SALON

Pope finishes Jesus trilogy with infancy narrative

Topics: From the Wires,

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI has completed his trilogy on the life of Jesus Christ with a new book exploring his birth and insisting on its significance for Christians today.

“The Infancy Narratives: Jesus of Nazareth” hits bookstores in 50 countries on Wednesday, the third and final installment of a project the 85-year-old Benedict conceived a decade ago and began writing soon after he became pope in 2005. The first two books dealt with Jesus’ public ministry and his death, leaving just Jesus’ birth to complete the series.

In the book, which the Vatican presented Tuesday, Benedict blends history, theology, linguistics and even astronomy to interpret the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. He laments that despite the evidence of Jesus’ role as savior of mankind, he remains a contradiction today.

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