Joseph Ratzinger: Life in the Church and Living Theology

A key treatise on the theology of Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, by a well-known German theologian, priest, and author. Ratzinger's theology, particularly his ecclesiology (theology of the Church), has dominated theological and ecumenical debates since his election to the Papacy.

This essential study examines Ratzinger's ecclesiology in the light of Vatican II, against the backdrop of the current controversy about what Vatican II really intended to say about the Church's life, liturgy, worship, theology, pastoral mission, and more. Has his doctrine of the Church evolved since Vatican II, or has it remained consistent? Is the Catholic Church one of many churches? Is she a symbol of optimism or a historical fact?

Ratzinger, the theologian, plays an important role in this research, not as the previous Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, but as a thinker and writer.