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TO BE A PRIEST Perspectives on Vocation and Ordination edited by RaBERT E. TERWILLIGER URBAN T. HOLMES, ItrI with a Foreword by John Maury Allin A Crossroad Book THE SEABURY PRESS O NEW YORK The Seabury Press 815 Second Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017 Copyright O 1975 by The Seabury Press, Inc. Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations in critical reviews and articles. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CÄTALOGING IN PUBLIC.A,TION DAT.A Main entry under title: To be a priest. "A Crossroad book." Bibliography: p. 1. Priests-Addresses, essays, lectures. 2. Priesthood-Addresses, essays, lectures. I. Ter- wilÌiger, Robert E. II. Holmes, Urban Tigner, 1930- 8V662.T6 262'.r4 75-28248 ISBN 0-8164-2592-2 contents FOREWORD John Maurg AIIín rx c. PREFACE Robert E. Teruillíger and Urban T' Holmes be reproduced in any manner whatsoever ter, except for brief quotations in cri;ic; Pørt L What ís a Príest? 1. One Anglican View Robert E. TerwíIlíger 2. Another Anglican View 11 C. FitøSímons AIIíson 3. An Orthodox Statement 2L Thomas HoPko 4. A Roman Catholic Catechism 29 Quentín Quesnell Pørt IL The Príesthood ín the Bíble ønd Hístory 5. Priesthood in the History of Religions 45 loseph Kítagaua 6. The Priesthood of Christ 55 MEIes M' Bourke 7. Priesthood in the New Testament 63 ,UBLICATION DATA Louís Weil 8. Presbyters in the EarlY Church 7L MasseE H. ShePherd, Jr' 9. The Ideal Parson of the Newly Reformed English Church 83 Frederìca Hanís ThomPsett 10. Meaning of Ordained Priesthood r0- The in Ecumenical Dialogues 91 Herbert T. Raan vi Pørt III. Príestlg Functíons t03 11. The Priest and the Eucharist Louis Bouger 111 12. The Priest as Professional Frederìck H. Borsch rr7 13. The Priest as Authority on the World Byt John M. Cessell Chur 125 14. "Because Beset with Weakness ' ' .'' clivisi theol Michael Buckleg t. simP seeÛ Part IV, The Príestlg Vocatíon Todog allY 133 I 15. On Vocation that WiIIíam B. Green rect 16. Priesthood and the Church as Community r4l the Arthur A' Vogel Pre r47 17. PriestlY Character the tttn Macquanie John un¿ 18. The Bible, the Nature of the Church' 't 155 and the Ordination of Women Ch HaroeY H. Guthrìe, Jr' Ch 163 19. The Re-ordering of the Ministry To Michael Marshall fai 173 thr Priest as Enchanter 20. The pl, Urbøn T. Holmes 183 CONTRIBUTONS SU r87 BIBLIOGRAPHY c( rn ol ol a ( t Foreuord : provoked, the purpose will be well preface rt of a "blue ribbon" committee. ft .ngs, a contribution to a process of r clarify the meaning of priesthood ;ion of Jesus, the Great High priest. is mosaic with others. is being focused John Maury Allin At this moment in the history of the Church, attention Presídíng Bíshop intensely on the nature of the Christian ministry. This concern centers The Epìscopal Church particularly on the ministerial priesthood and the episcopate. The im- mediate cause of this is, of course, the debate about the ordination of women. There has also been the long-continuing "crisis in ministry" with its anguished questions of identity and personal vocation. The Church has, in consequence, the mandate to explore in depth a theolog- ical issue which has much wider ramitcations than the relationship of sexuality to ordination. This book is a response to that opportunity in essays which embrace a wide range of related topics. In selecting subjects and essayists the two editors have sought to present a balance of viewpoint, drawing on various traditions and sources. There is, by intention, considerable disagreement among the authors, since we believe it is important for the readers to be exposed to many points of view to stimulate their thinking' In a volume such as this not every essay is directed to the same audience nor written on the same level. Our intention is that these contributions should reflect the best in current scholarship, yet at the same time be intelligible to both priest and layman. We think it is important for the readers to understand that the two editors themselves have differing opinions on the matter of the ordina- tion of women. At the same time we found a freedom to work together, which combined a natural collaboration with a kind of independence. Each of us does not necessarily sponsor every article in the book, but we have found it easy to live in peace with one another in the presence of this fact. This is, we think, a sign that it is possible to have a basic difference of opinion and still be in Christian fellowship within the same Church. We are both committed to a thorough theological appraisal of the nature of priesthood and its relationship to the Church, which we think is reflected in this book. It should also be clear that in contributing to the volume no author is endorsing the opinions of his fellow essayists; each article stands by itself. Only the editors of the book have read all the articles, and the opinions of one person should not be attributed to anyone else who is part of this study. In assembling the essays, we have sought to follow a general outline, lx y Prefoce which should become apparent to anyone working through the con- tents. We have begun with four essays with distinct points of view on the deffnition of priesthood. This is followed by a number of articles on biblical and histõrical themes related to the ministerial priesthood. After that is a section that deals with the functions priests perform, and we conclude with an examination of the priestly vocation today, W The reader should keep clear in his mind the difference between ministry and the priesthood. we do not understand these terms in any sense to be synonymous, and this volume is directed only toward the issue of priesihood and the related subject matter of the episcopate. We do not cìaim that the volume is in any sense exhaustive of the subject, although we do think it is representative. Undoubtedly some will criti' cize itlor not having a particular point of view or group represented among the essayists. We have made a conscientious effort to draw on both men and women, Anglicans and non-Anglicans who have a partic- ular interest in the subject of priesthood, people who are in favor of the ordination of women lo the þriesthood, and people who are not, and scholars throughout the United States and elsewhere. Undoubtedly, in a venture of this kind it is not possible to have everything in proportion; and sometimes the inability-for good reasons-of some persons to comply with our request for an essay has upset that balance a bit more. HowLver, we do think that this volume embodies a fair representation of opinion in the Bpiscopal Church and beyond. WL do hope that the ieaders of this book will not be Episcopalians only. The represent substantial work, and although they do not in every instance"rruyr contain new scholarship, they do make available a valuable summary of considerable research in the teld on the part of distinguished theologians, historians, biblical and liturgical scholars. In ãonclusion, we would note that while these are times of deep division on some very basic issues in the life of the church, they are not times of darkness. The belief of the two editors is that in such times líght often breaks through the rifts in the unity of the Church of Christ, and we have great hopã that a deeper understanding of the ministry, and particularly of the priesthood, in the life of the Church will be the result ãr tn" shuggle in which we are presently engaged. This book is offered as a contribution to that understanding. Robert E. Terwilliger Urban T. Holmes Robert E. Terwíllíger rse faith is exposed by his person. Not rn, but he must often lead reluctant chapter 2 rys and deeper appreciation of the Ler as by his teaching. If he acts as e is doing, does not like what he is t he is doing, that word is plain and WHAT IS A PRIEST ? bed and awed by being an agent of 'ation of divine mysteries, it will not Another Anglican View word is expressed in holy deed with word in the world. He is to be a man :es, not only to help but also to bring C. FitzSimons Allison a priest is not an act of pride, but of dly) that I had not been available on exercísìng spírítual arly in the streets of a great city, by Mg rt.red Príncíple is: that a ChrîstianítE uithout a Church authoiltg is oanitg and dissolution. to me!How many times also I have Samuel Taylor Coleridge ut life or death, sin or God, has come :e for a priest, but did notknow me! The trst step in understanding the nature of any Christian ministry is uninvolved in the past or future of to recognize the overwhelming agreement in virtually every tradition r speak some word. We do not know in the history of the Church that a vocation to ministry must be twofold: ist comes in such a need. But if we :ded...? it must be an inner call to the individual and it must be validated by the corporate body, the "holy folk." Neither one, without the other, is to be a sacramental vehicle of -. the sufficient. eason. A Christian priest is a man to The second step is to appreciate the function and purpose of such ordination so that the priesthood of ministry.
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