Tracey Rowland

Series: (Guides for the Perplexed)
DescriptionDetailsCustomer Reviews This title presents an upper-level introduction to the thought and theology of Pope Benedict XVI. This Guide provides students of theology with a guide around the theoretical axes upon which the theology of Joseph Ratzinger revolves. It begins with a presentation of the key ideas in the works of his intellectual antecedents and contemporary interlocutors and then moves to an account of Ratzinger's responses to a number of theological crises. The work then moves to an account of Ratzinger's understanding of Christianity as an encounter with the Person of Christ and his placement of Christianity within the context of world religions in general. This theme is spread throughout his publications and recurs in the first encyclical of his papacy, Deus Caritas Est. This first encyclical will be treated in depth along with the second and third encyclicals which form a trilogy on the theological virtues (love, hope and faith). The work concludes with an assessment of the primacy of the transcendental of beauty in the theology of Ratzinger, his affinity with Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Augustinian motif of the relationship between love and reason. "Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.… (altro)

The idea that we are formed by much more than catechesis and explicit faith "education" is very important to me, so the word "culture" in the title of this one caught my attention. Her theological authorities are Alisdair MacIntyre, John Milbank, and David Schindler. Her thesis is that the Council's discussions of the relationship of faith and culture occurred in the absence of a clear understanding of just what was meant by culture within the thomistic tradition, and that after the Council this gap was filled in by those quite sanguine regarding the ability of modernity and Christian faith to co-exist. Rowland is somewhat less sanguine! Well worth reading.… (altro)

This short well written, work seeks to outline thematically the theology of the curent pontif, showing both its development and its relationship to the theological debates of the past century, especially around the Second Vatican Council. It does a pretty good job of that, though the subject being so large, and the book so relatively short, questions remained unanswered.

One weakness, as I see it, is Rowlands tendencay to move into 'apologia' - it is sometimes more a defense than an outline. Where there is a difference of opinion between the theologian Ratzinger and other theologians they are either presented as having the less satisfactory position, or, where it is a theologian normally in sympathy with Ratzinger, points on which they differ are at times simply passed over in silence (I think of von Balthasar on the possibility of universal salvation as one example of this)

One could question whether it is legitimate to use the magesterail statemets of Ratzinger as head of the CDF when outlineing his theology, though to be air Rowland tends only to bring such things in as corroborative evidence, and focusses mainly on his academic work.

This of course leads to the question of the magesterial status of the theological writings of one who later becomes pope. Something obviously beyondthe scope of the book but when such an erudite and at times controversial theologian becomes pontif lines can be blorred. Interstingly Pope Benedict himself has made the distinction between his theological works and his magesterial ones (in 'Jesus of Nazareth')… (altro)