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Benedict of Bavaria An Intimate Portrait of the Pope and His Homeland

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Dr Brennan Pursell's Benedict of Bavaria is a warm, richly descriptive, and insightful portrait of Joseph Ratzinger, from his birth in his native Bavaria to his present day mission in the Chair of Peter.

If a biographer is a kind of portraitist in words, Pursell treats his subject with the deep respect, affinity, and understanding of the best of artists. As he readily shares in his Introduction, there is a personal connection at work, a sense of gratitude and indebtedness to one whose writings had such an impact on his own conversion from a "California hedonist" to a committed Catholic. Perhaps due to this sense of personal connection, Pursell does not paint Benedict just from the outside, as a stranger would do. He paints him also from the inside, from an acquaintance born of long hours of study and personal contact with the places and people of Ratzinger's homeland.

Ratzinger "from the inside" is a man who was shaped by the land, people, liturgies, and events of his upbringing, all of which Pursell captures with detail and colorful description in passages like this:

"This style of art and architecture is exuberant and dramatic, at once earthly and heavenly, joyous, uplifting, and yet violent, usually preferring the fulsome over the sparse. The baroque belongs in Bavaria. The color scheme is drawn from the wildflowers found in the mountains, valleys, and fertile flood plains: pale yellow from the primrose, clover, and marigold; the thistle's soft purple; pink from the alpine rose; liverwort's pale blue; white and yellow of the aster; and the soft orange of the Bocksbart and Klappertopf, names that sound too good to be translated. The azure blue of the Enzian is too strong of a color for a house's façade, but you find it sometimes in the Virgin's cloak, painted on a carved figurine. The stucco covered walls of the houses and churches seem to take their white, cream, yellow, pink, purple, and blue straight from the uncut fields."

But the sights, sounds, textures, and smells of Bavaria, along with the wonderful selection of personal anecdotes from those who knew Ratzinger at various times, are only the outer part of the story. Pursell also gives his readers a window into the written legacy of one of the world's greatest teachers, allowing Benedict to speak in his own words as the chronology unfolds.

At times, a specific event in the chronology opens up an opportunity to present the pope's thought on a specific theme. For example, a chapter on the holy Marian shrine of Altoetting gives Pursell the occasion to present some key insights from one of Benedict's most important books, The Spirit of the Liturgy. Throughout the chapter, teaching and description are woven together in a mutually enriching way that makes the whole more than the sum of its parts. The Spirit of the Liturgy helps us to understand "from the inside" what Ratzinger experiences in his celebration of the Mass, and the description of Altoetting helps us to put ourselves in his shoes and experience all the sights and sounds of that holy place as it may have shaped him in his youth. This integrated approach helps us to gain a deeper understanding of the Pope as a person whose experiences and ideas shape each other, and whose heart and mind work very much together.

When presenting a portrait of a thinker such as Benedict, it is of utmost importance to be able to convey his ideas with maximum fidelity and clarity. Pursell's gift for explaining concepts in an accessible way makes for smooth reading and swift understanding. A natural teacher, he is capable of summing up the central thesis of each of Ratzinger's works in one or two paragraphs so that the reader feels equipped with an introductory knowledge of the essential points--and inspired to read more deeply. A judicious sprinkling of well-chosen quotes allows the reader to "hear" the voice of Benedict and get a firsthand sense of the depth, breadth, lucidity, and relevance of his thought.

Not everyone will like this biography, for one simple reason: it is tailored to Americans. As a good teacher would, Pursell illustrates some ideas with examples that apply specifically to American suburban culture, in order to show specific points where Ratzinger's perspective could enlarge our spiritual and cultural horizons. Americans will find these points helpful (and often pointedly humorous), but other English-speaking readers might find them less a propos. Still, these cultural applications are a faithful elucidation of Ratzinger's thought, and they make the message hit home in an effective way.

From start to finish, Benedict of Bavaria develops the portrait of a man who rightly deserves our admiration, respect, and esteem. Under Pursell's capable pen, Pope Benedict emerges as a great gift for our times, a beacon of truth, dialogue, openness, respect, and humility--a true man of God, faithful servant of the Church, and well-beloved son of Catholic Bavaria.

This delightful, intimate portrait of our Pope is unique among the crop of "Benedict books" that have sprung up during the past three years. It places the Holy Father in the context of his hometown of Bavaria, a heavily Catholic region in the south of Germany. Writes Pursell, "When Americans think of everything good and fun about Germany -- oompah bands, Lederhosen, fine sausages, oversized pretzels, exquisite beer served in hefty glass mugs, fairy-tale castles, Alpine skiing, beautiful countryside, exquisite cars, and, of course, Oktoberfest -- they are thinking of Bavaria, whether they realize it or not." One of the hallmarks of this Pope's pontificate is his appreciation for the "cult" (i.e., religion) of culture; learning of the culture which shaped and formed him helps readers appreciate this connection too. If you are put off by books heavy on theology or doctrine, "Benedict of Bavaria" will not bowl you over. While it addresses these topics, it's more interested in showing you Benedict the man. We've been planning a trip to Rome for the fall of 2010; after reading this book, Bavaria may now be on the itinerary.

Slowly though I have come to know more personally the man behind the words and have only grown to love him more over time. Though seeing the Pope on a more personal level is difficult since may of the books that address him cover mainly his career with some basic details of his life before going to Rome. I was quite happy to receive Benedict of Bavaria An Intimate Portrait of the Pope and His Homeland recently and figured there was no better time to read it than during the Papal visit. This was exactly the book that I hoped it would be from its title.

The author Brennan Pursell is a convert to the faith and covers his own conversion in the first chapter of his book and his subsequent interest in Josef Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI. While the author is an American his wife is German and the book shows that he was quite able to give a perspective of the Pope and his connection to Bavaria to give you a fuller understanding of the man.

The majority of the book covers the time from Josef Ratzinger's birth to his time at Regensburg before going to rome to head the CDF. I am really glad that he spent so much time on this part of the Pope's life since this is the part that I am quite interested in since I have already read plenty on the later chapters of his life. The book is loaded with details and insights into how Catholic Bavaria influenced the Ratzinger family and the connection and pull it had on his life. It is no secret that the Pope desired to go back home and retire with his brother and had requested to retire a couple of times while acting as prefect of the CDF. Seeing the Pope through the lens of Bavaria is quite useful and I felt necessary in coming to a deeper understanding of the man of him as a person.

There were plenty of details I had not seen in print before and though while the book relies on what the Pope has written himself in Milestones and other places there is a good amount the author found through other sources. The book calls itself an intimate portrait and I found that to be true in showing the Pope's family life and his later life with his brother and sister. There are some great stories in this book and I especially loved details like the nicknames given to the two brothers while in seminary. The German nicknames translate roughly to Organ-Ratz and Book-Ratz and it doesn't take too much imagination to determine which of the brothers is Book-Ratz.

The last chapters of the book cover his years in the CDF and then finally as Pope while giving a good overview of the major milestones in what will shortly be three years of his pontificate. Again though what I enjoyed most was the little details that more showed Josef the man and it really it quite amazing that a person with such a great intellect has the humility to match it. It seems to me that these qualities are rarely matched in the same proportions. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Pope than a more sterile biography would give.

As someone who loves our Holy Father dearly and treasures him, I just had to have this book to add to my collection. I found that I'd already read much of the information, but for the few gems that were new it was definitely worth buying.
For people who know little about Pope Benedict this book is a good starter pack. Brennan Pursell obviously loves the man and he is, indeed, very easy to love. He's not any of the things he's been called in the past and no one should listen to names like "Panzer Kardinal" etc. He was never an active member of the Hitler Youth - all of these things had to be trotted out when he was elected and should have been long forgotten now.
Pope Benedict is a sensitive intellectual theologian who is adapting well to being the supreme pastor of us all. Brennan Pursell chronicles his life and work so far in such a way that anyone who didn't understand Benedict before reading the book, will now surely love him and want to read more.

There have been a lot of stuffy biographies written on the Holy Father. This is not one of them. In fact, it's the only biographical peek at Pope Benedict you need to buy. This book is a charming look at his life and the land that made him. It's well written, fast paced and intelligent without being dull. Pass up all the others and snatch up this lovely, lovely little book.

This is the best biography on the best man to fill the shoes of Peter since Pius XII. It reads almost like a novel. It is a true non biased portrait of our wonderful Holy Father and his beautiful homeland, written with much care and love. Gott und Bayern!

Of at least 3 biographies I have read on Pope Benedict XVI, this one is by far the superior one. I finished it with a much greater sense of who this man is and how his Bavarian German background has shaped him profoundly. On the one hand, he is an erudite, brilliant theologian and thinker, probably near or at the top of all who have occupied the Papacy. On the other hand, his kindness, shyness, prayerfulness and deep humility shine through every page.

I feel enormous gratitude that he is precisely the right man needed and providentially chosen to lead Christ's Church at this moment in history. You become utterly convinced as have other biographers that he was elected Pope because he was the best qualified and the obvious choice to assume the office.

All the tired, worn-out stereotypes of a stern and inflexible prelate appear nowhere because they are fictitious caricatures of this holy and courageous man. His sharp, analytical intelligence and astounding knowledge reveal one who can draw on two millennia of Church history to readily elucidate, distill and synthesize complex issues on many subjects to arrive at logical and understandable conclusions.

He is portrayed as forward thinking and remains lovingly and unremittingly hopeful toward Jesus Christ and His Church for the future. I cannot recommend this book too highly if you really want to get to know on a serious level our beloved Pope and his keen vision for carrying out the will of God for the Church in the third millennium. The author writes very well and has done an outstanding job.

Of the many articles and books I have read about Joseph Ratzinger, Pursell's book offers the most intimate and well-rounded portrait of the man who is deeply rooted in Bavaria, yet agreed to serve the Church in Rome.

The author has done an excellent work on the life of Pope Benedict. He has lived in Bavaria himself, and done extensive studies, and yet has come out with a touchingly simple and direct examination of the life of this great human being.

I have family in Bavaria and have visited on several occasions, and the author has caught the true spirit of the region and it's effect upon the birth and upbringiing of Pope Benedict. The intellectual brilliance as well as the simplicity of the man comes through. I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy reading this book and recommend it to anyone wanting to understand the culture and religious background of Joseph Ratzinger who became Pope Benedict xvi.

The book was great. Enjoyed the geography of Bavaria and life story of Pope Benedict. Interesting facts the Media doesn't expose or has taken out of context explained about events in his life.
A quick read and some photos to go along. I only wished it included a map of Germany. If your traveling Southern Germany, great places to visit mentioned.