Give the Pope This Christmas

When I was young, my mother would bring me to the library every week. Because I was a voracious reader, she did not worry whether I would read the books I checked out. But she did make a rule to help me choose the right books, and it has stuck with me ever since.

I could check out as many “meat and potatoes” books as I wanted, but only one or two “twinkies.” The difference is clear, the substantial books that would help my mind grow were “meat and potatoes” and the books that would simply entertain my mind were “twinkies.” This simple rule has helped me discern my media consumption throughout my entire life. Thanks to this rule, I am careful not to feed my mind a regular diet of sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.

One “meat and potatoes” book I am currently reading is Pope Benedict XVI”s Jesus of Nazareth – The Infancy Narratives, the last book in the series of three books on Jesus. The media has had a field day covering the release of this book, (apparently without taking much time to actually read it). All over, media outlets are sensationalizing the book, some claiming that Benedict is “challenging Christmas traditions.”

Many reports focused on what they considered to be Pope Benedict”s “claim” that there were no animals in the stable at the birth of Jesus. Interestingly, the only line which could possibly be construed as a claim that there were no animals at the birth is: “In the Gospel, there is no reference to animals at this point.” Pope Benedict goes on to affirm the likely presence of animals, but simply notes that the Gospel makes no mention of them. This is hardly news-worthy.

I have a sneaking suspicion that one reporter skimmed the book, picked a few things to sensationalize and the rest of the media outlets copied and pasted. I would chalk this up to the norm in mediocre media coverage and move on, but I am particularly saddened in this instance because most people, including many faithful Catholics, will likely stop at reading the news articles. Many people feel they do not have the time to read this or any of the books the pope has written. They are scholarly, dense with profound ideas, and hence, for some, difficult  to wade through.

But, of all three books in the series, this is the one to start with! It is short and very readable. Many people have told me they don”t read the pope”s books because they are “not smart enough.” But I am convinced that anyone can read Pope Benedict – he has a very clear and straightforward style of writing. You just have to read slowly!

And this book is worth a slow read – one that savors, digests and metabolizes.

For me, this book and the others in the series, have been very enlightening, especially in understanding how one can read Scripture in the modern world with reason and faith. In the world of exegesis, or interpretation of Scriptural texts, the historical critical method is king. This method focuses on the historical origins of a text and compares them to other texts written at the time. This is a valid way to approach Scripture, one that the pope himself approves of, but if used exclusively and not in union with faith, it can drain Scripture of its life. Reading some modern exegetes is like dissecting a dry bone, it is all reason and “fact” based conjecture. Rather than applying reason that is lifted on the wings of faith, much of modern exegesis falls straight to the ground, like a dull, uninspiring rock.

Unfortunately, accepting the historicity of much of the Gospel is laughable in some of these circles and simple faith is seen as naive. In his book, Pope Benedict makes it clear that simple faith is not laughable. At one point, he writes strongly: ” what Matthew and Luke set out to do, each in his own way, was not to tell “stories” but to write history.” He also defends the historicity of the miracles of the virgin birth and Jesus” resurrection with strong words: “These two moments – the virgin birth and the real resurrection from the tomb – are the cornerstones of faith. If God does not have power over matter, then he simply is not God.”

Throughout the book, Pope Benedict responds to current trends in Scripture scholarship and modern thought in a way only he can. With humility and grace, Benedict opens up the Gospel both faithfully and reasonably. Using the Church Fathers, modern and age-old scholarship, his own exegesis and personal, prayerful reflection, Pope Benedict presents the infancy narratives in a way that is comprehensible, reasonable, historically-based, and at the same time faithful and inspiring.

It is a rare feat, and one that faithful Christians will be learning from for years to come.

So, come on – do your faith a favor –  and get a few extra copies for friends.