Edward Oakes, S.J. takes on Garry Willls’ latest: What Jesus Meant

He traces Wills’ intellectual journey (briefly), gives a nice swipe at the contradictions in Papa Sin, and then comes to this new book, which he first praises for Wills’ treatment of both the Resurrection and the Atonement. Then:

But larded throughout these insights are others that show that Wills is still trapped inside his incoherent theology, which seems to be animated by a basically elitist crypto-Anglican sensibility. This becomes especially glaring, indeed annoying, when he pits Jesus against Pope Benedict XVI. For despite his defense of the Atonement, Wills actively dissents from Catholic teaching on the sacrificial character of the Eucharist, which he sees only as an anticipatory meal of the Messianic banquet in heaven. This dissent from the Council of Trent means, not surprisingly, that the pope has got it wrong and Jesus got it right: