The Apostles: The Origin of the Church and Their Co-Workers

Although I am a Protestant, I found the Pope's book enlightening and interesting. The first two chapters are rich in wisdom, pointing out our blessing of the Lord's very presence as we minister, and the living tradition which the Apostles and subsequent ministers have passed on to us. Throughout this book, the Pope pointed out the greater symbolism of various events in which the Apostles participated. For example, the theological significance of the great catch of fish. He also summarized the theological importance of his points, emphasizing key matters such as what constitutes a good witness: those that compel us to "come and see." His command of the first century evangelistic campaign and the order of events was revealed in an easy to follow manner. He identifies various characteristics of the Apostles and relates them to Christ's overall ministry. Furthermore, he draws from early church writings. Most importantly, the Pope supported his teachings with scripture and flatly stated that we are saved by faith alone. This should be appreciated by both Catholics and Protestants. Curtis Mosley Houston, Texas May 25, 2008

The Apostles by Benedict XVI is a collection of some of the General Audiences given by Benedict XVI which deal with the origins of the Catholic Church (the full title of the book is The Origins of the Church, the Apostles, and Their Co-Workers). The book provides a look at the founding of the church by Christ and an examination of the apostles and some of the important early figures within the church. Because it is a collection of general audiences the book lacks the sort of opening or conclusions that one would expect from a typical book; however, the collected audiences hold together very well. Readers are given an excellent taste of the Pope's brilliant analysis. This book is great for Catholics who do not read a lot of theology. The Pope's books, generally speaking, are not beach reads and require a lot of time and thought; however, the subject matter in this book is presented in a much simpler fashion making it an excellent choice for those who aren't used to reading theological works. A simple style is not the same thing as simple minded though, so even veteran readers of theology will find this book to be enjoyable. This book will make a great addition to any Catholic's personal library, whether that library is a whole room of books or a single shelf.

Recognizing that this is a translation, the work is EXCELLENTLY prepared and well written. The facts are presented in such a way as to be both interesting and informative. The Holy Father, once again, has written a wonderful work.

Pope Benedict XVI has created a wonderful work in "The Apostles." A word for those who have read his pre-Pope works, or even Pope JPII's works, this book is amazingly simple and readable in style, and one can easily take a chapter a day and get through it. He provides meditations, scriptural history and traditions for each of the Apostles and a few others mentioned in the New Testament in a way I have never seen. This book will open your eyes to the profound lives of each of the Apostles and how they experienced Jesus in their own unique ways, their strengths and their weaknesses. I honestly could not put this book down. Incredible, packed with depth yet written for the common lay person!