The topic of hope in the works of Joseph Ratzinger

From the relatively extensive works of Joseph Ratzinger we will first look up more significant texts dealing with hope. Then the collected materials will be studied and we will attempt to analyze, evaluate and compare them. The aim of our thesis will be to capture Ratzinger's basic line of thought concerning hope. We will also try to contrast Ratzinger's basic conception of hope with other approaches to this topic which he has encountered during his life since from our point of view, these approaches were often either incorrect or too narrow- minded. Thus we will be dealing especially with Ratzinger's texts originating from the time of his academic career. Furthermore, we will analyze also the texts written in the period when Professor Ratzinger was invited, as the Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith, to lecture on hope. However, in the section dealing with methodology we will attempt to distinguish texts coming from Ratzinger's pre- and post-Congregation career. Since the topic of hope is closely related to soteriology and eschatology, we will include these disciplines into our thesis, though only marginally. In practice, eschatology is also connected to political science. In the concluding section of our thesis we would like to summarize the essentials of Ratzinger's conception..