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| Jesus of Nazareth | 
 enlarge | Author: Pope Benedict Xvi
Publisher: Doubleday
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $7.74
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (153 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2494
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 1.1
ISBN: 0385523416
Dewey Decimal Number: 232.901
EAN: 9780385523417
ASIN: 0385523416
Publication Date: May 15, 2007
Release Date: May 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A luminous book, elegant in its simplicity May 8, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Folks, I finally finished reading Jesus of Nazareth, by Pope Benedict XVI. I am not qualified to judge the substance of it because I recognized the mastery that Ratzinger the Theologian had over the subject matter. As a theology student myself, who likes to challenge my teachers to see things in new ways, would have found it very difficult to do so had the Pope been my teacher.
Ratzinger the Teacher and Theologian come through in this book. His style is very conversational and his method elegant in its simplicity. First, the Pope talked about three or four parallel ideas and he developed them at length to the point I had to ask "where is he going with this"? Then, suddenly, he would bring a new thought that unified all parallel tracks and in the process, brought new light to the subject matter.
Pope Benedict didn't discriminate against any scholar who had something to contribute, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish, liberal or conservative. If that scholar had achieved a unique insight that the Pope thought was true and valuable, he brought it to bear. The final product was not obfuscated, but clarity itself.
Jesus of Nazareth is a thoroughly biblical book. It breathes and lives the Holy Scriptures. The Pope took the Bible seriously as the principal source of Christology - of information about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and the appraisal given to him by his disciples, his contemporaries, and other scholars. From the Pope's analysis arises afresh the historical figure of Jesus as Son of God, Son of Man and mighty "I am," in all its originality.
The Pope's work proves that theologians can avail themselves of every tool provided by modern biblical criticism, as well as all the insights provided by the Church Fathers, and still yield a Christology that is orthodox, concrete, unique, saving and life-giving.
Jesus of Nazareth is a work that actualizes the apostolic kerygma or proclamation regarding the words and deeds of the Savior. The Pope succeeded in telling us that Jesus' message and example are intelligible for us living in this day and age.
I think you should seriously consider adding this work to your personal library. With it, you will learn to theologize with the Pope as your teacher.
 Very Academic April 29, 2008
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book addressed the subject in an academic manner. There were references to other lofty thinkers, whose works I am not familiar with. It is just not an easy read, nor is it "light" reading. In many instances, the revelations were not significant enough to me to make me continue on. A good book on this subject matter is Harrington's "History of Jesus". Easier to read and a good companion to this book.
 umm April 23, 2008
1 out of 102 found this review helpful
Nazareth was not around in the time frame that Jesus supposedly existed, therefore this book's title and everything in it is null and void.
Readable, yet profound April 13, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
It took me several months to read this book so at least for me it was not a quick read. However just like you don't gulp don't filet mignon, this book is substantial and thought provoking that should not be breezed through but meditated on. Pope Benedict writes in almost a conversational style that is easily digestible (sorry about all the references about eating!). The Pope's argument that the gospels are the most plausible presentation of the historical Jesus, provides an effective counter to all the recent Gnostic writing (e.g. DaVanci Code) and the theologians that have gone off the deep end with an extreme historical-critical view (e.g. Jesus Seminar).
Profound and Thought-provoking April 6, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
As a main-stream Protestant I approached this book with trepidation; I was amazed by the depth of scholarship and intellect readily on display. Pope Benedict's deep analysis of Biblical passages and ready command of literary sources is only rivalled by his clear prose and caring approach. I have purchased multiple copies for my friends; I recommend this book as 'required reading' for all Christians and virtually everyone else who has ever wondered about the central figure of Christianity.
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