I was given this book as a gift. I could hardly put it down and finished it in just a few days, it was that good. It is more approachable and readable than other books by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict.
The book covers the life of Jesus between his baptism and the transfiguration. Note that the most celebrated events, his birth, death, and resurrection, are not the focus of this book. And yet, Pope Benedict manages to weave together a very interesting narrative and analysis of who Jesus is, and why he stands out from his time in history until now.
Before anyone reads this book, they should have first read the whole Bible. There are plenty of references to the New Testament, Isaiah, Psalms, and the Torah (books of Moses). Most references are self contained, including quotes from the Revised Standard Version Bible. Sometimes the references include only partial or no quotes. In either case, it helps to be able to put things in context in your head, so it helps to be familiar with the text of the Bible before hand.
Pope Benedict is a first rate theological scholar. By the way, there is practically nothing Catholic-specific in this book - everything applies to all Christians. The point of view is conservative, decidedly not liberal. You will no doubt see positive reviews by Protestants and Mormons of this book. Sometimes the tone is a bit scholarly, discussing the work of other theologians. All in all, probably not a good book for someone who is unfamiliar with the Bible.
I cannot recommend it highly enough. This is one of most inspired and intelligently written books I own. In the preface, Pope Benedict promises to write a sequel about the rest of Jesus' life, and I look forward to that next book.Get more detail about Jesus of Nazareth.
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