Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Hot Document: What the Pope said

Slate has reprinted the text of Pope Benedict XVI's September 12 lecture at the University of Regensburg called "Faith, Reason and the University: Memories and Reflections," complete with sometimes helpful, sometimes snarky footnotes. This is the lecture that has produced all the uproar in parts of the Muslim world. It's worth reading, for those of us who didn't happen to be in attendance in person. And it puts the violent reactions of so many Muslims in perspective. Hey, maybe they should give it a read, too.

One of the footnotes indicates that this is a slightly modified version of the lecture - six words have been added, at least. Purists may want to check out this earlier version, though it does not show the Greek words in their beauty and elegance. (I double-majored in Physics and Philiosophy, so I can read a little Greek and understand a small fraction of what I read.)

Anyone who wishes to seriously participate in the discussion of this topic would do well to become familiar with this text. It's not that long or that hard to understand. In reality, I expected something a bit longer and more abstruse. Check it out for yourself.

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