Publisher's Synopsis
Behind much of the turmoil in the Church since Vatican II is the question, What is a priest? Priest as Type of Christ turns to the time-honored witness of Cyprian of Carthage on this question, asking, What is the connection between the bishop or presbyter's imitation of Christ and Christ's consequent presence at the Eucharist? In the course of this investigation biblical typology, Tertullian and Cyprian's use of sacramentum, and the roles of the baptized and of the martyr in the Church are all seen in light of Christ's saving presence throughout human history. Priest as Type of Christ is thus not only a study in liturgical and sacramental theology, but also in the early Church's overall theology of salvation history.