Catholic popes inspire waves of books. The first wave draws on homilies, speeches, papers, and academic tomes written before their election. The second brings every book and encyclical he writes during his papacy and biographies, analysis and critiques by journalists and scholars. For Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, born Joseph Ratzinger, there have been two waves more — a backlist bonanza for sales of his writings and major books about him in the wake of his 2013 resignation and a likely a new burst of interest with his death Dec. 31.
A sampling of his popular and influential writings:
— His three encyclicals — major teaching letters written during his papacy. Deus Caritas Est ("God is Love," 2005) which meditates on love as a gift within marriage and also as an expression of service and charity. Spe Salvi (In Hope We Are Saved, 2007) Benedict addresses the interconnected nature of all humanity, saying, "No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone." In Caritas in Veritate ("Charity in Truth," 2009), Benedict called for "an ethics which is people-centered." Scholar and religion columnist Rev. Thomas Reese described it as "a radical rethinking of economics..."
—The Jesus of Nazareth trilogy (originally by Doubleday and available now from several publishers) Press), a landmark look at the life and teachings of Christ completed in 2012, became an international bestseller. The first volume, a theological look at the significance of Christ, released in 2007, (2007), began with a humble opening line, "Everyone is free, then, to contradict me …". The second volume (2011), looks at Holy Week and Christ's resurrection "combines solid scholarship with deep spirituality," according to a PW reviewer.
--- Theological Highlights of Vatican II (Paulist, 2009), a reprint of his original memoir, long out of print, of the momentous experience and impact of reforms initiated by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.
— Catechism of the Catholic Church (Our Sunday Visitor,1992), Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, calls this compendium of Catholic doctrine— updated for modern Catholic by Ratzinger when he led the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith —"among the great legacies of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI."
Among the many biographies, commentaries and critiques, noteworthy titles include:
— A hefty two volume biography written by journalist Peter Seewald for Bloomsbury. Volume one, Benedict XVI: A Life (Nov. 2020) traced Ratzinger's rise in the church. Volume two: Guardian of the Faith, Pope Emeritus (2021) examines how Benedict faced "some of the most contentious religious and cultural issues" of modern times, according to PW writer Ed Simon.
— The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope Was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church (Doubleday, 2005) is by journalist John Allen Jr., author of eleven books and editor of Crux, an online news site focused on the Vatican and American Catholic Life https://cruxnow.com/. PW called it "a rich and thoughtful analysis."
—The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World (HarperOne, 2006) by David Gibson, a former religion journalist now director of the Center for Religion and Culture at Fordham University, told PW Benedict commanded attention as "an icon of conservatism for many, and an object of scorn and criticism for many others.”
— Radical Reinvention: An Unlikely Return to the Catholic Church (Counterpoint, 2012) by Kaya Oakes, a professor at U.C.-Berkeley told PW that among many marginalized Catholics—women, LGBTQ Catholics, or immigrants—Pope Benedict hindered "the church from moving into the contemporary era," even as traditionalists would love to see Benedict back on the job.”
