The Priest As Person: A Philosophy of Priestly Existence

This book attempts to construct a philosophy of the priesthood, an endeavor that may seem strange to some. After all, philosophy, many priests will recall from their days as seminarians, was a dry, abstract discipline that was supposed to be the handmaiden of theology. Philosophy was anything but practical. Indeed its professors and proponents seemed to glory in its impracticality and its extremely speculative caste. Another objection to a philosophy of priesthood might focus on the very possibility of such an entity. Because the meaning of Christian priesthood is tied to the meaning of Christ and Christian revelation, a theology of priesthood is possible, but can there be a philosophy of priesthood? This book is rooted in the belief that a philosophy of priesthood is neither impractical nor impossible. When it is most profound, philosophy deals with mystery. To philosophize about priestly existence is to raise the most radical kinds of questions. Such philosophizing also unveils the most exciting and inspiring kind of truth. Let the journey begin...