Synopses & Reviews
New York Timesbestselling author Garry Wills provides a provocative analysis of the theological and historical basis for the priesthood In a riveting and provocative tour de force from the author of What Jesus Meant, Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Wills poses the challenging question: Why did the priesthood develop in a religion that began without it and, indeed, was opposed to it? Why Priests? argues brilliantly and persuasively for a radical re-envisioning of the role of the church as the Body of Christ and for a new and better understanding of the very basis of Christian belief. As Wills emphasizes, the stakes for the writer and the church are high, for without the priesthood there would be no belief in an apostolic succession, the real presence in the Eucharist, the sacrificial interpretation of the Mass, and the ransom theory of redemption. This superb study of the origins of the priesthood stands as Willss towering achievement and will be of interest to all inquiring minds, believers and non-believers alike.
Synopsis
- Wills's Saint Augustine (A Penguin Lives Biography), which has had eleven printings, was a New York Times extended bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book
- Viking will publish the final book of this translation, Saint Augustine's Conversion, in 2004
- Wills's most recent book, Why I Am a Catholic, was a New York Times bestseller
Synopsis
Wills's "Saint Augustine," which has had 11 printings, was a "New York Times" Notable Book. Now comes his third volume of "Saint Augustine's Confessions."
Synopsis
According to Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Wills, most readers of Augustine interpret his meditation on sin in the
Confessiones as an indication of his obsession with sex. But as Wills suggests in his discussion of book two of Augustine's influential work, sexual transgression is not Augustine's main focus as he reflects on the nature of human sinfulness. Instead, Augustine seeks to understand man's power to transgress-how it is that good creatures can choose evil deeds. He describes his own shame after participating in a minor theft as a teenager and interprets this act-and all other acts of sin-in light of the three founding sins of the Bible: the fallen angels' rebellion, the temptation of Adam, and Cain's fratricide.
With a brilliant introduction and notes throughout, this is a rewarding interpretation of a seminal work translated with new vividness and authority.
Synopsis
According to Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Wills, most readers of Augustine interpret his meditation on sin in the Confessiones as an indication of his obsession with sex. But as Wills suggests in his discussion of book two of Augustine's influential work, sexual transgression is not Augustine's main focus as he reflects on the nature of human sinfulness. Instead, Augustine seeks to understand man's power to transgress-how it is that good creatures can choose evil deeds. He describes his own shame after participating in a minor theft as a teenager and interprets this act-and all other acts of sin-in light of the three founding sins of the Bible: the fallen angels' rebellion, the temptation of Adam, and Cain's fratricide.
With a brilliant introduction and notes throughout, this is a rewarding interpretation of a seminal work translated with new vividness and authority.
About the Author
Garry Wills is one of the most respected writers on religion today. He is the author of Saint Augustine's Childhood and Saint Augustine's Memory, the first two volumes in this series, as well as the Penguin Lives biography Saint Augustine. His other books include the bestsellers Why I Am a Catholic and Papal Sin, and he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Lincoln at Gettysburg.