Women at the Altar [Paperback]

Lavinia Byrne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999

A reasoned case for the ordination of women to the Roman Catholic priesthood, arguing that the ordination of women is the logical conclusion to all the recent work of Catholic theology about women.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

> --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826411436
• ISBN-13: 978-0826411433
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,409,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Threatening enough to trigger a book burning, May 6, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Women at the Altar (Paperback)

An historical sidelight on this book (which is a must read on the short list of the women's ordination topic):
the book was originally published by a "Catholic" publishing house owned by an order of Catholic monks. When the topic became a no-no for discussion according to the Vatican, the monks destroyed their 1300 remaining copies. The method of destruction however may (deniably, of course) have been a subtle answer to the Vatican clamp down on discussion. The monks burned the books in their furnace system, generating thereby for themselves "light and warmth". Painful as the experience was for author Sister Lavinia Byrne, she also could appreciate the humor.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a students view, November 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Women at the Altar (Paperback)

This is a very good beginning point for those interested in women's ordination in the Catholic Church. Lavinia Byrne's writing is delightfully clear and quite readable. She speaks honestly from her own experience and includes enough theology that the reader can then go and learn more on their own. I myself cannot see what the Vatican found so threatening in it. . .

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Academics, March 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Women at the Altar (Paperback)

This book goes well beyond an academic treatise on Roman Catholic women's ordination. It discusses women's ordination as a fullfillment of God's presence both in human history and in individuals. Lavinia Byrne includes her personal experiences as she examines how the concpept of God the Father AND MOTHER have impacted her life and those of other Catholics. She is fairly explicit about the processes the Catholic church has used which not only deny women ordination, but even the awareness of a vocation for the priesthood. The language of this book is calm and thoughtful, but the thoughts and concepts are far-reaching. It is deeply troubling that the Vatican feels it necessary to mandate the destruction of this book , as wll as the severe harrassment of the author.