The Meaning of Christian Brotherhood

Rating:
Summary: Great Analyses of Christian Brotherhood
Review: Cardinal Ratzinger amazes me yet again in this well thought out book on the meaning of Christian brotherhood. In this short (90 pages) book Ratzinger sets out to analyze what the word brother means in the Christian view of the world. He starts with an analysis of how the word was used throughout history, from the ancient Greeks to the Jewish community. He then moves to the New Testament and analysis how Jesus uses the word, how it is used by Paul and finally by John. Ratzinger than analyzes how the term was used by the Church fathers, and there unique take on the subject. Throughout this process, Ratzinger gives great biblical insights connecting the Old Testament to the New Testament and informs the reader of the differences between the biblical understanding of brotherhood and our contemporary understanding of it, whether taught by the enlightenment, or Marxist philosophy. He also mentions some external elements that may have dictated certain definitions, when involved with analyzing the historical understanding of brotherhood. Ratzinger also gives a general overview of how unique and contrary to common understanding this teaching was at the time.

Ratzinger than demonstrates how this view is incorporated into Christian theology. He emphasizes the need to first properly understand the fatherhood of God, and how this is necessary to properly understand Christian brotherhood. How it is necessary to see this brotherhood through God's fatherhood and Christ's divine sonship by means of the Eucharist. He also briefly touches upon how vastly different this fatherhood concept in Christianity is from other forms of fatherhood found in other religions.

He then gives the historical barriers that were destroyed because of this newfound understanding. Whether it was to eliminate racial, national or economic boundaries, or to create, for the first time in history, a brotherhood where man and female are equals. He also gives the responsibility the Christian brother has to the non-believer. Cardinal Ratzinger than gives the limits of this unique understanding. This chapter is necessary to set the limits on how far you can take the meaning and to clarify what Ratzinger is not saying.

The final chapter deals with the relationship of this view of Christian brotherhood to the divine mission of Jesus Christ. Throughout this chapter, Ratzinger demonstrates how necessary it is to look at Christian brotherhood through Christ acts of Redemption and salvation history. He then delves into how this reflects on how we should act, as Christian brothers united to Christ. Throughout this process, Ratzinger gives wonderful insights and shows how Christian brotherhood, and only Christian brotherhood, truly gives the most unifying concept of brotherhood.

Ratzinger finishes the book with a short postscript on how Catholics view how Protestants fit into this overall understanding of Christian brotherhood. How, to Catholics, it fits well to call them "separated brethren". Which stresses both points that need to be stressed, when a Catholic addresses a protestant. The first is the need to let the protestant know that he is closer, much closer, to the brotherhood of the Church than the non-believer, but still needs to be reminded of Christ wish that the Church should be one.

One last point that needs to be mentioned, Scott Hahn only writes the foreword for this book. The book was written long before Scott Hahn became Catholic, so Scott Hahn merely praises the book and the author, on how influential they were to his conversion. With this in mind, this is definitely a very thought provoking book that needs to be read by everybody who is interested in the relationship of the Christian to the non-believer and how this is taught through salvation history.