Closing Argument
What Is Christianity? The Last Writings of Benedict XVI
edited by Elio Guerriero & Georg Gänswein translated by Michael J. Miller
At his abdication from the papal throne in March 2013, Joseph Ratzinger’s writing career seemed to have closed with the publication of the final volume of his Jesus of Nazareth trilogy in the previous year. Ingrained professorial habits die hard, though, with the result that, after recovering somewhat from the exhaustion accumulated during almost five decades of high ecclesiastical office as archbishop, cardinal prefect, and pope, the old scholar was back among his books, engaging in theological discussion, and once more literally picking up his pen: as an example to us all, the late pope never became computer-savvy.
The collection of occasional pieces gathered in What Is Christianity? was ready for printing almost two years before Ratzinger’s death, at which time he wrote to Elio Guerriero insisting on its posthumous issuance:
THIS ARTICLE ONLY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
FOR QUICK ACCESS:
John R. Stephenson taught at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St Catharines, Ontario, for 34 years, until his retirement at the end of 2022.
Get six issues (one year) of Touchstone PLUS full online access including pdf downloads for only $39.95. That's only $3.34 per month!
Get a one-year full-access subscription to the Touchstone online archives for only $19.95. That's only $1.66 per month!
bulk subscriptions
Order Touchstone subscriptions in bulk and save $10 per sub! Each subscription includes 6 issues of Touchstone plus full online access to touchstonemag.com—including archives, videos, and pdf downloads of recent issues for only $29.95 each! Great for churches or study groups.
Transactions will be processed on a secure server.
more on Catholic from the online archives
29.3—May/June 2016
A Deathbed Reflection on Catholic Social Teaching & Our Future Prospects by Karl D. Stephan
35.4—Jul/Aug 2022
The Death Rattle of a Tradition
Contemporary Catholic Thinking on the Question of War by Andrew Latham
24.5—Sept/Oct 2011
A Critical Memoir of Thomas Merton at Gethsemani Abbey by Patrick Henry Reardon
more from the online archives
32.4—July/August 2019
Today's Culture Wars Are Both Ancient & Modern by Allan C. Carlson
19.4—May 2006
The Culture War Is Between Religious Believers on Both Sides by Howard P. Kainz
32.6—November/December 2019
An Open Letter to Christian Readers of Jordan Peterson & Roger Scruton by James Bryson
calling all readers
Please Donate
"There are magazines worth reading but few worth saving . . . Touchstone is just such a magazine."
—Alice von Hildebrand"Here we do not concede one square millimeter of territory to falsehood, folly, contemporary sentimentality, or fashion. We speak the truth, and let God be our judge. . . . Touchstone is the one committedly Christian conservative journal."
Support Touchstone
—Anthony Esolen, Touchstone senior editor
