Summary
First published:Einführung in das Christentum, 1968 (English translation, 1969)
Edition(s) used:Introduction to Christianity, translated by J. R. Foster with a new preface translated by Michael J. Miller. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004
Genre(s): Nonfiction
Subgenre(s): Theology
Core issue(s): Catholics and Catholicism; church; faith; Jesus Christ; the Trinity; union with God
Overview
Joseph Ratzinger, known as Pope Benedict XVI, uses the Apostles’ Creed as a way of explaining the components of Christianity. At the center of the creed and in turn, of Christianity, is Jesus Christ, who is God made man. The name “Jesus Christ” itself explains Christ’s divine and human nature. “Jesus” is an expression of his humanity while “Christ” (from Greek Christos, anointed) describes how he is indeed the Son of God. Thus, his name is a unification of his divine and human natures.
In Christianity, the single most important event is the Resurrection. Particularly for the time period, Jesus’ death was unique among other religions. In many ancient belief systems, it was common for the believer to make a sacrifice to the gods, which was usually in the form of a slaughtered animal. However, in Christianity, it is Jesus who is making the sacrifice. Despite the sins that have been committed by human beings, Jesus, who is free from Original Sin, is the one who makes the sacrifice.
With Christ’s death, as it is explained in the Apostles’ Creed, Jesus goes down into hell or, more precisely, Sheol, and rises up into heaven. This allows for the deceased to enter heaven. Before Jesus’ death, hell and death were closely connected. According to Ratzinger, hell is loneliness. Thus, so was death. However, when Christ died, death was no longer characterized in this manner. Now that people could enter heaven, death meant being united with God and thus, Jesus.
In the context of the Apostles’ Creed, Jesus is the only one who can make the decision whether people can go to heaven, Ratzinger says. It is not only faith but also the works people do that will gain them entrance there. As he points out, serving others is a key component to the Christian life. The Christian is concerned not only with being saved but also with helping those in need.
While it is certainly important for Christians to give and serve, it is equally important for them to receive. For instance, love is not something that can be made. Part of what it means to be human is to allow oneself to be loved. Moreover, Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate sign of love; Christians have to be open to receive it.
Given that Christians should serve and love others, Christianity is anything but a solitary religion. Ratzinger says it is a faith grounded in community and interaction. It is Christians’ fellowship with other believers that allows them to have a relationship with God. The Roman Catholic Church is an example of this. A church is not just a building that encompasses a hierarchy of religious positions but rather is a place where people gather as a community to worship God and therefore, Christ. Additionally, a church is a means of bringing together people from different ethnic and economic backgrounds. That is the idea behind the term “catholic.” Essentially, it means unity of churches throughout the world.
Another vital component of the Apostles’ Creed is the sacrament of Baptism. Ratzinger states, “The basic form of our profession of faith took shape during the course of the second and third centuries in connection with the ceremony of baptism.” This particular sacrament becomes important...
(This entire section contains 1390 words.)
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to the Apostles’ Creed as a result of invoking the Trinity, which is found in Matthew 28:19:
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Since the Apostles’ Creed deals with the components of Christianity, it is only fitting that the Trinity is important as well.
Essentially, the Trinity reflects that there are three persons in one God. Ratzinger quotes Saint Augustine as saying, “He is not called Father with reference to himself but only in relation to the Son; seen by himself he is simply God.” The same idea can be seen in the Bible. In the Old Testament, one sees him as “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” and in the New Testament, he is “the God of Jesus Christ.” This does not mean that God is different in the Old and New Testaments. He is still the same God, but the relationship between God and people changes. On one hand, God is seen as the Father, and on the other hand, he is seen as the Son and the brother of all humanity. Additionally, especially after the Resurrection, God as the Holy Spirit is significant for the continuation of the proclaiming of Jesus’ message.
Last, the Apostles’ Creed touches on the importance of the Virgin Mary. She, who conceives Christ without having any sexual relations, is considered the Mother of God. Ratzinger says the importance of Mary is not only in her role as Christ’s mother but also in the tremendous amount of faith, hope, and trust in God she reveals by accepting this role. He explains that Mary is a role model for all human beings. She teaches people how to put all their confidence in God.
Christian Themes
Ratzinger explains in depth the concepts of faith and communion with God. He explains that what cannot be seen by humans is reality. He says that this idea is what gives people the ability to exist. The core of human existence does not rely on the tangible; instead, it is the intangible that is of importance. God cannot be physically seen, but it is God who creates human life and without him, people would not exist.
Furthermore, with the issue of faith arises the concept of doubt. Ratzinger claims that doubt is inevitable. Even someone who strongly believes in Christianity will doubt those beliefs. At the same time, though, the person who does not believe in the tenets of Christianity will question that nonbelief, wondering if maybe there is a reason to believe. In this sense, the believer and the nonbeliever are connected in that they both doubt their beliefs. Even the nonbeliever’s choosing not to believe in Christianity is a belief of sorts.
As for those who do believe in Christianity, it is important for them to understand how faith is a dialogue. Ratzinger states, “The Creed is a formula that forms the residue of the original dialogue: ’Do you believe—I do believe.’” Essentially, it is a conversation in which a person hears, receives, and answers. This idea is the opposite from philosophy, where the person uses thought to reflect on a certain concept and then that person puts that concept into words. Faith, though, is not something that arrives because of a person’s thoughts. It comes from outside the person. In the case of Christianity, it comes from God and is followed by the individual answers.
More than one human being experiences this dialogue or conversation with God. According to Ratzinger, the relationship one individual has with God cannot be separated from the fellowship that individual has with other people. This is why the establishment of the Church is so important to Christianity. It is worshiping as a community that allows this dialogue with God to take place. Ratzinger explains that God’s conversation with humans work through the interactions people have with one another. If people do not worship God as a community, then this contact with others will fail to take place.
Sources for Further Study
- Allen, John L., Jr. Pope Benedict XVI: A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000. Biography of Ratzinger up until he became pope. Also contains a list of his works.
- Haas, John M., ed. Crisis of Conscience. New York: Crossroad, 1996. A group of essays centering on the issue of discerning right from wrong. Ratzinger writes the first essay, “Conscience and Truth.”
- Ratzinger, Joseph Cardinal. Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith: The Church as Communion. Edited by Stephan Otto Horn and Vinzenz Pfnür. Translated by Henry Taylor. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2005. Group of essays and lectures dealing with various topics on the Catholic Church.
