In The Mind of Pope Benedict XVI: A Theology of Communion, Richard DeClue presents the intricate and systematic theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI. DeClue’s work is a thorough exposition of Benedict XVI’s theological corpus, meticulously organized to demonstrate the unity and coherence of the late pontiff’s thought. By delving into the various themes and methodology that underpin Benedict XVI’s theology, DeClue not only introduces readers to the profound mind of this pope and theologian, but also offers a valuable resource for understanding the relational nature of Christian doctrines and theological disciplines.
“Unifying Melody”
DeClue adopts a method that reflects Benedict XVI’s approach of seeing “the whole in the fragment,” an approach the pope learned from the great German theologians who shaped him. DeClue provides an overview of Benedict XVI’s theological themes, uniquely following the exitus-reditus structure—from God and to God—reminiscent of Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologica with Christology and Soteriology (the study of the Church’s teaching on salvation) as central keys. This structural approach underscores the unity within Benedict’s theology, highlighting the holistic interconnectedness of various theological elements. DeClue’s aim is to showcase how the diverse aspects of Christian doctrines are relationally linked, forming a coherent whole. This approach is crucial in countering the often-made assumption that Benedict’s thought, like other Communio thinkers, lacks systematic form. DeClue effectively refutes such accusations in explicating the implicit form and unity of Benedict’s writings.
The ongoing relevance of Benedict XVI’s thought, particularly in addressing contemporary issues in the relation between theology and philosophy, is noted by the author. It is supplemented by contemporary scholarship on Benedict XVI’s work, drawing insights from scholars like Pablo Blanco-Sarto, Emery de Gaál, Tracey Rowland, Margret Turek, and Roland Millare. The inclusion of recent scholarship enriches DeClue’s analysis, providing a deep understanding of Benedict’s theology and its systematic nature. DeClue’s book will be a helpful reference for students of Benedict. But, more generally, it is even a helpful introduction to Catholic theology.
Insights and Methodology
The first chapter offers a biography of Joseph Ratzinger, drawing heavily from Peter Seewald’s comprehensive multi-volume study, Benedict XVI: A Life. This biographical sketch is more than a mere introduction: it provides crucial context for understanding the rich intellectual and cultural environment that shaped Ratzinger’s thought, stressing that while St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Bonaventure are the primary influences on his thought, he in no way rejects the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas.
In the chapter on theological methodology, DeClue elucidates the centrality of the biblical Word and the symbiotic relationship between theology and philosophy in Benedict’s work. The discussion on the essence of theology, exemplified by the contrasting views of Aquinas and Bonaventure, is particularly illuminating. I was impressed by how DeClue maintains a critical distance from some of Benedict XVI’s dichotomies, leaving it to medieval scholars to assess their accuracy. There is no doubt that Benedict XVI’s theology is worthy of the highest praise. Nevertheless, there are some areas of criticism—which DeClue acknowledges.
Trinity and Anthropology
Benedict’s understanding of the Triune God is deeply rooted in the Bonaventurian tradition, with influences from Pseudo-Dionysius and Pauline theology. DeClue quotes from Benedict XVI’s Wednesday catechesis on Pseudo-Dionysius to better illuminate this tradition. Benedict writes, “In the ascent toward God one can reach a point in which reason no longer sees. But in the night of the intellect love still sees[;] it sees what is inaccessible to reason. Love goes beyond reason, it sees further, it enters more profoundly into God’s mystery.” The last line best captures this. In the light of love, man encounters God. Such personalism is key to understanding Benedict.
DeClue’s focus on the centrality of love and communio (inter-personal reality) in Benedict XVI’s understanding the nature of God and creation is helpful in showing where Benedict XVI goes beyond Augustine’s popular intra-personal analogy. Augustine’s intra-personal analogy is also known as the psychological analogy of the Trinity. DeClue writes, “In the psychological analogy, the human person is a unity comprised of a trinity of knower, knowing, and known, or willer, willing, and willed.” But the inter-personal analogy is a shift to a community of persons with an emphasis on the family as an image of the divine communion.
The stress on relationship in the Triune personhood of God profoundly influences Benedict XVI’s theological anthropology, where the Imago Dei as relation is seen as a perfection rather than an imperfection. Relation as a term of perfection was dubious in traditional lines of thought. And Benedict XVI is definitely in line with Balthasar and John Paul II’s personalism in this regard. Both appreciated the communal aspect of personhood and upheld the inter-personal analogy and its implications for theological anthropology.
Divine Revelation and Christology
The chapter on Divine Revelation is particularly valuable, as it delves into Ratzinger’s 1955 Habilitationsschrift (the German equivalent of a doctoral degree), which remained unpublished until 2009. DeClue provides a thorough historical background, illuminating the context in which Ratzinger developed his understanding of divine revelation in a Bonaventurian key and how this even influenced the theology present in Dei Verbum, the dogmatic constitution on Divine Revelation of the Second Vatican Council.
DeClue’s treatment of Christology and Soteriology underscores the centrality of Christ in Benedict XVI’s theology. He presents Christ as the apex of the exitus—our origin from God—and the beginning of the reditus—our return to God—emphasizing the inseparability of Jesus’ identity and mission. DeClue describes Benedict XVI’s Christology as “from above” in his emphasis on the divine origin of the Eternal Word. “For Benedict XVI,” DeClue writes, “the starting point for understanding who Jesus is and what he does for us is the second person of the Trinity.”
Ecclesiology and Liturgy
In his discussion on Ecclesiology, DeClue reflects on the nature and origin of the Church within the Trinity, particularly emphasizing communio and the Marian dimension of the Church. Benedict XVI is perhaps most famous for his contributions to ecclesiology. After all, he did dedicate his dissertation and habilitation to ecclesiological themes. DeClue does an excellent job introducing readers to the ecclesiology of communion central to Vatican II, which Benedict XVI worked so hard to affirm. But I was most impressed by DeClue’s exploration of the connection between ecclesiology and the liturgy in the celebration of the Eucharist where the Church finds her identity as a eucharistic body.
Adoremus readers will likely be most interested in the chapter on the liturgy. DeClue emphasizes that, for Benedict XVI, the Church emerges from the side of the crucified Christ, symbolized by the water and blood that flowed from Jesus’ side. This imagery underscores the Church as the Bride of Christ, most fully realized in the celebration of the Eucharist, where the faithful become the Body of Christ through the reception of his Body.
DeClue incorporates insights from Roland Millare’s Living Sacrifice: Liturgy and Eschatology in Joseph Ratzinger, particularly the idea that communion with Christ in the sacraments allows believers to participate in Christ’s self-giving existence (pro-existence). This sacramental participation, particularly in the Eucharist, represents the climax of Christian initiation and life. Consequently, Ratzinger advocates for the reception of Confirmation before First Communion to emphasize the Eucharist’s primacy.
A significant aspect of Benedict XVI’s liturgical theology is the toda sacrifice, a concept of thanksgiving. DeClue examines recent scholarship, including Hartmut Gese’s biblical theology on toda and Joseph Jungmann’s studies of ancient liturgical texts, to illustrate Ratzinger’s scholarly influences. As a result, Benedict XVI diverges from theologians like Romano Guardini by emphasizing the sacrificial essence of the liturgy over its meal aspect.
Furthermore, DeClue explains that, for Benedict XVI, the Eucharist is not merely a participation in Christ but in the entire Trinitarian communion. This understanding leads to the eschatological dimension of the Eucharist, where the earthly liturgy anticipates the heavenly reality. Benedict XVI’s assertion that “Eucharist is ordered to eschatology” encapsulates this belief, indicating that liturgical celebration is a foretaste of the eschaton, the final days.
DeClue also explores how liturgical theology influences practical aspects such as ecclesial architecture, ornamentation, liturgical direction, and music. On ecclesial architecture, DeClue writes, “For Ratzinger, the architecture of a church building should keep in mind both the continuity with the Old Covenant and the newness of the New Covenant. The church building has its Old Covenant precursors in two different Jewish buildings: the synagogue and the temple.” Since the synagogue was always understood in connection to the temple, the service of the word, which was celebrated in the synagogue, is linked to sacrificial worship, which was offered in the temple. The church building must incorporate these two elements into its design.
Just as ecclesial architecture should find its meaning in non-arbitrary liturgical principles, liturgical music is likewise principled. DeClue outlines Ratzinger’s principles for liturgical music. He writes, “First, liturgical music should be tied to the biblical witness of salvation history (265) …second, [it] should reflect its roots in the logos by exemplifying ‘an ultimate sobriety, a deeper rationality, resisting any decline into irrationality and immoderation’…and, third, since the Incarnate Word is the meaning of the whole universe, there is a cosmic and communal dimension to liturgical music, which join in the song of the angels, exemplified especially in the trisagion: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’’ (264-66).
By integrating these elements, especially from the Old Covenant, Benedict envisions a liturgical practice that reflects and deepens the theological and spiritual truths of the Christian faith. This chapter, rich in detail and insight, offers a compelling look at the depth and significance of Ratzinger’s liturgical vision.
Benedict XVI’s insistence on the proper form of worship is foundational. He believes that sound liturgical theology necessitates rethinking certain liturgical practices to ensure they align with theological truths. This connection extends into moral theology, where Benedict XVI argues that right worship enables a proper moral life and spiritual worship (logike latreia). DeClue highlights how Benedict XVI intertwines the liturgy with the lived Christian experience, suggesting that true Christian life flows from and is sustained by the liturgy. He writes, “The basic idea is this: unless we are in right relationship with God, which right worship embodies and makes possible, we will be unable to live an authentically moral life” (245).
Coherent and Comprehensive
While DeClue’s book is a masterful exposition of Benedict XVI’s theology, it may not offer new insights for those already familiar with Benedict XVI’s works. For such readers, the book might feel like a detailed walkthrough rather than an innovative exploration. However, for those seeking a systematic presentation of Benedict XVI’s thought, DeClue’s work is an invaluable resource.
One limitation of the book is its exclusive focus on Benedict XVI’s theology, without addressing how his theology connects with his non-theological writings on politics, culture, and secularism. Including a chapter on these aspects would have provided a more holistic view of Benedict XVI’s intellectual contributions.
Despite these minor criticisms, DeClue’s book remains a significant achievement. It offers a coherent and comprehensive understanding of Benedict XVI’s theology, emphasizing its systematic nature and ongoing relevance. DeClue’s meticulous analysis and inclusion of contemporary scholarship make this book an essential resource for theologians, scholars, and anyone interested in the profound thought of Benedict XVI.
