Böcker av Pope Benedict

In this richly illustrated volume, Pope Benedict examines the great Saints of the middle ages from St Odo, Abbot of Cluny, to St Peter Lombard the twelfth-century theologian. With the Holy Father as our expert guide, we delve into the great debates of scholastic and monastic theology meeting figures such as Hugh and Richard of Saint Victor, St Peter Damian and St Bernard of Clairvaux. An exploration of the theological meaning behind the Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral architecture of this time provides further depth. Through his series of catecheses on the life and works of great witnesses to the faith, Pope Benedict XVI helps us to understand "what it means to be a Christian today." These portraits of the distinguished figures of the medieval Church are not just biographical sketches but also provide the ecclesial backdrop against which they lived out their 'yes' to Christ. Through the words of the Holy Father, these great Saints and teachers of the faith come alive and call us to reawaken and deepen our faith.

The ten catecheses in this richly illustrated volume take us back to the historical period immediately following the first Fathers of the Church. Each of the Spiritual Masters described by Pope Benedict left their mark on the Chruch's culture and spirituality and helped in her growth. John Climcacus describes the ladder to heaven famously depicted in many icons but also present in the practical counsels he passes on to us in his writings. Bede the Venerable reminds us of the centrality of the Sacred Scriptures as a constant source of theological reflection. St Boniface, Apostle to the Germans and a great organiser, founded the monastery of Fulda in 743 which became the heart and the centre from which a new spiritual and religious culture spread. A less well known writer from Provence was Ambreso Autpert, who transmits across the centuries his precious theological work on the struggle between good and evil; he was a great defender of sacred images and the Assumption of Our Lady. John Damascene was a figure of great importance in the history of the Universal Chruch and Byzantine theology. St Theodore de Studite bore a vivid and coherent witness to Jesus in turbulent times. Rabanus Maurus was a monk whose writings help put us into contact with the wisdom of the ancients. John Scotus Erigena excelled as a notable thinker and patristic scholar. St Cyril and Methodius were brothers united both in Faith and blood who together committed their lives to missionary work and sanctity.