Truth and Tolerance:Christian Belief and World Religions

by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Now Pope Benedict XVI)

Ignatius Press

For many years, I have been reading, studying, and teaching about worldviews. In the past few years, the galloping advance of relativism and its rejection of knowable truth has been the focus of my attention since it makes the question of God irrelevant, especially to younger generations steeped in relativism. Attempting to teach "tolerance," both schools and society have indoctrinated this present generation of young people into a hardened relativism that ironically claims certain knowledge that we cannot know if anything is true.

I only recently discovered this 2004 book by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, but it caught my eye with the blurb: "Is truth knowable? If we know the truth, must we hide it in the name of tolerance?" This book is actually a collection of Ratzinger's writings on the subject, so some sections might be read in isolation from the rest of the book. While I found the entire book fascinating, the final chapter is an absolute gem. Titled "Truth—Tolerance—Freedom," it encompasses the present clash between the modern age and the truth claims of the Christian faith. In my opinion, it's worth reading, even if only for this one chapter.

Other sections of the book deal with topics that are linked to or foundational to this discussion. The entire book is divided into two sections: The Christian Faith in Its Encounter with Cultures and Religions and Religions and the Question of Truth. The first section delves into world religions, demonstrating how Christianity both relates to and differs from them. The second section draws heavily from the realm of philosophy to address both historical and present day questions as to the nature of Truth.

Truth and Tolerance reflects the scholarly and philosophical strengths of Pope Benedict. Those with at least some background in philosophy or worldview, reading should find it a deeper and richer discussion of Truth questions than is generally available outside the academic world. However, it might be too "academic" a book for those new to these topics. It is also important to note that this book should appeal to all Christians concerned with Truth claims, not only to Catholics.