of the ways in which God in his merciful condescension makes himself known to men and women in history. In this understanding, the written Scriptures form just one part, however important, of God’s effort to communicate himself and his will to us. It is true, as “scientific exegesis” has demonstrated, that “the Gospels are a product of the early Church—indeed … the whole of Scripture is nothing other than Tradition.”23 But for Benedict, the sacred tradition of the Church cannot be reduced to a treasure