Pope Benedict XVI’s second volume on Christ’s life debuts on the March 27 New York Times Bestseller
List.
Released March 10 worldwide, the new volume covers the last week
of Jesus’ earthly life – from his entrance into Jerusalem to his
resurrection and appearances to his apostles and other followers.
“We’re
delighted that Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week is an instant New York Times bestseller.
It means that many people across the country are discovering Pope
Benedict’s insights into the life of Jesus Christ,” said Mark Brumley,
President of Ignatius Press reacting to the announcement.
“In this way,
more and more people will encounter the real Jesus, which was the Holy
Father’s goal in writing the book. It would be great if Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week became the number one book in America!”
Global reaction to the book makes it clear that Benedict XVI has
contributed a work on Jesus that is as important and historically
significant as it is well-written and thorough.
“It’s a remarkable achievement,” said Protestant scholar Dr. Craig A.
Evans of Acadia Divinity College, Acadia University, in Wolfville, N.S.,
Canada.
“It’s the best book I’ve read on Jesus in years. This is a book
that I think all Christians should read, be they Protestant or
Catholic.”
“(The Pope) asked for the union of theology and critical history, a
response to the failure of critical historical scholarship during the
last century,” said Dr. Jacob Neusner, Rabbi and Distinguished Research
Professor of Religion and Theology at Bard College in
Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. “And he’s accomplished something that no one
else has achieved in the modern study of Scripture.”
“This book fulfills Pope Benedict’s ardent desire – that it would ‘be
helpful to all readers who seek to encounter Jesus and to believe in
him,’” said Capuchin Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy (O.F.M., Cap.), Executive
director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for
Doctrine.