Theologian of the Heart

David G. Bonagura, Jr. of the University Bookman has written a nice review of two recent books by Aidan Nichols and Tracey Rowland that trace the theology of Pope Benedict XVI:

The depth of Ratzinger’s thought . . . requires careful and measured analysis, more so now due to his elevation to the papacy. Meeting this need, the complementary books by Father Aidan Nichols, O.P., and Tracey Rowland offer both comprehensive explanations of Ratzinger’s work and an account of his theological vision, which fixates on God’s revelation through the person of Jesus Christ . . . .

With their different emphases, the two theologians illuminate the pope’s background, history, and influences, along with the full scope of his theological vision. Both conclude that at the center of Ratzinger’s theology is the person of Jesus Christ, whose self revelation, in the words of Nichols, occurred “to satisfy the deepest needs of human subjectivity.” The pursuit of the truth as revealed in Jesus Christ, not the building of a philosophical or moral system, has animated the theology of Joseph Ratzinger from the beginning, and this pursuit continues in the pontificate of Benedict XVI.