Friday Favorites: April 11
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- April
- 11
Just in time for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York, here are some suggestions of what to read to get yourself in the know and to be prepared.
These recommendations come from our esteemed religion reporter Gary Stern, who is getting ready for the papal visit and our coverage of the event. He is the author of “Can God Intervene? How Religion Explains Natural Disasters” (Greenwood Publishing, 2007) and has covered religion for a decade.
Here’s what Stern offers:
“Jesus of Nazareth,” by Pope Benedict XVI (Doubleday, 2007). The pope gets down to the basics. Some of it will be a bit academic for newcomers to theological prose, but much of it is a clear and direct examination of who Jesus was—from a leading Catholic theologian of the age.
“The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World” by David Gibson (HarperOne, 2006). A precise and well-written introduction to Benedict’s life and thought, as well as his early days as pope. It’s a great place to start for those who have been curious about that Ratzinger fellow.
“101 Questions & Answers on Popes and the Papacy” by Christopher M. Bellitto (Paulist Press, 2008): This brand new book is a smart yet understandable guide to the history, meaning and influence of the papacy. It will answer many of the questions that pope watchers have been asking themselves for years. (And Gary talked about this book on his own blog, Blogging Religiously just yesterday.)
“A People Adrift: The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America” by Peter Steinfels (Simon & Schuster, hardcover 2003, paperback 2004). Written in the aftermath of the sex-abuse crisis, this book remains a timely and fresh look (things change very slowly in the Catholic world) at the myriad challenges facing the Catholic Church in the U.S.
Happy reading — and thanks Gary!
This entry was posted
on Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 8:04 am by Barbara Nackman.
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A municipal reporter for The Journal News since 1997, 
