The Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)

In 1946 the young Joseph Ratzinger read Romano Guardini's classic work The Spirit of the Liturgy. Some 54 years later the (now) Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith has published this work under the same title. Why? He believed that the liturgy of the Roman rite is in a state of crisis, has written this book to call for "a new reverence in the way we treat" the liturgy and "a new understanding of its message and its reality" lest the Catholic Church suffer "irreparable loss." To that end he hopes that this book will contribute to the emergence a new liturgical movement in the Church in much the same way as Guardini's book was seminal to the classical liturgical movement of the twentieth century.

    A timely correction of the widely misunderstood concept of "active participation" in the liturgy is given: "Doing must really stop when we come to the heart of the matter: the oratio. It must be plainly evident that the oratio is the heart of the matter, but that it is important precisely because it provides a space for the actio of God. The almost theatrical entrance of different players into the liturgy, which is so common today, quite simply misses the point. If the liturgy degenerates into general activity, then we have radically misunderstood the 'theo-drama' of the liturgy and lapsed almost into parody."  The Spirit of the Liturgy reminds those entrusted with the preparation for and the celebration of the sacred liturgy -- in its humblest or in its most splendid contexts -- of their duty to allow the liturgy once again to become that sacred encounter of God who was made flesh and blood for our salvation. This, after all, was Guardini's aim, and it was the aim of the classical liturgical movement which Cardinal Ratzinger seeks to revive.

Many Religions, One Covenant: Israel, the Church and the World

Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, spans deep divides in modern Catholic scholarship, presenting a compelling Biblical theology, classical in its breadth.  He presents a lucid summary of the central theological issues arising out of the covenant shared by Jews and Christians. The Covenant not only bridges the gap between the Old and New Testament and the Scriptures with Tradition, but fills in the gaps providing common ground for dogma and authority.  As Scott Hahn notes, the new Pope proposes "a fully integrated Christian life, with Christ at the center of the Scriptures, but also at the center of the Church today.  For in the Eucharist he is still, as ever, fulfilling the Old Covenant and ratifying the New."

Pilgrim Fellowship: The Church as Communion by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)  On the occasion of the Cardinal's seventy-fifth birthday, his former students have selected essays, lectures, letters, and conferences that Ratzinger has written in recent years-writing that they feel best represents the position of the Cardinal on issues of theology, the modern world, secularism, non-Christian religions, and other key topics of the Catholic Church. This book, characterized by Ratzinger's concisely reasoned style, is an invaluable resource to those who wish to understand the modern Church, as well as a treasured volume for those who are students of Ratzinger’s theology.