by Garry Wills
First published 2013
Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Wills tackles a fundamental question about Christian institutions. After spending five years in a Jesuit seminary as a young man, Wills now challenges the very foundation of the priesthood. He argues that early Christianity functioned without priests and actually opposed such hierarchical structures. Through careful examination of historical texts, Wills traces how the anonymous Letter to Hebrews introduced priestly concepts into a religion that originally rejected them. He connects this shift to the development of apostolic succession, beliefs about the Eucharist, and interpretations of Mass as sacrifice. Wills presents evidence that Christianity thrived in its earliest days under Peter and Paul without any priestly class. His research suggests the religion might be stronger today if it had maintained its original structure. The book offers both believers and skeptics a scholarly examination of how Christian institutions evolved and whether that evolution served the faith well.
Genres: history, religion, non-fiction, christianity, church-history, academic
Vibes: intimate, scholarly, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-examination, historical-analysis
Period: Early Christianity
320 pages · Hardcover · Viking