What can Christian theology claim about the place of other religions in God’s providential plan for humanity? How can it reconcile the universality of God’s saving plan and the particularity of Christ and the Church? What meaning is left to Christian existence and mission in a religiously pluralist world? As priest-theologian, cardinal archbishop, and pope, Joseph Ratzinger reflected on these difficult questions for more than half a century and in a variety of contexts, proffering an array of profound answers that are dispersed across his substantial literary corpus.

In Ratzinger on Religious Pluralism, Sameer Advani assembles and synthesizes these reflections and answers of the late pontiff , providing a systematic study of Ratzinger’s theology of religions that attends to the scope of his larger historical, philosophical, and theological concerns.

The first part analyzes Ratzinger’s critical engagement with various paradigms of religious pluralism, whose accounts of religion, Christianity, and non-Christian religions he found both phenomenologically and theologically wanting.

The second part, in turn, explores Ratzinger’s positive proposal for a theology of religions, which locates both Christianity and non-Christian religions against the larger backgrounds of anthropological unity, the human search for truth, and divine providence. Advani argues that while Ratzinger rejected the idea that other religions are salvific or on par with Christianity, he recognized both their important role in God’s providential plan and their suitedness to an “assumption” into the Church through mutual, albeit asymmetric, purification and enrichment.

Fr. Sameer Advani, LC, is a Canadian priest of German and Indian background with degrees in theology, philosophy, and mathematics. He is professor of dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Atheneum Regina Apostolorum, where he is also director of the Christianity and Culture Program and research scholar in the Multiculturalism and Religion Project of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights.

“Sameer Advani delivers a tour de force in this meticulous study that distinguishes itself as the most complete synthesis of Ratzinger’s theology of religions to date. Weaving together a host of the theological maestro’s early and largely unexplored writings with important texts from his later years in ecclesiastical office, Advani presents a comprehensive analysis of Ratzinger’s balanced middle path between exclusivism and pluralism while offering a concrete alternative that better reflects the uniquely biblical shape of authentically Catholic theology. Significantly, he demonstrates that, while avoiding the common pitfall of deeming other religions salvific in themselves, Ratzinger affirmed their important, if asymmetric, role within salvation history. In a field where this gentle soul is still routinely branded as a narrow-minded ‘Grand Inquisitor,’ readers will be refreshed to see how vigorously the late pontiff simultaneously defended Christian mission and interreligious dialogue, considering both to be mutually transformative processes. The result is a must-read not only for Ratzinger enthusiasts but also for anyone interested in understanding the place of other religions in God’s plan.”

Matthew J. Ramage
Benedictine College

“We live in the age of unreflective, eclectic postmodernity, which delights in playing on the theme of ‘multiple modernities,’ implying that there are varieties of self-standing, completely unrelated truths. Advani shows in his comprehensive survey of Ratzinger’s balanced view on religious pluralism that neither the exclusivist model of Karl Barth nor the inclusivist model of Karl Rahner, John Hick, and Paul Knitter do justice to the greatness of the human heart. Yes, there is a positive, though relative, value inherent to world religions. The definitive self-revelation of God in his Son Jesus Christ is the center of history. Christ’s singular graces elevate humankind, bringing all religions to their true, indwelling telos: Jesus Christ. Advani’s study is an indispensable resource in this important area. A crucial tool for the high-minded project of New Evangelization. Highly recommended!”

Rev. Emery de Gaál
Mundelein Seminary

“Few inaugural books can compare with this one. It would be hard to convey the breadth and subtlety of Advani’s analysis, which is both appreciative and critical. Even scholars who think they know Ratzinger’s corpus will discover previously neglected facets and texts. This book both confirms Ratzinger’s status as the greatest theologian of the postconciliar period and identifies domains that continue to need work, such as apologetics and the missionary impulse. Boding well for the future, Advani emerges here as a highly significant theologian in his own right.”

Matthew Levering
Mundelein Seminary