"If the truth was self-evident, there would be no need for eloquence."
Perhaps I should read the translation of Benedict's speech that you did, since the one I read was too mangled to be confused with "eloquent". The Germans have a way of being quite confusing when translated (although I admit it was easier to digest than a translation of Kant), I am not sure they are any better if you speak the language.
What struck me about the speech was its intellectualism, which seems to me to be a pretty big difference in style when one compares it to the more inspirational/spiritual tone of JPII.
I didn't get the same thing from the speech as you did, however. I imagine it was because I approached it differently. Benedict caught my attention with something interesting early on about the Septuagint and a comparison of Platonism to Cartesianism, as well as a contrast of these two against a neoplatonism/hellenism of the foundations of the early Catholic church (before the Greek/Roman schism).
Above you noted a subtle anti-semitism, which was interesting, because I did notice that in how the discussion of the Septuagint (Greek) OT and how it compared to the available Hebrew texts. I think there may be something in that, something I can't put my finger on at the moment.
I can't help but wonder if Benedict is a profound shift from JPII and this speech may be a good indication in that shift. Not an opposing shift, just a new tangent that makes Benedict unique and not simply a JPIII or something like that.
Not necessarily a good shift, but a shift, and an important one that may not be noticed for a few decades.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-09-19 10:35 pm (UTC)"If the truth was self-evident, there would be no need for eloquence."
Perhaps I should read the translation of Benedict's speech that you did, since the one I read was too mangled to be confused with "eloquent". The Germans have a way of being quite confusing when translated (although I admit it was easier to digest than a translation of Kant), I am not sure they are any better if you speak the language.
What struck me about the speech was its intellectualism, which seems to me to be a pretty big difference in style when one compares it to the more inspirational/spiritual tone of JPII.
I didn't get the same thing from the speech as you did, however. I imagine it was because I approached it differently. Benedict caught my attention with something interesting early on about the Septuagint and a comparison of Platonism to Cartesianism, as well as a contrast of these two against a neoplatonism/hellenism of the foundations of the early Catholic church (before the Greek/Roman schism).
Above you noted a subtle anti-semitism, which was interesting, because I did notice that in how the discussion of the Septuagint (Greek) OT and how it compared to the available Hebrew texts. I think there may be something in that, something I can't put my finger on at the moment.
I can't help but wonder if Benedict is a profound shift from JPII and this speech may be a good indication in that shift. Not an opposing shift, just a new tangent that makes Benedict unique and not simply a JPIII or something like that.
Not necessarily a good shift, but a shift, and an important one that may not be noticed for a few decades.