Synopsis: The concept and institution of priesthood in the Catholic Church has been the subject of serious challenge not only since the time of the Protestant Reformation but also, more recently, from within the Catholic Church, as the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and theologians afterward have reconsidered the place and function of priests in relation to both bishops and laity. In dialogue with those challenges, and by means of research into Scripture and the theological tradition--patristic, medieval, and modern--the author of this book considers classic images of priests and priestly ministry as a way of recovering an understanding of the priesthood that is at once both biblically and theological sound. Endorsements: "The renewal of church life at the Second Vatican Council was facilitated by ressourcement, the return to the ancient sources of the Christian faith. Porter puts ressourcement to good use in the study of priesthood in the Old Testament, enriching our understanding of the priesthood in the church today." --Paul Langsfeld, pastor of St. Stephen Martyr Parish, Washington, D.C. "Porter provides here a sweeping survey of the theology of priesthood . . . drawing from both recent magisterial documents as well as the best contemporary theology, this book not only delineates and dissects the numerous 'assaults on priesthood' of our day, it provides powerful and persuasive solutions as well." --David Vincent Meconi, Saint Louis University "The Assault on Priesthood is erudite, very readable, with just a touch of wry humor. He digs deep into the scriptures and into the history of the church to explicate a theology of the priesthood that is thoroughly Catholic. He has spent the last twenty-five years educating candidates for the priesthood. It's easy to see where his passion comes from." --James A. Hamel, Air Force Chaplain Corps College "A work of great erudition" --Charles Gusmer, former president of the North American Liturgical Academy Author Biography: Lawrence B. Porter, PhD, a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Systematic Theology in the Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. He is the author of A Guide to the Church: Its Origin and Nature, Its Mission and Ministries (2008).