The author of the book of hebrews notes, now faith is the assurance of things hoped for. Resurgent in the midst of crisis, noble beauty, transcendent holiness. So says benedict xvi in spe salvi paragraph 31, his second encyclical, and the entire elegant and closely reasoned essay is an argument in defense of the claim. Spe salvi by hope we were saved, with these words pope benedict. The aquinas institutes hardcover latinenglish editions of aquinass commentaries on the letters of st. Although thomas aquinass influence over philosophy endures to this day, the medieval genius did not consider himself a philosopher, but a scripture scholar. In his second encyclical, spe salvi, benedict xvi explains the concept of faithbased hope in the new testament and the early church. Pope benedict xvis second encyclical, spe salvi which is. Jul 29, 2018 section 47 is my favorite in the encyclical spe salvi by pope benedict xvi.
We tend to forget that the topic of hell is rooted in the last book of the republic. The novel wonderfully conveys the flatness and boredom of a world without god. Theology division booklist saint charles borromeo seminary. Jan 01, 2007 in spe salvi saved in hope pope emeritus benedict xvi explores mans historical, social and spiritual existence in the world, and how this existence is dependent upon hope. In this special deluxe hardcover edition of the work, the holy father continues a line of thought he began with his first encyclical, god is love. Having just finished my first reading of pope benedicts second encyclical, saved by hope spe salvi, i can pass along a summary of its riches. This second encyclical follows deus caritas est, pope benedict xvis reflectio. Encyclical letter of the supreme pontiff benedict xvi. A friend of mine in vermont recently urged me to read it, and i did.
Benedict xvis second encyclical spe salvi might be considered a. Benedict xvi offers the second in a possible triptych of. The comboxes are for me part and parcel of reading blogs. Dec 12, 2007 salvation is offered to us, the pope says, in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present. Spe salvi, the popes second encyclical page 3 the pope. Jan 11, 2021 freedom presupposes that in fundamental decisions every person and every generation is a new beginning, he quotes benedict from spe salvi 24.
The spe salvi papal letter acknowledges the presentday crisis of faith, writes paddy agnew there is an undoing of past suffering, a reparation that sets things aright. Spe salvi encyclical letter of pope benedict xvi my illinois state. Benedicts theology underwent developments over the years, many of which were characterized by his leadership position in the congregation for the. Pope benedict asserts that in today s society the crisis of faith is in fact a crisis of hope. In his second encyclical, pope benedict xvi discusses the themes of christian hope, redemption, and salvation and testifies that faith and hope are intertwined to the eternal life of modern christians. Pope benedict xvi refers to this letter in the encyclic, spe salvi, highlighting the power of christianity as power of the transformation of society. Although this encyclical is more technical than some of the other more recent ones, this is a fundamentally important text that every catholic needs to read. Bible commentaries bible commentaries generally follow the format of books. Spe salvi, encyclical of pope benedict xvi, christian faith, christian hope. Rereading father richard neuhaus american babylon in. Barry michaels stepbystep guide through the complex teachings of spe salvi is most useful, especially for those of us who attempt to.
Spe salvi combines the concern of a true pastor with a rigorous use of the new testament scriptures and an effective appeal to some great voices in the catholic tradition. This protestant blog is wellknown and has theologianstudenttheologian contributors. Deus caritas est, the first letter, was a celebration of love. The second encyclical of pope benedict xvi is entitled spe salvi. Here pope benedict is returning to the positive meaning of. He says that christianity was very important to the large decrease of slavery during the middle ages and after. Its opening words quote the apostle pauls paradoxical assertion that hope for a future with god somehow constitutes salvation even now by hope we are saved spe salvi facti sumus rom 8. He is also the author of four books about traditional catholicism. As is typical of papal encyclicals, references in spe salvi tend to focus on scripture, the patristic fathers, and a handful of medieval theologians. The only notable difference is the inclusion of the commentary series and volume number with no separating comma. Topics include the nature of specifically christian hope, the meaning of.
Dec 01, 2007 having just finished my first reading of pope benedicts second encyclical, saved by hope spe salvi, i can pass along a summary of its riches, without obscuring them through excessive personal. Indeed, perhaps benedicts most challenging, yet affectionate, critique. Nov 30, 2007 spe salvi facti sumus in hope we were saved, says saint paul to the romans, and likewise to us rom 8. Nov 30, 2007 its called spe salvi, or in hope we were saved, and was released this morning, the feast of st. Jul 01, 2009 liberty blooms only in a mature civilization, a culture in which the discipline to act virtuously is widespread. Spe salvi facti sumusin hope we were saved, says saint paul to the romans, and likewise to us rom 8. The importance of hope in the contemporary world in the. N his second encyclical, spe salvi, pope benedict xvi eloquently testifies to the meaning and significance of christian hope. As a cradle protestant, now catholic, i love benedicts spe salvi encyclical.
Pope benedicts second encyclical is out acton institute. Benedict has systematically touched upon the three theological virtues. But it also strikes me that benedicts reflections on hope are informed as well by the 20th centurys greatest roman catholic theologian, karl rahner, although rahner is never explicitly referenced. Peter andrew kwasniewski born 22 march 1971 is an american traditionalist catholic writer and composer of sacred music. We see how decisively the selfunderstanding of the early christians was. He asserts in the second half of his teaching that what is needed.
Jul 05, 2016 such has been the witness of many popes to the great yet seemingly unwieldy literary classic that contains the famous grand inquisitor scene. Online council documents similar to an e book accessed through a database vatican. Jan 21, 2008 pope attacks the cruelty of atheism and pope replies to the god delusion by richard dawkins were two of the headlines that greeted benedict xvis second encyclical, saved by hope spe salvi. He suggests a redirection of often shortsighted hopes. It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting. Having just finished my first reading of pope benedicts second encyclical, saved by hope spe salvi, i can pass along a summary of its riches, without obscuring them through excessive personal. The message contained in spe salvi will fill you with hope and gratitude to god. Cardinal nguyen van thuan, the late vietnamese prelate who spent years in a communist prison, and who wrote a book on the experience titled prayers. It bears the date november 30, feast of saint andrew the apostle. Thomas aquinas compendium theologiae 148152, 172198, commentary on i corinthians 15 st. In fact christianity was decisive to the virtual disappearance of slavery during the middle ages.
Pope benedict recalls a precious book by cardinal van thuan. I came upon this piece during an unrelated search on the web. Pope john paul ii referred to it when answering a youths question about the suffering of innocents. Pope benedict xvi issued his second encyclical letter, spe salvi. The theology of pope benedict xvi, as promulgated during his pontificate, consists mainly of three encyclical letters on love 2005, hope 2007, and charity in truth 2009, as well as apostolic documents and various speeches and interviews. According to the christian faith, redemptionsalvation. In history, some christians used the book to justify slavery. Nov 16, 2019 as pope benedict xvi points out in spe salvi, a society that rejects christ does not simply move on. The encyclical contains over 18,900 words, divided into fifty paragraphs, and organized into an intro. The full text of spe salve, published 30 november 2007, can be read on. Augustines press published a new edition of robert hugh bensons 1907 novel, the lord of the world. Dec 15, 2007 spe salvi challenges nearly everyone on the planet, from agnostic secularists who set their sights on economic development and scientific progress to marxist revolutionaries, and everyone in between, including lutherans and neopagan environmentalists. Pope attacks the cruelty of atheism and pope replies to the god delusion by richard dawkins were two of the headlines that greeted benedict xvis second encyclical, saved by hope spe salvi.
It is available in several locations including vatican. The franciscan journey embracing the franciscan vision. Pope benedicts encyclical spe salvi, released in late 2007, begins with this. Perfect for the layperson looking for a deeper understanding of scripture and tradition, with over 80 titles, including the rsvce bible, the catechism of the catholic church, all the encyclicals of john paul ii and benedict xvi, and the videos and books for the bible and the virgin mary and the bibl. Light of the teachings of the encyclical spe salvi. Epistle to philemon simple english wikipedia, the free. Real hope must be based on faith in god who is love. Pope benedicts ray of hope january 10, 2008 i am so sorry it took me two months to read pope benedict xvis remarkable encyclical, spe salvi. Spe salvi is a challenging but nonetheless truly rewarding endeavor for any reader. As is customary for papal encyclicals, the latin title of spe salvi comes from its incipit, which quotes st. According to the christian faith, redemptionsalvationis not simply a given. Spe salvi is a rich reflection on hope in a relatively small package.
Nov 30, 2007 spe salvi by hope we were saved, with these words pope benedict xvi begins his second encyclical, which was released today. Dec 05, 2007 benedict xvis new encyclical on christian hope is now available online. Include the series or volume number after the series. Love and hope are closely related in the spiritual life. Pope benedict xvi refers to this letter in the encyclic, spe salvi, to tell of the power of christianity to improve society. Pope benedict xvis spe salvi reading group blackfriars. Spe salvi pope benedict xvi in the uk the papal visit. Scripture, commentaries, and creeds biblical citation. He says that what is needed is a selfcritique of modern society, along with the rediscovery and living of christian hope.
Augustine on the grace of christ benedict xvi spe salvi. Pope benedict xvi mentions the novel in spe salvi as a counterexample to popular universalism. We see how decisively the self understanding of the early christians was. It requires a political order in which the proclivity to acquire power is checked by constitutional limits and, more critically, by the moral formation of electorates and officials alike. The document which has an introduction and eight chapters begins with a quote from the letter of st paul to the romans. Jan 18, 2008 spe salvi did not quite capture the attention of the media in the way in which benedicts first encyclical letter, issued on 25 december 2005, did. The holy fathers encyclical spe salvi came out in 2007, when i was writing the book, and i used it throughout. Spe salvi, referencing the latin phrase from romans 8. Pope issues new encyclical on virtue of christian hope. Some 30 years earlier, joseph ratzinger had written what many consider his most cogent and profound work. The entire encyclical can be read in an hour, though an extended meditation by way of spiritual reading would certainly be. It is a gift to catholics and i think to prolifers in particular. Spe salvi challenges nearly everyone on the planet, from agnostic secularists who set their sights on economic development and scientific progress to marxist revolutionaries, and everyone in between, including lutherans and neopagan environmentalists.
Pope benedict xvis encyclical letter, spe salvi, saved in hope, calls all christians to live lives of action inspired by hope and faith in god. Oct 19, 2018 as pope benedict xvi reflects in his encyclical, spe salvi, today as in the past, this is what being baptized, becoming christians, is all about. Mar 24, 2011 spe salvi argues for the urgency of repairing that rupture, as it was reason and faith together that formed christianity into a universal religion and awakened man to the need for theological. In his second encyclical letter, spe salvi in hope we are saved, benedict elaborated on themes explored in the book that so much served to. Jan 01, 2008 indeed, in spe salvi pope benedict xvi wrote that cardinal van thuan became for people all over the world a witness to hopeto that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude.
Write the commentary series in headlinestyle capitalization no italics in the note and bibliography. I think its fair to say the book is an extended commentary on this extraordinary document. Benedict relates the story of josephine bakhita as an example of the contrast between a prior, pagan way of life. Spe salvi in hope we were saved are the opening words of the new encyclical letter from pope benedict xvi. Spe salvi challenges modern society and todays christianity to. Saved in hope, referencing the latin phrase from romans 8. Pope benedict xvis second encyclical, saved in hope, spe salvi in latin takes its title from st. Mike aquilina is the author or coauthor of over forty books, including the bestselling the fathers of the church. Indeed, perhaps benedicts most challenging, yet affectionate. Michaels convenient guide breaks down each of the encyclicals complex topics, providing essential background information and clear explanations. Saved in hope quotes goodreads meet your next favorite book. His books include the coming of god and the crucified god. Paul center in steubenville, ohio, and was formerly on the faculty of wyoming catholic college.
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