(Vatican Radio) The third volume of Pope Benedict’s “Jesus of Nazareth” series, published
this week, is dedicated to the Infancy Narratives – the Gospel accounts of the early
life of Jesus. Divided into a forward, four chapters and an epilogue, it traces and
analyses the Gospel narratives from the birth of Jesus to His presentation in the
temple at the age of 12.
The previous two volumes dealt with the adult life
of Jesus and his public ministry.
The latest volume arrives just in time for
Advent, the beginning of the liturgical year, when Christians prepare for the celebration
of the Birth of Jesus at Christmas.
Already millions of people – and not only
Christians – have found plenty of food for thought in the Pope’s reflections on the
Biblical accounts of the life of Jesus. Among them is Anthony Valle, a professor of
theology for the master's degree program run by the Diocese of Venice and Barry University.
Professor Valle is one of the young scholars invited to be a part of the Neuer
Schülerkreis Joseph Ratzinger/Papst Benedikt XVI, a study group dedicated to investigating
and promoting the works of Pope Benedict. He spoke with Christopher Wells about “Jesus
of Nazareth.”
Listen:
“The
pope’s purpose in the Jesus of Nazareth series, I think, is to set the record straight
on Jesus, to try to reverse what I called this seismic, Copernican damage done to
the Jesus that we know and encounter in the Gospels, in the New Testament, and that
the Church has transmitted down to us for centuries. It’s no easy task, but I think
that if anyone is capable of doing it, the Pope is the man.”
Professor Valle
contrasts Pope Benedict’s approach with that of certain modern Biblical scholars.
The Pope, he says, “approaches the Gospels with a hermeneutic of trust, rather than
one of suspicion. For him, the real or historical Jesus is precisely the Jesus of
the Gospels, and the Jesus of the Church’s Faith.”
Although the Pope rejects
the scepticism that marks some modern interpretations, Valle insists he does not reject
scientific inquiry into Jesus’ life. “The Pope is not against the historical critical
method at all, in fact he uses it, he appreciates it. Christianity, he says, is based
on the factum historicum, on the Incarnation, on the Word made flesh. So Christianity
affirms history.” Pope Benedict’s method when approaching Sacred Scripture “is basically
combining the best of insights of the historical-critical method and combining that
with theological interpretation . . . And that, in the end, really brings us closer
to the real Jesus, more so than a zealous and ideologically driven adherence to one
method over another.”
In the end, Valle says, “the pope employs both faith
and reason. He exercises both fides and ratio in what he calls his personal
search for the Lord, which is what this Jesus of Nazareth series is all about . .
. He’s simply bringing before the reader his personal search for the Lord.”