Job Description

[poliphilo]

The work of a priest- any priest in any religion- is to stand at the edge of the world and point. She is there to remind everybody else that there is an edge. She is a sign. And that's why she wears distinctive clothes and lives apart.

Anything else she does- social work, political work, anything that implicates her in the business of the world- is an add-on and a distraction.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm drawn to extremes, I suppose. My favourite saint- at least the one I've had most to do with down the years- is my namesake, St Anthony of Egypt- the founder of western monasticism.

And you don't get much more austere- and world-denying- than he was.

Of course I'm very far from being austere myself. I was for ten years a very worldly- not to say carnal- Anglican clergyman- and after that an- equally worldly and carnal- Wiccan.

I'm glad to see this debate is continuing on your blog as well. :)