Customer Reviews

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures

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Non-Catholics and those of nominal faith might be more comfortable reading
"Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam"
by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and Marcello Pera first. The analysis is much the same but correctives, in the form of a return to a pan-European shared faith (by Pena--the head of the Italian Senate) and/or individual action (Benedict)will find a wider audience.

Either book is a must read for anyone commenting upon or interested in the current geopolitical scene. At the end of the 19th century, Dostoyevsky in "Notes from the Underground" and Pope Leo XIII in "On Socialism" (Quod Apostolici Muneris) warned where conflicts within Western Civilization were headed. 1917 and the horrors of communist and fascist totalitarianism were not adverted. Pera and Benedict are raising the same warning flags today. Is the problem as critical as they believe? Can a tragedy be averted? No one knows of course. But that there is a problem is irrefutable and these two book should not be ignored.

Recently purchased "America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It" by Mark Steyn. Rated it three stars and that was being charitable as Steyn not only provides little hope but the witty prose his newspaper columns are, rightly, admired for is flat and tendentious when spead out over 256 pages.

Benedict and Pera, in contrast, explain why the west is unable to condemn evil and what can be done to ameloriate that failing.

In this book Cardinal Ratzinger studies the tension that arises when a split occurs between the state and religion. He tackles modern secularist notions, discusses abortion, and also addresses the notion that if not atheism, then perhaps agnosticism is the best position that man can hope for. The discussion he provides is well thought out and easy to grasp. You may not agree with everything he says, but the beauty and brilliance of the arguments put forth are undeniable.

Pope Benedict has been a keen and precise critic of the cultural clashes that have been shaking the West over the last half a century. He doesn't kowtow to the latest politically correct fad, nor does he mince words to state the truth. In this book he clearly outlines the what the greatest threats are to the Christian culture and the civilization which is based upon it. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand better the position of the Catholic Church in the ongoing global culture wars.

Along with such classics as 'clash of civilizations' and 'rage and the pride' this book is a must read for anyone interested in the least bit in preserving their culture and faith in the face of the assault on the west by various non-western and supra-western cultures. For those who are pro partial-birth abortions, probably this book will be offensive because the Pope takes the Catholic church's view that abortion is immoral.

The central theme of this book is that the West is threatened by the new immorality of western moral relativism and that it is additioanlly partially threatened by the non-western immigrants who invade the west, however the greater danger is internal, the abandonment of religion and faith, and the denial of the fact that Christian roots are indigenous to Europe.

Many wont be able to stumach this book, and even some protestants will find the catholic overtones problematic. However it is an essential and important work.

Seth J. Frantzman

A must read if you are interested in the recent and ongoing decline of western civilization. The causative factors are clearly delineated from many points of view, but always from the starting point of the pope's awesome faith and love for God and His Creation.

-Jeremy

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures is a very intellectual, academic book in its approach to treating different theological questions as well as in the type of philosophical questions raised by science and technology. Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI first delivered this lecture at the School of Catholic Culture in Santa Croce, in Bassano, Italy, not too long before he was elected pope.
Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures
Most of the piece focuses on the tendency in Europe to move away from traditional Christian values towards what Pope Benedict XVI describes as a "modern Enlightenment philosophy," which insists beliefs should be able to be proven through mathematics and science. This decomposition of morality and ethics leads to a violation of the very freedom of the individual it presumes to protect, when the rights and preferences of certain people reign while those in poverty, without a voice, the unborn, the elderly, the marginalized...are at the mercy of those who exercise and protect liberty inasmuch as it applies to the convenience of those in power.

The work addresses three main topics: "The Crisis of Cultures," "The Right to Life," and "What does it mean to believe?" In the first section we are shown the contradictions present between the Christian culture, now and throughout history, and a contemporary culture which prizes rationalistic philosophies. The second part discusses how this perspective leads to conflict that undermines both individuality and democracy, because "when man's conscience loses respect for life as something sacred, he inevitably ends by losing his own identity" (pg. 60).

Through the discussion of other major world religions, agnosticism as a solution, and the likely implications and morality upheld when the dignity of every human is respected, Pope Benedict XVI provides a treatise for how those who become and teach holiness and a love of truth will be the ones to give hope to a culture that has seemingly become self-centered enough to self-destruct.

Adding God back into the equation, even if His Existence hasn't been sufficiently proven or denied for some focused on mathematics, sciences, and technology, is the best possible scenario our world has for upholding that which is true liberty, freedom, and hope for all.

When I heard about this book the title was so appealing and, adding the credibility of the author, I couldn't wait for the delivery of the book.
The topic is so broad and so relevant that you are full of expectations for this book.
The book is great in identifying the crisis and at a certain level pointing out the root cause of this crisis.
A lot could be said about the topic. The crisis of our society and our culture is evident, this is reflected in the life style of the majority of the people, lack of moral values, lack of integrity and self respect and other pulverizing factors.
The book is a short read and not deeply elaborated. Unfortunately the crisis will get deeper and deeper as the lack of faith keeps increasing and values that "threaten" the existence of God keep becoming an acceptable norm.
I would recommend the book and glad that I bought it, but would have been happy to read more about.

Excellent book--thoughtful, insightful and as usual somewhat difficult going because of the translation to English. As usual Pope Benedict shows an incredable forsite and intellengence. His observations are right on the moey and hs ideas for the future need careful consideratio by our people. I highly recommend this book.

I recently came across this short but beautiful little gem of a book,It is very deep yet simple for those who wouldn't be able to understand as easily(I do understand it regardless),It is Theology,Wisdom and Answers to The Rampant Immorality and Agnosticism or indifference towards God and God's Will,I especially Like The Pope's Dissection(Respectful Dissection)of Agnosticism while mentioning Free Will but at the same time taking on so-called "reason" and Intellectual Dishonesty as well as intellectual double-standards and hypocrisy.

IN THIS NEW AND EXCITING BEST SELLER "CHRISTIANITY AND THE CRISIS OF CULTURES" POPE BENEDICT XVI ADDRESS`S WITH GREAT WISDOM THE HARMFUL INFLUENCES THAT THREATEN OUR FAITH AND OUR FAMILYS ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. THIS BOOK IS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE IT POINTS OUT THAT CERTAIN ROADS DO INDEED LEAD TO DISASTER BUT THIS SAINTLY MAN POINTS OUT IN THIS WOINDERFUL BOOK THAT THE BEST CHOICE IS GOING WITH GOD , KEEPING YOUR EYES ON CHRIST AND HIS TEACHINGS AND TAKING THE HIGH ROAD WHICH IS HOPE THAT THE CHURCH HAS TO OFFER AND IGNORING THIS CULTURES NEGATIVE INFLUENCES. THIS BOOK WOULD MAKE A WONDERFUL GIFT FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE: A SOLDIER SERVING OVERSEAS, A FRIEND , A FAMILY MEMBER, OR SOMEONE YOU ATTEND SERVICES WITH. THIS BOOK IS A REAL WAKE UP CALL FOR ALL FAITHS. IT HAS TRULY BEEN A REAL BLESSING FOR ME.