Jesus of Nazareth The Illustrated Edition

This illustrated edition of the bold, momentous book written by Pope Benedict XVI is beautifully adorned with reproductions of classic works by a veritable pantheon of classic paintersfrom Tiepolo to Chagall. Begun before his election to the papacy, the book contains masterfully cogent and accessible essays on the life of Jesus, including his baptism, his temptation in the desert, the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord's Prayer, the disciples, the parables, the principal images of John's Gospel, Peter's confession and Jesus's Transfiguration, and Jesus's two self-descriptions, "Son of Man" and "Son." Pope Benedict XVI responds to the revisionist historical literature that makes Jesus a man of his time and place, and he discusses recent archaeological, historical, anthropological, and sociological research. As sensitive as it is erudite and brilliant, this edition is lavishly illustrated with handsome reproductions of classical depictions of Jesus by a roster of eminent artists, including Caravaggio, Tintoretto, Veronese, Bellini, Kandinsky, Gauguin, Matisse, and many others.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, 2005, and became the 264th successor to Peter as the "Vicar of Jesus Christ." He may well be the most accomplished theologian to be elected Pope in modern times. Beginning in 1981 he spent over 20 years as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a role often depicted as the "defender of the faith." Mons. Gianfranco Ravasi is the current President of the Pontifical Council for Culture.