Der Gott Jesu Christi Betrachtungen über den Dreieinigen Gott.

Wieder kann man von hier versuchen, ahnend etwas über Gottes inneres Geheimnis zu sagen: Vater und Sohnsind die Bewegung reinen Schenkens, reiner Übergabe an- einander In dieser Bewegung sind sie fruchtbar, und ihre Fruchtbarkeit ist ihre Einheit, ihr völliges Einssein, ohne daß sie dabei selbst zurückgenommen und ineinander aufgelöst werden. Für uns Menschen heißt Schenken, Sichselbergeben, immer auch Kreuz.(Das trinitarische Ge- heimnis übersetzt sich in der Welt in ein Kreuzesgeheim- nis: Dort ist die Fruchtbarkeit, aus der der Heilige Geist kommt.

English translation：Once again, we can attempt to glimpse something of God’s inner mystery from this point: the Father and the Son are the movement of pure giving, pure surrender to one another. In this movement, they are fruitful, and their fruitfulness is their unity, their complete oneness, without being absorbed or dissolved into each other.For us human beings, giving of the self always entails the cross. (The mystery of the Trinity is translated into the world as the mystery of the cross: It is from this fruitfulness that the Holy Spirit emerges.)

Characteristics of the text

The text mentions ‘God’s inner mystery’, the distinctive parts of which contain mainly religious-philosophical elements.

・ 「Vater und Sohn sind die Bewegung reinen Schenkens, reiner Übergabe aneinander.」：it contains philosophical discussions and analyses of individual words and concepts. The images of parent-child relationships and mutual gifts presented here represent ideas about the existence and nature of God.

・ 「In dieser Bewegung sind sie fruchtbar, und ihre Fruchtbarkeit ist ihre Einheit, ihr völliges Einssein, ohne daß sie dabei selbst zurückgenommen und ineinander aufgelöst werden.」：this statement illustrates the argument about the triune nature of God. It says that God’s existence is expressed as fullness and that this fullness is related to the unity of the Trinity.

・「Für uns Menschen bedeutet Hingabe, Selbsthingabe, immer auch Kreuz (Das trinitarische Geheimnis übersetzt sich in der Welt in ein Kreuzesgeheimnis: Dort ist die Fruchtbarkeit, aus dem der Heilige Geist kommt).」：In the interpretation of the Trinity of God in human experience and faith, the image of the cross and the concept of the Holy Spirit are themes often discussed in religious philosophy and theology and are also illustrated here.

As is characteristic of Benedict XVI’s writings, his texts are highly philosophical and show deep thought. He deals with religious themes and expresses mystical concepts. His writing is concise but dense, and each sentence is full of meaning. His style is rigorous and is used to convey certain concepts clearly. Benedict XVI sometimes uses a dialogical style, explaining his ideas in a supposed dialogue with his readers. This dialogue format may represent the one-dimensional personality of the one and only distant ‘Pope’. His writings show a fusion of rational argument and philosophy of faith. In particular, he uses ethical arguments to show that ‘faith’ and ‘reason’ are compatible. He seems to focus on communicating complex theological concepts in a way that is accessible to the general reader.

Summary

An attempt is made by Benedict XVI to understand the ‘secret of the Trinity’ together with the reader. The Father and the Son are described as engaged in a pure act of giving, in a work of ‘total devotion’ to each other. This work results in their fruitfulness, which is described as their perfect unity and oneness. However, it is also clarified that this process does not lead to their annihilation or merging into each other. It is further asserted that for human beings, giving and self-giving are always associated with the Cross. The secret of the Trinity is seen as manifesting in the world as the secret of the Cross. The explanation offered is that through the Holy Spirit, the Cross holds within it the potential for fruitfulness and abundance.

The difference between philosophical writing and everyday writing.

A philosophical text can be described as a multifaceted yet concise exploration of topics related to deep thinking and philosophical concepts. The term philosophia, coined by Socrates, encompasses the love of knowledge, also known as philosophy. These writings often employ logical reasoning. Both the current Pope, Pope Francis, and his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, can be seen as having philosophical elements in their teachings. They delve into concepts such as reflections on existence and religion, including faith, eternal life, the Last Judgement, the law of love, and the relationship with God. However, it is also necessary to provide more specific and succinct explanations using everyday language.　For example, ‘Hingabe’ and ‘Selbsthingabe’ are German words meaning ‘devotion’ or ‘devotion to self’. To better comprehend their meanings, specific examples or situations can be used to explain them.

「Für uns Menschen bedeutet Hingabe, Selbsthingabe, immer auch Kreuz (Das trinitarische Geheimnis übersetzt sich in der Welt in ein Kreuzesgeheimnis: Dort ist die Fruchtbarkeit, aus dem der Heilige Geist kommt).」If the original text of the following were to be shown in more everyday terms,

「In unserem menschlichen Verständnis bedeutet Hingabe immer auch Opfer (Das Geheimnis der Dreifaltigkeit offenbart sich in der Welt als das Geheimnis des Kreuzes: Hier liegt die Fruchtbarkeit, aus der der Heilige Geist entspringt)」In our human understanding, devotion always implies sacrifice as well. (The mystery of the Trinity is meant to be unveiled to the world as the mystery of the Cross.)

「In unserem menschlichen Verständnis bedeutet Hingabe immer auch Opfer」The translation is more of an everyday expression than a philosophical reflection on ‘what it means to give of oneself’, in line with the idea that true human commitment always needs to involve some sacrifice (e.g. time, comfort).

Finally, to return to the original again.

Für uns Menschen heißt Schenken, Sichselbergeben, immer auch Kreuz.(Das trinitarische Ge- heimnis übersetzt sich in der Welt in ein Kreuzesgeheim- nis: Dort ist die Fruchtbarkeit, aus der der Heilige Geist kommt.

“The reason why there are two instances of ‘der der’ is that the first one, ‘aus der’, translates directly as ‘from’, indicating that something is coming out of ‘der Fruchtbarkeit’ (abundance). In this context, it signifies the coming out of ‘der Heilige Geist’ (the Holy Spirit) from abundance. The second ‘der Heilige Geist kommt’ consists of the definite article ‘der’ and the noun ‘Heilige Geist’, signifying the arrival of the Holy Spirit. These elements represent the mysteries of the Trinity, which are of different natures yet closely intertwined.

If we were to write this without ‘der der’, for example,…”

Für uns Menschen bedeutet Hingabe, Selbsthingabe, immer auch Kreuz (Das trinitarische Geheimnis übersetzt sich in der Welt in ein Kreuzesgeheimnis: Dort ist die Fruchtbarkeit, aus dem der Heilige Geist kommt.(* Changing ‘Schenken’ and ‘Sichselbergeben’ to ‘Hingabe’ and ‘Selbsthingabe’ maintains consistency in context.)

“This is a trial translation and we would be grateful for any comments.

Following on from the previous edition, we have decided to include a memo-like section called “Cahier.”

Japanese