JOSEPH RATZINGER

A grandeza intelectual de Ratzinger ultrapassa as barreiras confessionais. Ratzinger é um desses homens de saúde frágil que vivem muitos anos. Pelo que se nota, ele retira força e motivo para viver de sua fé. Neste artigo, no primeiro capítulo, o autor faz uma síntese sobre a carreira eclesiástica e acadêmica de Joseph Ratzinger; no segundo capítulo, aborda sobre Ratzinger e o Concílio Vaticano II (1962–1965), no qual o teólogo alemão foi nomeado, por Paulo VI (1897–1978), teólogo oficial ou peritus; no terceiro capítulo, explica-se uma síntese de Ratzinger como teólogo antes do Papado; no quarto capítulo, uma síntese de Ratzinger como teólogo depois do Papado. Por fim, no quinto capítulo, são citados alguns temas de interesse da pesquisa de Ratzinger. Nestas reflexões, chama a atenção o estilo da comunicação de Ratzinger: é um escritor erudito, que fala diretamente com os seus leitores, descendo ao “nível” de cada um e respondendo as suas dúvidas. Quem lê os textos de Ratzinger, em seus mais de cinquenta anos como escritor, percebe que ele permaneceu o mesmo – um homem acessível que manteve-se no caminho da fé e na direção do próximo.

On the one hand, Ratzinger has advanced the conversation of virtually every theological discipline throughout his decades of teaching and writing.While his ideas have been received in different ways and at times controversially, it would be intellectually dishonest to ignore them, and we hope that this Companion will occupy an important place in the process of reception of a profound and incisive voice in contemporary theology.Based on this premise, this volume will cover the main areas of the author's thought.Each contributor provides an overview of Ratzinger's writings on a speciûc topic and the context in which his ideas developed.
On the other hand, Ratzinger also offers distinct insights, based on a thorough engagement with history, in search of new ways to make Christian thought intelligible in today's intellectual and cultural climate.He did not seek to construct a systematic theology but to engage with contemporary questions to God's revelation in Jesus Christ.Not unlike the Church Fathers whose writings he studied throughout his long career, especially Augustine of Hippo, Ratzinger confronted theological and philosophical problems that presented themselves in the concrete situations the Church was facing.Characteristically, he elaborated his ideas by considering differing sides in the argument, in search of a synthesisan approach that we expect to be reûected in the different contributions to this volume.Thus, each chapter draws attention to the elements of synthesis that can be found in his writings and to perspectives for further research on the respective topics.
Some thinkers mark history and change our lives, whether we think of them or not.For instance, Western philosophy was decisively shaped by Aristotle: the commonly accepted concepts of truth, logic, and ethics have become part of our patrimony.Similarly, the English language today would not be the same without Shakespeare.Many words and sayings from his plays have entered everyday speech and we use them whether or not we are conscious of their origin.In a similar way, Ratzinger has shaped Catholic theology both during his long career as a theologian and during his ministry as bishop and pope.His contribution goes beyond his lucid and engaging ideas about God and the world; his legacy resides in the very categories with which to think about God today.As with Augustine and Thomas Aquinas in their time, so Ratzinger contributes to the architecture of theology in the twentyûrst century: not only what we see in the house when we walk in (its colors, furniture, decoration) but the foundations that sustain that house.Or, to use another analogy, Ratzinger has provided necessary principles of the grammar with which we can think about God in today's world.

editorial considerations
Most of Ratzinger's contributions were written for a particular occasion and published in different places.This responds to the demands of his ecclesial ministry and shows, again like in the case of his master Augustine, the fruitful engagement of a theological mind with the real problems and questions of his time.The publication of his collected writings in German began in 2008 and is nearing completion. 1 Regrettably, only the ûrst volume published in the series, Theology of the Liturgy, has been published in English so far.2In this Companion, Ratzinger's works are cited according to their published English translation, where available.When the German original is referenced, this is 1 Joseph Ratzinger Gesammelte Schriften, ed.Gerhard Ludwig Müller (Freiburg: Herder, 2008-); henceforth cited as JRGS.
usually done according to the edition of his collected writings.We consider it important to contextualize Ratzinger's writings, which stretch over a period of more than six decades.Hence, a particular contribution's date of ûrst publication is generally indicated in the footnotes, as a an aid to show continuity and change in the evolution of his thought. 3ocuments of the magisterium of the Catholic Church, including those of Benedict XVI, are easily accessible, in Latin and in various translations, on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va)hence they are listed only with title and date.

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Cambridge University Press & Assessment 978-1-009-12333-4 -The Cambridge Companion to Joseph Ratzinger Edited by Daniel Cardó , Uwe Michael Lang Frontmatter More Information www.cambridge.org© in this web service Cambridge University Press & Assessment
009-12333-4 -The Cambridge Companion to Joseph Ratzinger Edited by Daniel Cardó , Uwe Michael Lang Frontmatter More Information Other Titles in the Series american catholicism Edited by Margaret M. McGuinness and Thomas F.
Rzeznik american islam Edited by Juliane Hammer and Omid Saû american judaism Edited by Dana Evan Kaplan american methodism Edited by Jason E. Vickers american protestantism Edited by Jason E. Vickers and Jennifer Woodruff Tait ancient mediterranean religions Edited by Barbette Stanley Spaeth apocalyptic literature Edited by Colin McAllister apostolic fathers Edited by Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower augustine's city of god Edited by David Vincent Meconi augustine's "confessions" Edited by Tarmo Toom the council of nicaeca Edited by Young Richard Kim jonathan edwards Edited by Stephen J. Stein evangelical theology Edited by Timothy Larsen and Daniel J. Treier (continued after index)