Well written and well presented, Father Osborne’s book is a solid overview of the history of the sacraments of holy orders not only for Roman Catholic clergy, but for clergy throughout the Christian world. It will help all of those I ministry to understand the relationships between laity and clergy more deeply, and it carefully delineates the deeper theological significance of women in ministry.
By considering the ordained ministry from the standpoint of Jesus as the primordial minister, Priesthood enhances the multiple nature of ministry in the Christian Church, and helps pinpoint the main issues in ecumenical dialogues of our contemporary world, making them less intransigent. With the extensive discussion on ministry today. Priesthood is a welcome, timely and necessary contribution.