Faith and the Future [Hardcover]

Joseph Ratzinger (Author), Pope Benedict XVI (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2009

Increasingly, the future is becoming a theme for theological reflection. In the background we can detect a growing concern among many people for the future of faith. Does faith have any future at all, and, if so, where in all the confusion of today's trends will we discover its embryo?

But the problem of the future assails not only the believer. In the ever more rapidly advancing process of historical evolution, man is confronted with enormous opportunities, but also with colossal perils. For him, the future is not only hope, but sorrow-a nightmare, indeed. He cannot avoid asking what part faith can play in building tomorrow's world. Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, approaches this problem of universal concern from a variety of angles, bringing his deep personal faith and theological brilliance to bear on these serious questions.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 118 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (March 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586172190
• ISBN-13: 978-1586172190
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #856,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A former publishing executive, John F. Thornton is a literary agent and co-editor of Tongues of Angels, Tongues of Men: A Book of Sermons. He lives in New York City. Susan B. Varenne holds an M.A. from the University of Chicago Divinity School and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. She is a New York City teacher and a freelance writer specializing in religion.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Older text, but classic Ratzinger, April 19, 2009

By 

Rachel Amiri (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faith and the Future (Hardcover)

Faith and the Future is a small but powerful book that concisely introduces the contemporary reader to the best and, I'd argue, most socially- and politically-relevant of his thought in the 21st century. Here he especially examines the relationship between faith and hope, and what faith is (or should be) for the Christian today in the fallen world.

I would especially recommend this book to be read along with Pope Benedict's encyclical Spe Salvi as well as his older book, The Yes of Jesus Christ. But all in all, this is a must-read for Catholics and Christians alike seeking a deeper understanding of the relevance of faith for modern life.

An excerpt:
"We are now in a position to say that this faith is essentially related to the future, that it is a promise. It signifies the superordination of the future over the present, and the readiness to sacrifice the present for the sake of the future. It signifies life lived in the spirit of trust. It signifies the certainty that it is God who guarantees man his future. Thus it signifies a breaking out of the calculable, everyday world to make contact with what is eternal; it signifies man's interest in eternal things and in the Eternal. It signifies the bold realization that man can have dealings with the Eternal, and is not confined within a petty meanness of heart, that will not look beyond its immediate surroundings nor give itself credit for the greatness which sees that there might be more to human life than bread for tomorrow and money for the day after tomorrow."

13 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars very misleading, April 1, 2009

By 

Juan Ortiz "zorro" (Stanford, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faith and the Future (Hardcover)

The content is OK... but heads up... it was written by Ratzinger in 1969!!!
By the title one might - mistakenly - think that the book was written by the Pope in light of recent developments in modern life (the fact that it is published in 2009 also contributes to this confusion).
That said, the book is very enlightening and interesting.