Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit [Hardcover]

When the errors, tendentious interpretations, and sloppy generalizations pile up, the reader is left with an overwhelming impression of Wills' basic animus against Catholicism. Makes the perfect gift for atheists, freethinkers, and angry post-Catholics like Wills.

The book is well-worth reading. I could not put it down.

Wills is creating his own Inferno here. And much of the critique is well-deserved.

But research can be twisted to your own ends - especially in a book on truth. This Wills does. He separates pepper from fly poop in reviewing canonization claims under Pope John Paul II. He uses indirect, even tortured evidence that contradicts the plain reading of scripture to make the case for homosexuals in the priesthood. His case for women in the priesthood caricatures the traditional view - essentially setting up a straw man to defeat.

Wills also demonstrates an unwavering faith in the flawed techniques of modern textual criticism - always (even knee-jerkingly) choosing the latest dates for authorship of New Testament writings and accepting the most liberal, anti-miraculous explanations of those Biblical events.

He can also be irritating. He was overly critical of Popes who stood for a position they believed in. In fact, much of the book is a set-up in that his real target is the current Pope John Paul II. And though he claims to advocate conscience, he can be frequently caught decrying it in the papacy. And most egregious of all, he absolutely opposes the proselytizing of Jews, seeing it as an act of anti-Semitism.

Lest you think I overstate this final point, check out his telling of the story of Edith Stein (particularly page 50 in the hardcover), and then ask yourself, "If you had the Truth wouldn't you want to persuade others of it?" This is not anti-Semitism, but love.

But for all those shortcomings, the book is still filled with important information. And Wills has such a great writing style that a relative novice to the subject matter could still dive in and follow along; which is perhaps the best reason to recommend this book.

Wills' marshaling of evidence from early church fathers was especially impressive and convincing. Augustine, in particular - the subject of a previous work by the author - is presented in such an interesting way that I want to get to know him better. And it is obvious that the prolific Father Raymond Brown is also a large influence on Willis.

But what Wills got right, boy did he get right. I learned a ton from the sections that dealt with the sexual abuse scandals and the ensuing cover-ups.

And Wills even changed my mind on a subject I'd been struggling with - a topic I had done some serious research on.

So what, in my opinion, did Wills get right?

The most shocking part of the book dealt with the sex scandals. There's a serious problem here that the church is refusing to confront.

The evidence presented against the celibacy of the priesthood, and the non-existence of the priesthood in the early church, are both right on the mark. Going one step further, the priesthood is shrinking dramatically. Wills not only blames celibacy (wrongly, in my opinion), but the very method by which priests are selected, which he demonstrates is in contradiction to the practice of choosing a pastor as it was done in the early patristic period.

The replacements and diminishment of the Holy Spirit, both in a monarchy of the Pope and the elevation of Mary are well-covered. Wills demonstrates bravery in stating the true gender of the Holy Spirit, and depth of understanding in showing how this confusion has aided-and-abetted distorted doctrine. For example, this denial has aided in the elevation of Mary's status to well-beyond disciple, the role demonstrated in scripture. Wills shows that it is the rise of Mary that was used as the foil to make the Pope infallible - an innovation that is only a century-and-a-half old.

In making these points Wills introduces the reader to Pope Pius IX. Pius IX is an especially interesting character in the book. His criminal behavior and eccentricities are the stuff of good novels, and thanks to Wills' story-telling style I found myself wanting to learn more about him as well.

There are other points that my mind could not yet fully digest. Wills' take on the sacrament serves as an example.

Even if you hate everything Wills stands for, you cannot honestly deny his writing ability. In fact, I'd hate to be stuck on the other side of an argument with him. However, I was left wondering, why is Wills a Catholic? He very clearly disagrees with many of the traditional Catholic distinctives.

Maybe if you read this book, you'll be able to answer that question.