Reconnect the pulpit and the pew

The book review referred to on this blog last week is written by Tony Philpot and the name of the book is 'Clericalism: the death of priesthood'. The author is George B Wislon SJ, publisher is Liturgical Press.

As the reviewer points out the book is not a comfortable read. The theme is clericalism and the toxic effect this has had on the church.

Some quotes from the review.

" 'Clergy' denotes a social, not a religious reality, reality. It means any one of the in-groups that dwell at the heart of any society."

"Once ordained, Wilson believes, a priest becomes embedded in a clerical culture, he inherits its ways of thinking, speaking and judging. At ordination he is made a member of a class with special access to powers not available to others, He inherits, whether he deserves it or not, the knowledge and competence that goes with the class. Such a class will refuse criticism, and within it there is a corporate loyalty. Ordination even gives us priests a uniform, and a special vocabulary, and a title."

"Priesthood, however, is something different."

"When a member of a Christian community is put forward by his fellows for ordination, this does not cause automatic holiness: sacraments are not magic."