Many refer to Pope Benedict XVI as "the Mozart of Theology." Who are the thinkers who have informed his theology? What events, and which religious devotions, have shaped his personality? This study attempts to shed light on the unifying melody of the policies and positions of a pontificate charged with spiritual and theological depth.

Introduction: The Christocentric Shift PART I: ESTABLISHING THE CHRISTOCENTRIC VISION Highlights of a Lifelong Ministry Personality and Temperament Formative Early Encounters as a Seminarian: Personal Existentialism Grounded in Jesus Christ Graduate Studies in Munich His Language and Style Academic Teacher: Truth as Person Pastor to 'Radical Christians': The Catholic Integrated Community PART II: JESUS CHRIST: GOD'S SELF-DISCLOSURE The Beginnings of His Theology The Inaugural Lecture in 1959 Jesus Christ, the Sovereign, Unsurpassable Revealer of Revelation The Question of Faith in the World The Unity of the Old and New Testaments The Biblical Basis of Christology A Twentieth-Century Classic: Introduction to Christianity Christ and the Pursuit of Happiness: Safeguarding the Non-Disponibility of Christ PART III: THE CHURCH: THE CHRIST-FILLED REALM Communio: Christian Brotherhood and the Church as One Reality Christ and the Church Christ and Ecumenical Dialogue An Ecclesiological Disputeat the Turn of the Millennium Jesus Christ as the Unifying Ecclesial Reality Being Christ to Others Christ and Freedom: Evangelization Christian Brotherhood: Entering into Jesus Christ's Earthly Ineffability The Liturgy: Christ-Filled Worship The Transparency of Christ and Christians: The Liturgy Regensburg: Provocation or Jesus Christ as the Basis for Civilized Discourse?: Jesus Christ as the Reconciler of Faith and Reason  Jesus Christ, the Definer and Personification of the Eschaton Mary: In Christ, the First Free Human Being Epilogue: Jesus Christ Offering the World Identity and Meaning