What It Means to Be a Christian [Hardcover]

Joseph Ratzinger (Author), Henry Taylor (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2006

Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, writes eloquently and persuasively about how one can live as a serious Christian in today’s secular world. He talks in depth about the true meaning of faith, hope, and love--the love of God and the love of neighbor. He also discusses at length the crucial importance of a lived faith, for the believer himself as well as being a witness for our age, and striving to bring faith in line with the present age that has veered off into rampant secularism and materialism. He passionately encourages the reader to practice a deep, abiding Christian faith that seeks to be at the service of humanity.

As Joseph Ratzinger mentions in the preface, "the book presents in written form three sermons that the author preached in the Cathedral at Muenster to a congregation from the Catholic Student Chaplaincy, December 13-15, 1964."

In other words, these are essays derived from sermons preached to college students toward the end of Vatican II. They are remarkable, among other reasons, for their insights into the ongoing Christian struggle to understand and realize in action "what it means to be a Christian".

Product Details

• Hardcover: 100 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (July 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158617133X
• ISBN-13: 978-1586171339
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #503,638 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

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Before he was Pappa Ben., July 6, 2006

By 

Angelo Natalie (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What It Means to Be a Christian (Hardcover)

"What It Means to Be a Christian" is being released shortly after Pope Benedict XVI's 79th brithday. The book presents three sermons that the Pope, then Jospeh Ratzinger, preached in December of 1964 at the age of 37. He was a college professor speaking to a congregation from the Catholic Student Chaplaincy.

I found his call to be a Christian "for others" to be the most challenging and provacative idea. In an age of individualistic, consumer-driven Christianity, this is a message that needs to be taken to heart. I suspect that modern, Western Christians who read this through a "Purpose Driven" lense may be a little rattled by his assertion that, "Becoming a Christian is not taking out an individual insurance policy." (Shoot. That's exactly what I thought it was about.)

If you are of the "fire insurance" mentality, you may have to read this book twice. I know I need to.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Actually read the book!, April 7, 2007

By 

A Regular Joe (A Regular City, MI) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: What It Means to Be a Christian (Hardcover)

Given the anti-Catholic reviews on this (and other Catholic book pages) by folks who have never read the texts they are posting reviews on, I thought I would actually buy and read this book. I've read through the book this week, and must say it was well worth it.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in this series of sermons is not speaking to the North American Fundamentalist, it should be pointed out. In fact, his sermons are not even addressed specifically to Americans. It is certainly not a treatise on justification as some may think from the title. Cardinal Ratzinger is very aware of the decay of European society and the decline of Christian values and spiritual well being in Europe. Many of his texts, this one included, calls us back from secularism and individualism. He calls Christians to service to the Gospel message, to be heralds in the world and not to lose that important missionary zeal. He notes that the true Christian does not only become a Christian for the salvation of his own soul, but for others as well:

"Becoming a Christian is not taking out an individual insurance policy; it is not the private booking of an entry ticket into heaven, so that we can look across at other people and say, 'I've got something the others haven't got; I've got salvation arranged for me that they don't possess.' Becoming a Christian is not at all something given to us so that we, each individual for himself, can pocket it and keep our distance from those others who are going off empty-handed." (pg 54)

The intent of the text is not to say "This is how you become a Christian", but to address Christians and say "You are called to live a life of service to the Gospel, to work in the vineyard of the Lord, this is what it means to be a Christian".

An entire text is well worth reading, Protestant or Catholic.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blessed are those who are persecuted..., March 2, 2007

By 

K. Moore "WKM" (Oxford MS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What It Means to Be a Christian (Hardcover)

I was a non-catholic christian for 26 years. I used to think like a couple of the reviewers of this book. But PRAISE GOD I don't anymore. This book is incredible. It is simple, concise, and TRUE. This orthodox Pope is a gift from God to all christians, Catholic or protestant. I would encourage everyone to read this powerful collection of sermons from this very devout, humble, and loving man. And just to clear up a couple of things from some of the other reviews of this book, Catholics don't worship anyone but the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We honor Mary as Jesus did and still does. Even He obeys the commandment He wrote, "Honor your mother and father", which in His case would be , Mary and the Holy Spirit. And we don't worship Saints either, we simply ask them to pray for us, it's called the communion of the saints. One might want to look into what one thinks is the Catholic Church, not what one assumes it to be. That's what I used to do too.

Peace of Jesus,
Keith