[addendum: the articles referenced below are not online, at least not for now] Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, is perhaps the smartest man alive–I really do think so–a man of vast learning, astonishing erudition, and impressive intellectual discipline. Only recently I read his long essay on Christianity and politics, and found myself just thrilled by its level of understanding and grasp of history. Not that politics should be the first concern, but he knows and understands the state, sees Christianity as separate from the state, condemns the role the state has played in diminishing the impact of faith … Continue reading Pope Benedict XVI