Benedict XVI, the Bishop of Rome, has a new book coming out, Jesus of Nazareth. A few notes from the AP via the Houston Chronicle:

Benedict began writing his personal meditation on Jesus Christ’s teachings, entitled “Jesus of Nazareth,” in 2003 when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He stressed that the book is an expression of his “personal search for the face of the Lord” and is by no means official Catholic Church doctrine.

“Everyone is free, then, to contradict me,” he wrote.

Benedict —” a prolific and well-known theologian well before he became pope —” thoroughly examined the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ public ministry to arrive at the foundation of the Christian faith: that Jesus is God.

Benedict said the fundamental question he is exploring in the book is what Jesus did.

“What did Jesus truly bring, if he didn’t bring peace to the world, well-being for all and a better world? What did he bring?

“The answer is very simple: God. He brought God.”

The 448-page book is due in bookstores in German, Italian and Polish on Monday, Benedict’s 80th birthday. The English edition is due for release May 15 and translations are planned for 16 other languages.

The book is the first of two volumes: Rizzoli, the Italian publisher, said Benedict is expected to write a second volume exploring the birth of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection.

“Jesus of Nazareth” covers several key points of Jesus’ public life and ministry. An entire chapter is devoted to his baptism, another to the prayer Jesus taught the faithful, the Lord’s Prayer, and another to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, praising the poor, the meek and the hungry in the “Beatitudes.”

It looks like this will be a very good read. As with a few of John Paul’s books, I’ll probably read this one as well.

The Catholic mind and heart has much to teach the world. As such reading the works that flow from our shared, yet separate experiences, opens one to seeing things in new ways.