Saint Paul: General Audience Talks

by Pope Benedict XVI

St. Paul is one of the most important figures in Christian history. As Saul of Tarsus he vigorously persecuted Christianity, even collaborating in the death of Christianity's first martyr, Stephen. His encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus changed Paul's life, the Christian Church, and world history. More than anyone else in the early Church, Paul saw the universal nature of the Christian message. He became the Apostle to the Gentiles and the "Teacher of the Nations". As the human author of half of the New Testament, Paul is a figure who cannot be overlooked by anyone who wants to understand Jesus Christ and Christianity. In this book, Pope Benedict XVI, a profound spiritual leader in his own right and a first-rate theologian and Bible commentator, explores the legacy of Paul. Pope Benedict follows the course of the Apostle's life, including his missionary journeys and his relationship with the other apostles of Jesus such as St. Peter and St. James, and Paul's martyrdom in Rome. Benedict also examines such questions Did Paul know Jesus during his earthly life and how much of Jesus' teaching and ministry did he know of? Did Paul distort the teachings of Jesus? What role did Jesus' death and resurrection play in Paul's teaching? What are we to make of Paul's teaching about the end of the world? What does Paul's teaching say about the differences between Catholic and Protestant Christians over salvation and the roles of faith and works in the Christian life? How have modern Catholic and Protestant scholars come together in their understanding of Paul? What does Paul have to teach us today about living a spiritual life?

These and other important issues are addressed in this masterful, inspirational, and highly-readable presentation of St. Paul and his writings by one of today's great spiritual teachers, Pope Benedict XVI.

"The Apostle Paul, an outstanding and almost inimitable yet stimulating figure, stands before us as an example of total dedication to the Lord and to his Church, as well as of great openness to humanity and its cultures." �Pope Benedict XVI

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Theology, Biography, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Originally Joseph Ratzinger , a noted conservative theologian before his election in 2005, Benedict XVI strove against the influence of secularism during his papacy to defend traditional Catholic teachings but since medieval times first resigned in 2013.

After Joseph Ratzinger served a long career as an academic and a professor at the University of Regensburg, Pope Paul VI appointed him as archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome as prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, one most important office of the Roman curia. He also served as dean of the college of cardinals.

Benedict XVI reigned 265th in virtue of his office of bishop of Rome, the sovereign of the state of Vatican City and the head of the Church. A conclave named him on 19 April 2005; he celebrated his inaugural Mass on 24 April 2005 and took possession of his Lateran cathedral basilica of Saint John on 7 May 2005.

Benedict XVI succeeded Saint John Paul II, predecessor and his prolific writings on doctrine and values. Benedict XVI advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increase of many developed countries. Relativism denied objective truth and moral truths in particular; he viewed this central problem of the 21st century. With the importance of the Church, he understood redemptive love of God. He reaffirmed the "importance of prayer in the face of the activism" "of many Christians engaged in charitable work." Benedict also revived a number and elevated the Tridentine Mass to a more prominent position.

Benedict founded and patronized of the Ratzinger foundation, a charitable organization, which from the sale of books and essays makes money to fund scholarships and bursaries for students across the world.

Due to advanced age on 11 February 2013, Benedict announced in a speech in Latin and cited a "lack of strength of mind and body" before the cardinals. He effectively left on 28 February 2013.As emeritus, Benedict retained the style of His Holiness, and the title and continued to dress in the color of white. He moved into the newly renovated monastery of Mater Ecclesiae for his retirement. Pope Francis succeeded him on 13 March 2013.

(more info on Ratzinger Foundation: https://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology...)

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

June 1-17, 2017: This was my second time to listen to this audio rendition of Pope (Emeritus) Benedict XVI’s book, Saint Paul. The first time was five years ago. It was published in 2009 following the ‘Year of St. Paul’ to coincide with the estimated year of his birth and consisted of a series of weekly audiences given by the then pontiff. My reason for returning to it now was as a basis of comparison with Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Apostle Paul and because there was so much I did not remember.

It’s always interesting to see what stands (jumps?) out at me – and others in texts like this. Last time it was the pope’s definition of ‘an apostle’. Perhaps that was something I was trying to pin down in my own life at the time. I don’t really remember, but my review (below) is taken up with it.

This time, my mind glommed on to the word ‘mystery’ and the several times it cropped up. If you were raised Catholic, you are familiar with the expression, “It’s a mystery!” as an answer to any number of questions you might want to ask. For example, “But how can God be three persons in one God?” And, “How can the Holy Spirit ‘overshadow’ Mary?” And, “How can a GOOD God allow evil?” You can see how, “It’s a mystery!” is multi-purpose.

Later, though, it doesn’t work so well. Inquiring minds, as they say, want to know. And yet, it is still true that there are in Christianity undeniably impenetrable and unanswerable mysteries. Recently I was led by the book, The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise to The Mysteries of Christianity, a brick. I have just peaked into it and though I doubt I will understand ¼ of it even if by some miracle I manage to read ½ of it, it looks fascinating. It will soon go on a brand new shelf, called, books-I-plan-to-be-reading-until-I-die.

In Saint Paul Pope Benedict XVI talks about what we learn from St. Paul on the Mystery of Evil:

“Faith tells us that there are not two principles, one good and one evil, but there is only one single principle, God the Creator, and this principle is good, only good, without a shadow of evil. And therefore, being too is not a mixture of good and evil; being as such is good and therefore it is good to be, it is good to live. This is the good news of the faith: only one good source exists, the Creator. Therefore living is a good, it is a good thing to be a man or a woman. Life is good. Then follows a mystery of darkness, or night. Evil does not come from the source of being itself, it is not equally primal. Evil comes from a freedom created, from a freedom abused.

How was it possible, how did it happen? This remains obscure. Evil is not logical. Only God and good are logical, are light. Evil remains mysterious. It is presented as such in great images, as it is in chapter 3 of Genesis, with that scene of the two trees, of the serpent, of sinful man: a great image that makes us guess but cannot explain what is itself illogical. We may guess, not explain; nor may we recount it as one fact beside another, because it is a deeper reality. It remains a mystery of darkness, of night. But a mystery of light is immediately added. Evil comes from a subordinate source. God with his light is stronger. And therefore evil can be overcome. Thus the creature, man, can be healed.”

There was also information about the Mystery of Christ and the Incarnation—another of the 10 Big Mysteries discussed in Scheeben’s book—in one of the Pope’s later audiences. Sadly, including that would make this review impossibly long.

Time/age have given me an appreciation for Mystery, with a capital ‘M’. Now rather than seeing them as dead-ends, they appear as open doors to yet unexplored worlds. So I offer the above quote and indeed the entire mystery of our Christian faith as a starting point for contemplative and compassionate living out of the Gospel message.

That would seem to be the ultimate use for St. Paul’s corpus of writing.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

February 22, 2012: There were many things I enjoyed about Saint Paul by Pope Benedict XVI but probably my favorite chapter was the fourth, entitled ‘Saint Paul's Concept of Apostolate’. It can be read on-line here. As everyone familiar with the Holy Scriptures knows, St. Paul is often referred to as the ‘Apostle of the Gentiles’, although he was not one of the original twelve, nor did he know or follow Jesus while Our Lord lived and taught during his years of active ministry. Nevertheless, Paul is considered an apostle; some would even call him The Apostle. The Catholic Church honors him in a joint feast day with St. Peter, fellow martyr in Rome. However it is his three part definition of an apostle, which Pope Benedict culls from the Apostle’s own writings, which I would like to draw attention to.

‘...according to St Paul's conception, what is it that makes him and others apostles? In his Letters three principal characteristics of the true apostle appear. The first is to have “seen Jesus our Lord” (cf. 1 Cor 9: 1), that is, to have had a life-changing encounter with him. Similarly, in his Letter to the Galatians (cf. 1: 15-16) Paul was to say that he had been called or chosen, almost, through God's grace with the revelation of his Son, in view of proclaiming the Good News to the Gentiles. In short, it is the Lord who appoints to the apostolate and not one's own presumption. ...

The second characteristic is “to have been sent”. The same Greek term apostolos means, precisely, “sent, dispatched”, that is as ambassador and bearer of a message; he must therefore act as having been charged and as representing a sender. It is for this reason that Paul describes himself as an “apostle of Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1: 1; 2 Cor 1: 1), that is, his delegate, placed totally at his service, even to the point that he also calls himself "a servant of Christ Jesus" (Rm 1: 1). ...

The third requisite is the task of “proclaiming the Gospel”, with the consequent foundation of Churches. Indeed, the title of “apostle” is not and cannot be honorary. It involves concretely and even dramatically the entire life of the person concerned. In his First Letter to the Corinthians Paul exclaims: “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?” (9: 1). Similarly in the Second Letter to the Corinthians he says: “You yourselves are our letters of recommendation... a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God” (3: 2-3). ... This remains the mission of all Christ's apostles in all times: to be his fellow workers in true joy.

To have encountered Him, to have been sent by Him and to devote your entire life to proclaiming the Gospel—that is to be an apostle of Christ, according to St. Paul.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent insight into Saint Paul through scripture and Pope Benedict's eyes.

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with many of the other collections of Pope Benedict's homilies, these are brilliant for simply explaining many basic concepts of the faith through the lens of the great people who have gone before us. In this case, of course, it is St. Paul and his conversion, life, and letters (which became much of the New Testament). Benedict keeps our personal involvement by continually relating all this to each reader and our struggles to live a Christian life in modern days. Being as this is about Paul, these homilies are a bit denser than some others (such as holy women, for example), but Pope Benedict is an expert at making them understandable and accessible.

[Patrick O'Hannigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the book that I hoped it would be, meaning an extended meditation on the life and ministry of Saint Paul, in the same vein as Pope Benedict's earlier (and superlative) two-volume look at Jesus. That said, the book is still worth reading, and sometimes poetic in its theological power.

Ignatius Press transcribed and published a collection of the talks on Saint Paul that were given by Pope Benedict between 2008 and 2009 in "general audiences" associated with the celebration of the jubilee year honoring the Apostle to the Gentiles. Speeches originally delivered in Italian were translated into English by staffers at the Vatican newspaper. Reading each talk in succession is like sitting in a darkened theater while a wise old man at the control board shines a spotlight on different aspects of Paul's thought as it has come down to us through Scripture. Every talk is profound, but some are more memorable than others.

Among the nuggets that I found especially interesting is the pope's contention that Paul never regarded his famous unhorsing-by-Jesus experience on the road to Damascus as a "conversion," per se. That is because "this turning point in his life, this transformation of his whole being was not the fruit of a psychological process, of a maturation or intellectual and moral development. Rather it came from the outside: it was the fruit, not of his thought, but of his encounter with Jesus Christ."

That's the pope: a stickler for grammatical and theological precision.

Pope Benedict is predictably diplomatic when addressing the aspects of Pauline thought that Christians have argued with each other about, most notably Paul's teaching on faith and works. My takeaway from that talk is that (pace Martin Luther and the more zealous of the Reformers) there is no conflict between faith and works, or -- in the canon of New Testament letters -- between the theology of Saint Paul and the theology of Saint James. Each must be understood rightly.

Pope Benedict puts it this way: "...while Paul is primarily concerned to show that faith in Christ is necessary and sufficient, James emphasizes the consequential relations between faith and works (cf. Jas 2:24). Therefore, for both Paul and James, faith that is active in love testifies to the freely given gift of justification in Christ."

You won't find bon mots or sound bites in what this pope says in 132 dense pages, but you will find deep learning and trustworthy food for thought, even if you're not Catholic.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last few years I have read a number of books by and about Pope Benedict XVI. Of the popes in my lifetime I find his writings of immense spiritual benefit. I would state that I underappreciated him until his resignation. And since then I have read much. And with each piece I read I appreciate his wisdom, faith, and stand against modernism. This volume was of special interest to me. I hold a Religious Studies Degree with a focus on Roman Catholic Thought. The first course I did when I returned to University was Paul’s Life and Letters, taught by Dr. Peter Frick, the course was transformative for me spiritually and academically. I enjoyed the course so much that I did a fourth year directed readings in Pauline Studies as one of my final courses to graduate, again with Dr. Frick. I try and read a book on Pauline Theology and thought almost every year. Some of the academic works are out of my price point. This was an excellent read. There are two editions of this work and they are nearly identical. In Europe this volume was published by the Catholic Truth Society called Paul of Tarsus. In North America Ignatius Press published this version. I had tracked down the CTS version and was reading it when I picked up this eBook from Ignatius. Thus I read about half the book in each edition.

The description of the edition of the book is:

“In this book, Pope Benedict XVI, a profound spiritual leader in his own right and a first-rate theologian and Bible commentator, explores the legacy of Paul. Pope Benedict follows the course of the Apostle’s life, including his missionary journeys and his relationship with the other apostles of Jesus such as St. Peter and St. James, and Paul’s martyrdom in Rome. Benedict also examines such questions as: Did Paul know Jesus during his earthly life and how much of Jesus’ teaching and ministry did he know of? Did Paul distort the teachings of Jesus? What role did Jesus’ death and resurrection play in Paul’s teaching? What are we to make of Paul’s teaching about the end of the world? What does Paul’s teaching say about the differences between Catholic and Protestant Christians over salvation and the roles of faith and works in the Christian life? How have modern Catholic and Protestant scholars come together in their understanding of Paul? What does Paul have to teach us today about living a spiritual life?

These and other important issues are addressed in this masterful, inspirational, and highly-readable presentation of St. Paul and his writings by one of today’s great spiritual teachers, Pope Benedict XVI.”

The volume is compiled from a collection of General Audiences given between July 2, 2008 and February 4, 2009, during the Jubilee year of Saint Paul which ran from June 28, 2008 to June 29th, 2009. The CTS has several booklets from the Year of Saint Paul. I could have used this volume and some of the ones from that Year for that final I did a year after the fact.

And the chapters are:

1. Religious and Cultural Environment
2. Life of Saint Paul before and after Damascus
3. Saint Paul’s “Conversion”
4. Saint Paul’s Concept of Apostolate
5. Paul, the Twelve and the Pre-Pauline Church
6. The “Council” of Jerusalem and the Incident in Antioch
7. The Relationship with the Historical Jesus
8. Paul’s Ecclesiological Dimension
9. The Importance of Christology: Pre-existence and Incarnation
10. The Importance of Christology: The Theology of the Cross
11. The Importance of Christology: The Decisiveness of the Resurrection
12. Eschatology: The Expectation of the Parousia
13. The Doctrine of Justification: From Works to Faith
14. The Doctrine of Justification: The Apostle’s Teaching on Faith and Works
15. The Apostle’s Teaching on the Relation between Adam and Christ
16. The Theology of the Sacraments
17. Spiritual Worship
18. Letters to the Colossians and Ephesians
19. Pastoral Epistles: Letters to Timothy and Titus
20. Saint Paul’s Life and Legacy

Each chapter is from a specific General Audience. Because this is a collection for talks given there is no introduction or conclusion. I really enjoyed reading this volume. I read it just a few months after the passing of Pope Benedict XVI. And reading books by him at this time is helping me process my feelings on his passing. I once heard a theologian say that without Saint Paul there would be no Christianity. And I do not doubt that statement. This book gives a rich and deep look into the man, his life and his message.

I have a dual form of dyslexia and really prefer eBooks, because I can change the font, page and font colour to make reading easier. My progress once I switched to the Ignatius eBook edition was much faster. This is an excellent read, one any Catholic, any Christian would benefit from reading. It is another excellent volume from Pope Benedict XVI, and I can easily recommend it.

This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Jessica Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of short catecheses by Pope Benedict XVI on the letters of St. Paul, this book is highly readable and insightful. While many non-Catholic Christians are very familiar with Paul’s letters, Catholics also owe it to ourselves to have a deep understanding of the riches of Paul’s teachings. I especially recommend reading it after reading through some of his letters.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely will reread during Easter season. Amazing view of St Paul and his massive impact on the early Church and its fruit today. Even more powerful was visiting the sites he was while reading this. Pope Benedict is awesome!

[Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book to use for daily meditations on the life/ministry/teaching of St. Paul. I liked it, but I think I was hoping for more. That being said, I learned more about Paul and his theological themes and enjoyed reading the book so, overall a success.

[Joseph R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following the tradition of his predecessor Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict gave ongoing series of general audiences in Rome on Wednesdays. This book collects twenty lectures on the life and theology of the Apostle Paul. Paul's original name was Saul and his first appearance in the Christian story was that he zealously persecuted the nascent church. Then he was struck down (and even struck blind) on the road to Damascus by Christ Himself. This moment was Paul's conversion. He sought out the Christian community. His blindness was cured when he received Baptism and changed his name to Paul. He then became a zealous evangelist for the church, traveling far and wide through the Roman Empire.

Benedict gives a fine historical overview of both Paul's life and the context in which he lived. The Pax Romana allowed free and unmolested travel from Spain to Egypt as well as a common language and culture from which the early church could grow. Benedict describes Paul's missionary journeys and his martyrdom in Rome under Nero's persecution.

Even better is Benedict's theological overview of Paul's teaching. He discusses Paul's relationship with the other apostles as a follower of Christ and a teacher of others. He describes Paul's Christology, showing how it moves from the sacredness of the place (the Temple in Jerusalem) to the sacredness of the people (the Christians who are the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit). The Spirit of God no longer dwells just in the Holy of Holies but in all Christians through baptism and the other sacraments--especially the Eucharist. In a mysterious way, God the Son shares His life, His very physical life, through the sacrament He instituted at the Last Supper. Paul follows this insight to its natural conclusions. We are all called to participate in Christ's death and resurrection. We must not only have faith but also work toward the expansion and fulfillment of that faith. We need to grow personally and help others to grow. Benedict highlights many key insights and details from Paul's teachings.

This book reads quickly. It's twenty chapters long but each chapter is only four to seven pages long. The overview of Paul's life and theology is great and well worth reading.

Highly recommended.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Pope Benedict's style of speaking. He opens with an evenhanded series of statements about the facts of a case, then presents a question that encompasses everything he has introduced, and then enters a quick argument which summarizes his views. This makes reading the talks a bit deceiving at first, because you tend to get drawn into somewhat basic points until you realize that he is making much more powerful arguments. He is careful not to present a simple synthesis, but a real spiritual elevation of the problem at hand, capturing the astonishing underlying truth. Anyway this is a short series of discussions of Saint Paul, touching here and there on modern scholarship, but always with a view to return to the truth of Paul's witness.

[Christopher Blosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having completed Benedict’s introductory homilies on The Apostles I wanted to tackle St. Paul. I read a fair amount of theology, but much to my own detriment am not fully acquainted with all of St. Paul’s biblical letters — immersed in my childhood years, now rusty as an adult. So this was a good remedy in preparation for a systematic in-depth reading of Paul, which I hope to accomplish in 2021. I found Benedict’s commentary to be both intellectually and spiritually edifying and at the same time on a level that was easily digestible (for a lightweight such as myself) before bedtime. Precisely what I needed.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pope Benedict's treatment of St. Paul's contribution to Christianity is an extremely well thought out presentation of the key elements of St. Paul's teachings that emphasizes in a clear way the importance of his writings and the centrality of Paul's works. Pope Benedict surrounds Paul's writings with the historical environment in which they were written and the social situations that existed at that time, thus giving a deeper insight to the man and his work. This book is the next best thing to having some one-on-one time with Pope Benedict XVI.

[Derek Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pope Benedict XVI is a brilliant man, but someone who also has the ability to translate complex thoughts into a message of faith. These short homilies on Paul are both scholarly and faith building -- it is great to find people who do not see intelligence and faith as mutually exclusive. He also speaks positively of Luther's interpretations and deals with one of the main reasons for the Reformation in a caring and thoughtful manner.

[Em Bouch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the content and the way the book was organized into ideas about Paul's theology. However, sometimes the writing was difficult to follow - perhaps this was because it was originally given as a sermon, or perhaps it was the translation. There were times when I was lost, not because the ideas were difficult, but because the wording and language were convoluted.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reader of this audio version really bothers me, so I feel as though I didn't get as much out of this as I would have if I had read it, instead of listened to it. Many great thoughts on Saint Paul here, I may come back to read this again at some point. Definitely wouldn't listen again.

[Randi]

Fascinating illumination of St. Paul, his life and his teaching. Sometimes our dear Pope Emeritus writes a little over my head, but other times his insights delight me -- and I love him for it. I really ought to have underlined things as I went along, but I couldn't bear to ruin the book.

[Carollozano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This pertains to the life of St. Paul. It is a well written book. It is 20 homilies that Pope Benendict XVI gave on St. Paul

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our teen discussion group is slowly making our way through this book. It's amazing.

UPDATE: Just finished it (will finish discussing it tonight). Loved it!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and has information about Saint Paul I hadn't read about yet. Pope Benedict wrote this for the Pauline year in 2008.

[Anastasia Abboud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! Every chapter is a meditation and confirmation of our faith.

[Ignasius Wahyudi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is a great compilation of the general audience of pope.

[Dr. Paul T. Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read his chapter on Acts 15. Unfortunately, he only addressed the question of how Galatians 2 might be related to Acts 15. This would have been a great opportunity for the Pope (now former Pope) to comment on Acts 15. Instead, we wait another decade (century?) for the Vatican to issue a statement on Acts 15.

[Tony Piazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice Overview on St. Paul

Pope Benedict XVI was an excellent scholar and his books demonstrate it. “Saint Paul: General Audience Talks” is no exception. Not a deep study, but just enough to give the reader a sampling of Paul as a man and of his letters. I recommend it as a great introduction for those interested in St. Paul and his teaching.

[Fred Christopherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a concise summary of Paul's life and writings. Among the book's strengths is that it is not simply descriptive: Pope Benedict draws on Paul's theology and example as indications for how we should live our lives. The style is straightforward. Pope Benedict was able to make theology understandable by those of us who are not theologians.

[Paul Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book

I was searching for a book on the life of Saint Paul and had sampled a number before finding this one
I would say that this is the definitive book on understanding that great Saint.
It is very well structured and easy to understand.
Strongly recommended

[Joseph Malancharuvil · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best pastoral exposition on Saint Paul. It is profound, spiritually consoling and inspiring. Love reading it again and again.

This writing moves one to pray with great feeling of faith and love. Excellent introduction to a deeper study of Saint Paul.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small book packed with big teaching on Saint Paul. This is a book you will turn to again and again to ponder the reflections Pope Benedict offers on the life of Saint Paul, what he can teach us and his important role for all disciples.

[Thomass G.R. Bürger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a good read. Some complicated and somewhat advanced theology for sure, but I would recommend this book to any Christian, Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox, who wants to seek a better understanding of Christology through Pauline teachings.

[Catherine]

happy feast!!!!!! :D

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5