Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI

"Leading men and women to God, to the God who speaks in the Bible: this is the supreme and fundamental priority of the Church and of the Successor of Peter at the present time."-- Pope Benedict XVI "A superb introduction to the way in which the theology of Pope Benedict XVI has been shaped by the Bible. Scott Hahn's crisp and clear analysis puts the reader at the very center of this remarkable pope's thought."-- Gary Anderson , University of Notre Dame "The increasingly painful bankruptcy of the historical-critical method in our time has created a vacuum precisely at the point where the living Church requires substantial nurture. Pope Benedict XVI has spoken into this crisis like no one else, and his best expositor, Scott Hahn, has done us a tremendous service by synthesizing Benedict's erudite and prayerful biblical theology into a lively, readable, and intellectually reliable conspectus. This excellent volume will be indispensable for all Christians who seek to be more maturely grounded in Scripture."-- David Lyle Jeffrey , Baylor University "A lucidly written and trenchant study of the biblical theology of Joseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict. Hahn shows how one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century gently but firmly corrected the historical critics who dominate much of contemporary academic Scripture study. Hahn further demonstrates how, in making this correction, Ratzinger / Benedict allowed for the recovery of much of the richness of patristic biblical interpretation. This is a beautiful and thought-provoking text, one that will prove helpful to any serious student of the sacred page."-- Robert Barron , Mundelein Seminary, University of St. Mary of the Lake "In the growing body of literature on the theology of Benedict XVI, there is a conspicuously missing theme: the consciously biblical character of the pontiff's theology. Hahn places Ratzinger / Benedict's concern for theology as a scriptural--and hence a liturgical--activity center stage with the verve and clarity we have come to expect from him. Hahn uses his encyclopedic knowledge of Ratzinger / Benedict's corpus to tease out many threads, weaving them into a compelling account of the new hermeneutic at the heart of Benedict's vision. Not only students of the pope but also all of us who desire the revitalization of theology and exegesis should welcome the passion and insight that Hahn has brought to bear on his subject."-- Lewis Ayres , Durham University