For a long time now, I have wanted to write a book. My dissertation, work, and other obligations have not made that feasible yet. However, the other night I decided to pick up one of my favorite fountain pens and start hand-writing an introduction. Below is the result of that free-thought writing by hand. Keep in mind, there are several other books already out about this topic/person. As good as they are, I've not been satisfied with their scope or organization, which is why I'd like to write my own version. Feel free to let me know your thoughts. Is this something that would be of interest?
The potential title would share that of a series of 8, 2-hour lectures I gave many years ago as well as a college course I taught thereafter: The Mind of the Pope: Benedict XVI on Major Topics. (The main issue is that most of the content would be on his writings before he was pope, and thus it would mostly need to use his birth name: Joseph Ratzinger. Begin book intro...
If I had to pick one theologian to read and cite for the rest of my life, it would be Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI. There are several reasons for this choice.
Firstly, I would want to be able to read about and discuss a variety of theological topics. Many theologians specialize in one area of specialization, such as Biblical Studies, Moral Theology, or Systematic Theology. Even within those specialties, they frequently focus on a few, relatively limited subspecialties. Biblical scholars usually focus on the Old or the New Testament and even more specifically, for example, on the Pentateuch or Wisdom Literature within the Old Testament, or the Synopic Gospels or Pauline Literature within the New Testament. Moral theologians will usually make their mark in one or two areas of expertise, such as Biomedical Ethics or Catholic Social Teaching. Systematic Theologians may work on a couple of subspecialties such as Christology and Ecclesiology (Theology of the Church), even if--by its nature--Systematics also tends to treat the relation between the various areas of doctrine. Very few theologians have demonstrated a high level of competence in all or several areas of specialization. Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI is one of the few that has written--and well!--on such a vast array of specialities and subspecialties. He has penned notable works on Biblical Exegesis, Fundamental Theology, Ethics, Christology, Ecclesiology, Sacramental Theology, Mariology, Social Teaching, Theology of Revelation, and more. Within the world of Theology, that is an extraordinarily broad list of specialties in which to have published influential works.
At the same time--and this is the second main reason that I would select (if necessary) Ratzinger/Benedict as my sole theologian--he has an adept ability to hold all of these subspecialties together and to show their inner-relation. He is skilled at revealing the patterns of the whole as well as he can elucidate the individual parts. The wisdom with which he sees and expresses the big picture adds to his and his readers' understanding of each component. In his collected works, the forest and the trees are both clearly visible.
The third reason that Ratzinger would be my theologian of choice is due to a kind of loophole in my hypothetical scenario: by reading Ratzinger, I get to read the countless thinkers he cites and discusses. He is thoroughly well-read to say the least. His familiarity with early Church Fathers (Patristics), Scholastics (especially Bonaventure), modern and contemporary thinkers of diverse backgrounds, and even literary, artistic, and musical figures is exceedingly impressive. Similar to the work of St. Thomas Aquinas, by reading Ratzinger, you get a good summary of a large number of other thinkers, precisely because he takes their contributions into consideration when offering his own.
The fourth reason is closely tied to the third: Ratzinger's theological method. The key to Ratzinger's brilliance may be precisely the fact that he does not rely solely--or even primarily--on his own brilliance. He did not develop a philosophy of his own through which he could view all theological topics like a polarized lens filters light; many theologians do, but not Ratzinger. Instead, Ratzinger takes in the breadth and depth of scriptural and theological history digging for insights the way a Paleontologist might search for bones; he examines data and searches for patterns in a manner akin to that of an astrophysicist observing carefully the information coming from the stars via high-powered telescopes. He searches for data, analyzes it, makes connections, and then writes a synthesis. In that sense, his theology is more inductive than deductive, more scientific than philosophical (even though he does discuss philosophy as well). His method, I believe, should be followed by more theologians. It is precisely his openness to the length, width, and depth of the sources of theology that enables him--almost ironically--to offer such well-defined, helpful insights on specific questions.
The fifth reason Ratzinger would be my choice is somewhat superficial but no less important: I immensely enjoy reading his work! It is very rare that I can read more than a paragraph of his work without underlining a salient point or writing an emphatic "yes!" in the margins. I find true delight in soaking in his thought. I find myself declaring "Amen!" to almost everything he writes. I feel at once intellectually enlightened and emotionally thrilled by his words. He makes me a better, wiser, more knowledgable theologian and--even more importantly--a better Catholic Christian. Part of my delight is related to reason number one given above. Not only does he write in a number of areas of thought, he writes in different literary genres: from academic articles to apostolic exhortations, from heavily researched and sourced books to meditative, spiritual reflections. He even wrote an autobiography that is my number one suggestion for anyone wanting to start reading him for the first time. That diversity of rhetorical styles and literary genres is itself notable, praiseworthy, and rare. He isn't just a head; he is also a heart. His ability to unite the two is part of his unique genius.
Finally, one of my very favorite things about this absolute theological master is his personal humility. He is, by constitution, humble and shy, despite his accomplishments and his notoriety. Despite what popular media has often portrayed (Netflix should be ASHAMED!), Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI is the farthest thing from a narrow-minded ideologue with a superiority complex. He is kind, patient, and receptive. He listens as much--if not more--than he speaks. That is why, when he does take a position, you can be assured that it was well-discerned. Most of his hierarchical roles were thrust upon him, not sought. He turned down a high-powered curial office before being forced to accept another. Thrice he asked Pope St. John Paul II to let him retire so he could write books and pray, but he was denied. Why? Because the beloved Pope St. John Paul II needed him and trusted him to carry out the difficult task of head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Ratzinger is no angry Rottweiler. He is a humble, prayerful servant of the truth. We can all learn from him, and it would be my honor to help others get to know him through a more accessible book than the wide corpus of literature he has produced. If my entire life's work in theology led to only 100 other people reading and soaking in his thought, my efforts would have been worth it. He is that good.
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