The Nature and Mission of Theology:Approaches to Understanding its Role in Light of Present Contraversy is a 1995 book by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger who became Pope Benedict XVI. The Nature and Mission of Theology: Approaches to Understanding its Role in Light of Present Contraversy is 130 pages long and will only apply to Catholics. This is one of Ratzinger’s 61 books. With its narrow focus will you read
Summary of The Nature and Misson of Theology
As Cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger wrote The Nature and Misson of Theology: Approaches to Understanding its Role in Light of the Present Contraversy because of the debate going on today concerning theology and the need to clarify of its methods. Theology’s mission and its limits which Ratzinger thinks has become urgent.
Ratzinger states, “To do theology-as the Magisterium understands theology-it is not sufficient merely to calculate how much religion can reasonably be expected of man and to utilize bits and pieces of the Christian tradition accordingly. Theology is born when the arbitrary judgment of reason encounters a limit, in that we discover something which we have not excogitated ourselves but which has been revealed to us. For this reason, not every religious theory has the right to label itself as Christian or Catholic theology simply because it wishes to do so; whoever would lay claim to this title is obligated to accept as meaningful the prior given which goes along with it.”
Despite its beveity, this is a dense book that is about a narrow topic. However the first two chapters of the book, “The Unity of Philosophy and Theology in Early Christianity,” and ” From Distinction to Opposition,” are very instructive for those Catholics seeking to deepen their faith.
About Pope Benedict
Pope Benedict 16 was born Joseph Ratzinger on 16 April, 16 1927. He was the 265th Pope. Ratzinger was elected on Pope on April, 19 2005. On February 11, 2013, Pope Benedict announced his resignation in a speech in Latin before the cardinals, citing a “lack of strength of mind and body.” Ratzinger. was the first Pope to announce his retirement since Pope Gregory XII in 1415.
Ratzinger was succeeded by Pope Francis on 13 March 2013, and lived in retirement in Castle Goldofo, a papal resisdence. He continued to write. He wrote 61 books in his life. He died on December, 31 3022. He will almost certainly become a doctor of the church and he may even become a
Pope Benedict is the founder and patron of the Ratzinger Foundation, a charitable organisation, which makes money from the sale of his books and essays in order to fund scholarships and bursaries for students across the world.
What is Theology?
One tunderstanding of the term theology is “faith seeking understanding.” For Ratzinger, theology begins where the intellect of human beings but that is not sufficient. Theology is not meant for merely academic theologians, but for everyone.
As someone put it, a book like this is not a devotional manual. Joseph Ratzinger wrote a good deal, and some of his work can be more accessible than others, depending on what it is and the audience. In other words, scholarly and the man speaks philosophy like a philosopher.
Theology is a difficult topic to put one’s mind around but The Nature and Mission of Theology is helpful It is a helpful treatment of the topic which will be useful to Catholics. Particularly useful in the third part, “Applications.”
Conclusion
This book is written about what it is to be a theologian, but the preconditions for that are not a lot different than those required for other Catholics involved in the Church’s public sphere. This book is recommended for those who are willing to take their time with it.
