Truth And Tolerance: Christian Belief
And World Religions by Pope
Benedict XVI
Ratzinger Shines On A Popular Modern Theological Topic
Is truth knowable? If we know the truth, must we hide it in the name of
tolerance? Cardinal Ratzinger engages the problem of truth, tolerance,
religion and culture in the modern world. Describing the vast array of world
religions, Ratzinger embraces the difficult challenge of meeting diverse
understandings of spiritual truth while defending the Catholic teaching of
salvation through Jesus Christ. But what if it is true? is the question that he
poses to cultures that decry the Christian position on mans redemption.
Upholding the notion of religious truth while asserting the right of religious
freedom, Cardinal Ratzinger outlines the timeless teaching of the
Magisterium in language that resonates with our embattled culture. A work
of extreme sensitivity, understanding, and spiritual maturity, this book is an
invaluable asset to those who struggle to hear the voice of truth in the
modern religious world. Beyond all particular questions, the real problem

lies in the question about truth. Can truth be recognized? Or, is the
question about truth simply inappropriate in the realm of religion and
belief? But what meaning does belief then have, what positive meaning
does religion have, if it cannot be connected with truth? —Joseph
Cardinal Ratzinger From the Preface
Personal Review: Truth And Tolerance: Christian Belief And
World Religions by Pope Benedict XVI
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) published the
`controversial' document, "Dominus Iesus: On The Unicity and Salvific
Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church" in 2000. We have not
stopped hearing or talking about it since. Commonly understood as a
polemical rag against non-Christian (and non-Catholic-Christian) faiths, in
its truest sense it remains to be seen as groundbreaking. Quite simply, it
is a reiteration of long-held Catholic doctrinal beliefs. What became
`controversial' was the way the language was used in the document -
matters made worse by overly literal translations of Latin philosophical
jargon into English that muddied meaning and to the non-trained eye,
appeared as something it most certainly was not. That aside. In response
to the overwhelming criticism leveled against the CDF and its then-prefect,
Joseph Ratzinger, Cardinal Ratzinger (the scholar that he is) felt it
necessary to present an intelligent elucidation into the matter from his own
personal scholarly view. We have "Truth and Tolerance."
For those critics who make the claim that Ratzinger's work varies
significantly from pre-1968 to post-1968 along the continuum of "liberal-
conservative" are in for a surprise. The first chapter - an essay published
in the mid `60s, in, of all things a Festschrift for Karl Rahner - was written
early in the young scholar's career and the parts that follow reflect
developments from the early `90s through the early `00s. This collective
work expresses a continuity that allows for a successful cohesion of trans-
decade scholarship, otherwise impossible by the standard of judgment
presumed by would-be critics. The bottom line: read what the man says
for himself versus the temptation to engage in hearsay-based discourse
that is entirely unfounded. While his tone is very academic and the text
dense, Ratzinger does make clear his position and the philosophical basis
for such conclusions. Regardless of one's personal ecclesial-political
position, you owe it to yourself to read both the entire text of "Dominus
Iesus" and "Truth and Tolerance" to understand what the Holy See via
CDF says and what the person of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope
Benedict XVI) says.
Read this book.
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