Introduction to Christianity

Description

WARNING: Ratzinger in this work, inter alia , denied the physical reality of the Resurrection and thinks St. Luke contradicts himself! This book doesn't even have a Novus Ordo (or otherwise) imprimitur or nihil obstat.

John Deely refers to p. 445 of the 1st ed. this book in his Purely Objective Reality (p. 1fn2) regarding how relation is, according to St. Thomas, an ens minimum and in God it is an ens maximum.
Also, Deely argues that the Neo-Thomists' obsession with the either-or, ens reale vs. ens rationis binary distinction is too simplistic, and that in making this either-or distinction, they are futilely arguing for realism on the very grounds modern philosophy has given them (rationalism vs. empiricism). In the 2nd ed. of John of St. Thomas (John Poinsot)'s Tractatus de Signis p. xvii, he quotes Ratzinger 1970 p. 132 (p. 183 in 2004 ed.):

the undivided sway of thinking in terms of substance has ended

because

relation is discovered as an equally primordial mode of reality.

Of course Ratzinger andother representative of post (neo)-Thomist hermeneutics think in terms of ‘either-or’here too (I knew the quote from Introductionto Christianity). Because it is not that substance and relation are on an equal par, but rather that relation itself is the ultimate (ens maximum) substantial reality (cf. ST Ia q. 28, a. 1; q. 40, a.1).

God’s absolute subsistingsingular essence, identical with His existence, is identical with both esse and ipsum precisely as relation (= essead /esse in alius).Thus the eternal esse per ipsumsubsistens (the substance) comes true with and as co-eternaldifferentiation of three binary relations Which/Who are necessarily concomitantand really distinct as consubstantial terms of each other.

One can use thisfundamental insight, derived from divine revelation (Exodus 3 verse 14 tells usWho God is in terms of His s-u-b-s-t-a-n-c-e ,which is ‘to be’ itself [אֶהְיֶה] as r-e-l-a-t-i-o-n , [אשר]), to analogously apply it to the structure ofCreation itself, which indeed stands as four distinct but concomitant terms (cf.Genesis 1:1-2: שָּׁמַיִם ,אָרֶץ ,מָּיִם ,תְהוֹם --> meaning, digitally: [0], [1], [2], [3]) while necessarily lacking self-subsistence (hencethe mere analogy).

One of Cardinal Ratzinger's most important and widely read books, this volume is a revised second edition with an improved translation and an in-depth 20 page preface by the Cardinal. As he states in the preface, since this book was first published over 30 years ago, many changes and significant events have occurred in the world, and in the Church. But even so, he says he is firmly convinced that his fundamental approach in this book is still very timely and crucial for the spiritual needs of modern man. That approach puts the question of God and the question about Christ in the very center, which leads to a "narrative Christology" and demonstrates that the place for faith is in the Church.

Thus, this remarkable elucidation of the Apostle's Creed gives an excellent, modern interpretation of the foundations of Christianity. Ratzinger's profound treatment of Christianity's basic truths combines a spiritual outlook with a deep knowledge of Scripture and the history of theology.