The Widening Circle

by Graham Tomlin

In The Widening Circle, Graham Tomlin suggests that 'Priest' is much more than a term to describe certain Christian ministers - it is a vital category for understanding God's way of blessing his world. Jesus Christ is the only and true 'High Priest'. His priestly ministry consists of mediating between God and the world, perfecting that very creation, and then offering this perfected creation back to the God from whom it came. Yet this very ministry is enacted through others. As we explore how this priesthood of Christ has an impact on everyday life, we discover the human race is chosen to play a priestly role between God and Creation. The Church is then called out to be a kingdom of priests, enabling humanity to fulfil its divine calling. And, finally, the minister himself or herself - experiencing as Christ did, both strands of priestly reality, the mundane and the heavenly, the routine and the remarkable, the normal and the numinous - is called to enable the rest of the Church to play its distinct part. In each case, the part is the means by which the whole becomes all that it is intended to be, in an ever widening circle of divine blessing.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 20, 2014

About the author

Graham Tomlin (Ph.D., Exeter University) is dean of St. Mellitus College, London. He taught on Martin Luther and the Reformation in the theology faculty of the University of Oxford for eight years. He is the author, among many other publications, of The Power of the Cross: Theology and the Death of Christ in Paul, Luther and Pascal and Luther and His World.

Reviews

[Igor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book and a beautiful reminder that priesthood belongs not to an exclusive club of clergy, but to the whole Church.

[Russrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for those considering their vocation or for anyone wrestling with the role of priesthood in the church. For those who have been brought up in the binary battle of ordained ministry v the priesthood of all believers, Tomlin provides a thoughtful survey of the role of the priest in the Old and New Testaments, church history and contemporary ministry. Altogether an inspiring account of how Christ, our perfect high priesthood, shares this blessing with the world through his church, her members and her ministers.

Favorite quote: “Priestly leadership understands its authority to be loaned for the purpose of blessing, not owned for the purpose of power.” p144

[Rob Eastwood Dewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Graham Tomlin’s writing. He is scholarly but not academic in tone, writes on a range of theological subjects, seeking to bring fresh perspective, grounding them in scripture and rooting them in their historical context. In this book he focuses his sights on Christian priesthood. He argues that the primary task of the priest is to bring blessing and wholeness. As the fully human Christ’s priestly ministry was to bless the whole of creation, so created humanity’s is to bless the world, the church to bless humanity out of which it is called and Christian ministers’ task is to bless and equip the church. The aim in all this is to be Christ-like because our priestly ministry derives from his. It is a simple idea, but he explores it thoroughly and helpfully.

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It gave me a really different way of looking at the priesthood - as a blessing to the church and as the church as a blessing to humanity and as humanity as a blessing to creation and for it all to be for the glory of God.

I am thinking through some of the aspects of the book as for instance, some of the thesis that the church should not be overly concerned with producing the best art, music, science and literature, is directly against what Francis Schaeffer would have argued!

What I liked very much about the proposed theology for the priesthood was the absence of hierarchy in creation and in humanity (i.e. the church being 'better') and in the priesthood. As a woman, hierarchy in creation is often used to discount women from leadership and I am also uncomfortable with a viewpoint that makes believers some kind of exalted group or the priesthood being exalted in some kind or hierarchy.

But, my favourite idea to take away from the book is that a priest is called to be a blessing to the church and that overall, God made the world for us to enjoy it, each other and above all, him. What a wonderful way to consider living life and this aligns with my ideology of living a joyful life, no matter what our circumstances are.

[Robert Atkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book on the subject of priesthood. It gives a theologically grounded explanation of the relationship between God and Creation, humanity as part of Creation, the church as part of humanity and priests as part of the church. I’ve read a few books on the subject of the priesthood and this has been the most inspiring.

[Daniel Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

First couple of chapters great up to Luthar's view of priests then the argument tailed off a bit.

[Rachel Ciampoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about theological perspective on priesthood modeled after Christ's priesthood. Conceptual more than applied, really loved it.