Dermot Power is Chaplain of St. Mary's School, Ascot. He lectures widely and leads retreats and workshops for priests.

• Foreword by Robert Faricy, S.J.PrefaceIntroduction1. The Ministerial Priesthood in the Light of the Mystery of Christ2. Jesus: Priest and Victim3. The Ministerial Priesthood and its Ecclesial Setting4. Interiority and Mission5. Priesthood as a State of Life: The Evangelical Counsels and the Radicalism of the Gospel6. The Ministerial Priesthood: Its Classical Modes of Ministry and Presence within the Church7. The Dynamic of TraditionConclusion

Power's book on priesthood is so eminently worth reading, because it deliberately attempts to draw upon the work of von Balthasar in trying to show us how the reality of the priesthood remains rooted in Jesus Christ." —Crisis"A timely, profound and enriching reflection on the priesthood which brings together theology, spirituality, and personal experience in an invigorating way." —Msgr. Keith Barltrop"This illuminating book deserves to become a classic and should be on the shelves of every priest." —Prof. John Saward"[The book] makes an invaluable, deeply theological contribution to our understanding of priesthood today." —Bishop James O'Brien"Father Power gives us . . . a great gift: a practical, simple, and profound spiritual theology of the priesthood. The spirituality here helps us to live our priesthood as well as to understand it better." —Robert Faricy, S.J."This close examination of von Balthasar's theology reveals what lies at the very heart of the priesthood and offers a spirituality to match it." —Lavinia Byrne, I.B.V.M."For those who have kept up with recent Vatican documents on priestly life and ministry, the hand of von Balthasar will be readily recognizable. . . . This book belongs in every priest's library." —Homiletic and Pastoral Review