In four superb homilies and a concluding essay, Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, provides a clear and inspiring exploration of the Genesis creation narratives.
While the stories of the world's creation and the fall of humankind have often been subjected to reductionism of one sort or another -- literalists treat the Bible as a science textbook whereas rationalists divorce God from creation -- Ratzinger presents a rich, balanced Catholic understanding of these early biblical writings and attests to their enduring vitality.
Beginning each homily with a text selected from the...

The pope's definitive statement on liturgical reform. Pope Benedict XVI shows that in the controversies over liturgical reform and the Latin mass, liturgy is not just a pragmatic matter but a central feature in our relationship to Christ, the Church, and ourselves.

With clarity and wisdom, Pope Benedict XVI sets out his vision for Catholic higher education in this first and only collection of his major addresses on the topic. What is the mission and identity of a Catholic university? What are the responsibilities of administrators, teachers, and students in Catholic institutes of higher learning? Where does the central theme of love of God and others fit into academia? The pope's most important statements on the nature of the university and its cultural and educative tasks are brought together in this volume. Featured are the various speeches he has...