I was given an impossible task for the BBC News Website: to summarise the theology of Pope Benedict in 150 words; and to complete this impossible task in one hour! This is the way journalists work – brevity; deadlines; “I’d like this by yesterday please!”
Of course I failed. I took 90 minutes, and I couldn’t get it below 263 words. And all I’m aware of is how much I have failed to say…
So I’m not claiming it’s a success; but see if you can do better in the comments box.
The key to Pope Benedict’s theology is the idea of ‘connection’ or ‘continuity’.
How do you preserve the fundamental connections between faith and reason, between the past and the present, between the human and the divine? How do you avoid a rupture that would betray the Christian vision and impoverish everyday life?
His first encyclical letter surprised everyone by being a meditation on love. The joy of human love (‘eros’ or erotic love) leads us to a deeper, sacrificial love (‘agape’), that finds its true fulfilment in the love of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The human and the divine connect; they are not in opposition.
The worship of the Church, whatever new forms it takes, needs to connect with its two thousand year history. The moral values of the Church, even if they are expressed in new ways, need to be rooted in the wisdom of the Bible and the Christian tradition. And Catholic teaching, which is always developing, should never betray the sure faith that has been handed down through the centuries.
He believed in renewal and reform, but always in continuity with the past.
He called on Catholics to deepen their faith, through studying the Catechism. He encouraged the secularised West not to become trapped in a ‘dictatorship of relativism’ – where everything is allowed but nothing has any meaning.
For Pope Benedict, Christianity is a revealed religion, not something we create for ourselves. It surprises and startles us. No wonder that his last published work was about discovering the face of God in Jesus Christ, the child of Bethlehem.
You can read this in context here, which is a longer piece called “Viewpoints: Successes and failures of Benedict XVI”. (I probably don’t need to say that I don’t necessarily agree with all the other views expressed in this piece!)
I read your piece on the BBC website. It was a good article and gave balance to the article as a whole without, I think, seeming defensive.
I think we will only begin to fully appreciate Pope Benedict XVI when he is no longer occupying the See of Peter. He will be seen (even more) as a very wise and learned man and his writings will be more closely studied.
Your 263 words reduced to 156!
Benedict’s theology seeks ‘connection’ or ‘continuity’, preserving connections between faith and reason, past and present, human and divine, avoiding a rupture that would betray the Christian vision.
His first encyclical letter was surprisingly a meditation on love. The joy of human love leads us to a sacrificial love fulfilled in Jesus’ love on the Cross. Human and Divine connect; they are not opposed.
The Church’s worship must connect with its history. Its moral values must be rooted in the Bible and Christian tradition’s wisdon. Catholic teaching, which always develops, should never betray the faith handed down.
He believed in renewal and reform, but always in continuity with the past.
He wanted Catholics to deepen their faith through the Catechism. He encouraged the West not to become trapped in a ‘dictatorship of relativism’.
His Christianity is revealed, not something we create, surprising and startling: so his last book was about discovering God in the child of Bethlehem.
Thanks Tony – you are a good editor!
I’ll be arrogant enough to try!
At the heart of Benedict’s mission is to convey the essential point of Christianity. This is not a dusty theology this is an encounter with the risen Lord. Of course this begs the question, where do you have an encounter with Christ? In his own words:-
“is not a new philosophy or a new form of morality. We are only Christians if we encounter Christ, even if He does not reveal Himself to us as clearly and irresistibly as he did to Paul in making him the Apostle of the Gentiles. We can also encounter Christ in reading Holy Scripture, in prayer, and in the liturgical life of the Church – touch Christ’s heart and feel that Christ touches ours. And it is only in this personal relationship with Christ, in this meeting with the Risen One, that we are truly Christian.”
I am not a theologian but my understanding was the he wants to render aside the obstacles that prevent this encounter. This isn’t popular with people who think of the Church in more human terms. Some people, think the Church is a social club. They’ve got that wrong. Benedict wanted us to remember who we are. The secular west has forgotten or marginalised this important truth about ourselves. We can encounter God. Benedict took the patron Saint of Europe as his name. He wanted to wake the West.
Thanks Jake – I like this idea of encounter being the key
That was beautiful