On Christian Priesthood

Introduction

The ideas which have defined and informed Christian priesthood in the past are now called into question more than at any time since the Reformation. Is there such a thing as a Christian cult? Is Christian worship in any other way sacrificial? How can ordained Christians be seen as part of a ministerial priesthood distinct from other believers? What does it mean to teach with authority within and on behalf of the Church?

Historical Perspective

When Michael Ramsey wrote The Christian Priest Today he could assume that the priest would be seen as a man of the Eucharist, a confessor, an intercessor and an exponent of the Church's teaching. In the contemporary Church none of these things can be taken for granted in the same way.

Purpose of the Book

This book seeks to re-pristinate the doctrine of ministerial priesthood by setting it within the context of fundamental moral theology - to recall readers from all Christian traditions to the fundamental soundness of the concept of ministerial priesthood and its importance in contemporary ecumenical dialogue, liturgical reform and pastoral planning.