Waiting outside the papal office, my wife and I wondered what the pope would want to discuss. We need not have worried. The pope and I have in common and talked about what professors always discuss: What are you working on, and what will you do next?
So when my wife and I spent our 25 minutes by ourselves with Benedict, I asked him how he was progressing with volume two of “Jesus of Nazareth,” and he asked me whether I’m still publishing a book a month. He told me that the second volume would come out soon and that it would be the last book he would write. But, he explained, he has other work that will keep him busy. That’s the price exacted from a major scholar who is elected pope.
And that was before we even sat down. The news that he was writing his last book struck me as sad. I said so, and he reminded me that he is older than me — as it happens, by five years. That his book-writing days are coming to an end precluded any discussion of the book I had hoped to someday convince him to write with me — a dialogue on the apostle Paul’s theology of Israel in Romans — and I didn’t bring it up.
He asked me what I’m working on, and I started to explain: “Form analysis of the rabbinic canon…” His eyes seemed to glaze over, so I broke off that line of discussion and took the occasion to give him a copy of my new book introducing the Talmud, published just now in Italian, and the German translation of my “A Rabbi Talks With Jesus.” He appreciated receiving the book in his native German and said he was thankful that the Talmud book was not too long for the time he had for reading. He told my wife that reading “A Rabbi Talks With Jesus” gave him comfort when his sister died.
I left with a vivid picture of a humble and good-natured man wholly devoted to the service of God. He is generous in his appreciation of others and does not take for granted others’ appreciation.
Read the entire piece in today's edition of The Jewish Daily Forward. The "other word," I'm guessing (and hoping), might well include another encyclical or three.
• Rabbi: Pope's second book on Jesus now finished (January 19, 2010)
I expect he'll write an encyclical on "Faith" this year, most of which he'll write during the Summer, to be released around Christmas 2010.
If he does get around to writing another one, I'd say it'll be on the topic of "Creation".
Posted by: David | Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 07:02 AM
Say, it just hit me. Is this the same Rabbi J. Neuser who wrote "Invitation to the Talmud" ( publ. in 1973)?
Golly, after years of seeing it on my to-read pile, I started reading it a few weeks ago, and whammo, his name appears in the IP blogs! Is that weird or what?
btw, interesting book. glad i finally got around to reading it.
Posted by: Ed Peters | Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 03:57 PM