establishment academics hold it askance. In this book, he assists those eager to embrace the Catechism with his accessible commentary on various aspects of the Catechism. In my view, the most significant chapter deals with the “biblical realism” of the Catechism which treats the Jesus of the Gospels as the real Jesus, in contrast to the absurd reconstructions of idle professors who peddle their fictions as the so-called “historical Jesus.” He also has a chapter on the relation of Judaism and Christianity which is in welcome contrast to the recent defective and mediocre reflection on the issue by a group associated with the U.S. Bishops’ conference. We are fortunate to have the quality work of a distinguished theologian like Cardinal Ratzinger when we are deluged by so much mediocrity from academia.