Books

HANDING ON THE FAITH IN AN AGE OF DISBELIEF, by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

Reviewed by Br Barry Coldrey

Contents - Jul 2010 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Religious education: the challenge of secularism - Michael Gilchrist Events: Leading US Catholics to visit Australia Archbishop Chaput defends the Pope and the Vatican over abuse lawsuits News: The Church Around the World Newly discovered World War II documents further vindicate Pius XII Book launch: Cardinal Pell's new book 'Test Everything' launched - Michael Gilchrist Trends: The Church in 50 years: John Allen's predictions - Frank Mobbs FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH: What we can know about heaven from Scripture and the Church - John Young Two views: Vatican II, infallibility and the Church today - James Bogle and John Young New apologetics for the new evangelisation Books: THE ABBESS OF ANDALUSIA: Flannery O'Connor's Spiritual Journey, Lorraine Murray - Terri Kelleher (reviewer) Books: CONVINCED BY THE TRUTH: Embracing the Fullness of Catholic Faith, John Fleming - John McCarthy (reviewer) Books: HANDING ON THE FAITH IN AN AGE OF DISBELIEF, by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The challenge: how to spread God's word in a secular culture - Bishop Arthur Serratelli

HANDING ON THE FAITH IN AN AGE OF DISBELIEF
by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

(Ignatius Press, 2006, 169pp, hardback, $39.95. ISBN: 1-58617-143-7. Available from Freedom Publishing)

This book was originally released in 1983, but its contents are as relevant today as they were almost 30 years ago.

Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), with three other Church leaders, Cardinals Danneels and Macharski and Archbishop Dermot J. Ryan, respectively Archbishops of Brussels, Krakow and Dublin, explore the topic: Why does it seem so hard to transmit the Catholic faith today?

The original lectures were given at the Church of Notre Dame de Fouviere in Lyons and at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The central questions remain of concern today as they were then: Are science, technology and the mass media automatically at odds with Christianity? What are the obstacles that hinder men, women and children from hearing and embracing the Gospel?

To address these, four of the most impressive modern churchmen gathered in France in 1983 for two conferences. This book releases the lectures presented at those meetings with commentaries by four leading French and Belgian scholars: Pierre Yet, Bernard Bro, OP, Georges Bonnect and Jacques Guillet, SJ.

In addition, there is a candid interview with (then) Cardinal Ratzinger about the pressing problems associated with teaching the Faith.

This is a book which should be in every Catholic academic and seminary library.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 23 No 6 (July 2010), p. 18